Stealing 6 letters, key gets DH 2 months’ jail

 

Taikoo Shing building where the offense was committed

A domestic helper who pleaded guilty last July at Eastern Court to stealing six letters and one key from her employer at Tai Koo Shing, was sentenced today to two months’ imprisonment.

Marijoe Baril, 27, received the sentence from Principal Magistrate Don So 20 days after he put off the sentencing to conduct a background check to determine why she stole the letters, using the key to open her employer’s mail box.

Police had charged Baril with theft for stealing the six letters and one key between last May and June at her employer’s house in Taikoo Shing.

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Her duty lawyer told the court after her plea that Baril underestimated the severity of the offense.

Since she has been detained since last month and deducting holidays from her jail term plus discount for good behavior, Baril should be free anytime soon.

Her criminal conviction, however, would likely result in her being deported back to the Philippines after here release, and prevent her from working again in Hong Kong. 

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Appeal Court rejects bid of Filipino who lied about threats from ex-girlfriend

 

The Court of Appeals hearings are held at the High Court

A Filipino tourist who claimed to have fled to Hong Kong to escape his girlfriend and her family who wanted to kill him, has failed to get the Court of Appeal to overturn a decision to reject his application for asylum.

Benedicto Pimentel Jr. had claimed that “he would be harmed or killed by his former girlfriend and her family due to the former girlfriend’s affairs with some other men,” the Court of Appeal noted in its decision dated July 31, 2024.

Pimentel arrived in Hong Kong as a visitor on June 26, 2015, and overstayed after his two-week limit of stay.

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He was arrested by police on Aug. 10, 2015. He applied two days later at the Immigration Department for non-refoulement or protection from forcible return to his country of origin.

Three years later, on Nov. 16, 2018, the Director of Immigration dismissed his claim on all applicable grounds, among them the risk of torture, death, and persecution.

Pimentel appealed the to the Torture Claims Appeal Board, which confirmed the Director’s decision on May 9, 2019.

Not only did it rule that his claim did not meet the requirements for giving asylum, it also noted that “his claim (is) nothing more than a fabrication” and described his “evidence (as) unreliable and at times, even absurd.”

On May 21, 2019, Pimentel went up to the High Court to apply for leave to apply for judicial review.

Deputy High Court Judge K W Lung refused on April 3, 2024 to grant such leave, saying there is no valid “ground to challenge the Board’s Decision.”

After he raised his case to the Court of Appeal last April 8, Justices of Appeal Thomas Au and Anderson Chow ruled: “The Applicant’s appeal has no merits, and is dismissed.”

“(Pimentel) has failed to identify or show any error in the Judge’s decision of 3 April 2024, or raise any viable ground of appeal against the Order,” the decision explained. 

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Diwa’t Kabayan to teach baking, meat processing

 

The poster for the baking lesson on Aug 11

Fancy baking your own bread, and partnering it with sardines in oil you made yourself? 

If you relish the idea, you may want to join either or both of the two livelihood seminars that will be held on two upcoming Sundays by one of the longest-serving migrant organizations in Hong Kong, the Diwa’t Kabayan Benlife Society.

The first whole-day seminar scheduled on August 11, 9am to 6pm,  will focus on bread making, with pandesal, pizza, ensaymada and biscuits among the end-products.

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A fee of $520 to be collected from each participant will be used to buy lunch for all participants, ingredients and kitchen tools that will be used for the tutorial, and for renting the venue in Taipo. All items baked by the participants can be taken home.

A non-refundable reservation fee of $100 will be collected from each participant to secure their place in the training seminar.

Meat processing is one of Diwa't Kabayan banner projects

On the next Sunday, Aug. 18, 10 am to 6pm, another seminar will be held  by the group to teach food and meat processing. The food items to be produced will include different kind of longanisa, tocino, sardines in oil, and tinapa.

A reservation fee of $100 will be collected from each participant, with the total amount of contribution for the other expenses to be determined on the day itself.

All participants who signed up will be fetched at the Taipo Market MTR station.

Earlier, the all-OFW group also provided training on how to create wedding accessories out of mesh stockings. The half-day seminar was held on July 28 at the Metrobank conference room. Admission was on a first come, first served basis.

Diwa’t Kabayan which has all along been headed by its founder, Naty Manalo, has been teaching OFWs various livelihood skills for the past 25 years.

For additional information on their livelihood seminars, please visit the Facebook page, "Diwa't Kabayan Benlife Society."

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Beware of money lenders asking for bank accounts as collateral

 

This text exchange shows the money lender wants control over borrower's bank accout

A Filipina domestic helper has reached out to warn others about a group that purports to extend a loan to those who are about to go back to the Philippines after their employment contracts were terminated prematurely, and then get them involved in money laundering without their knowledge.

Baby (not her real name),  said she commented “How po” to a post she found in a Facebook page about the loan offer. Almost immediately, someone got back to her and said her group could extend a loan of up to $2,000, but in exchange, the helper needed to submit control over her bank account.

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Baby showed a series of text messages between her and another Filipina who said this was her boss’ requirement prior to extending the loan. The Filipina specified an account in either HSBC or Hang Seng Bank.

When Baby said she did not have an account in either bank, the other Filipina suggested she could set up an appointment for the helper to open one, but she must be able to leave her employer’s house on a weekday to do this.

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“Mag open ka na lang po, tapos kuhanin namin sa yo,” said the Filipina in a chat message.“Book kita ng appointment, gusto mo?” (I will book an appointment for you, if you want).

When Baby balked some more, saying she does not get to go out even during Sundays as she is looking after a sick elderly employer, the person she was chatting with said, “Ay sayang, ano po ba ang off mo? Di ka ba pwedeng mag off ng Sabado? (Pity! When is your day off? Can’t you take a Saturday off?)

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The overly friendly staff caused Baby to feel uneasy that she immediately consulted a migrant support group on whether the deal sounded like it involved money laundering, and she was immediately told yes, and that  she should immediately cut off contacts with the person she was chatting with.

In a long list of cases involving FDHs who lent or surrender control over their bank accounts which were then made funnels for criminal proceeds, the account holder is the one that is normally arrested, and without fail, jailed.

Magistrates routinely impose a jail term of nine months if the accused admits guilt, 12 months or more if they opt to go to trial, and are convicted.

However, the prescribed maximum jail term is 14 years, and a fine of up to $5 million.

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It’s a double gold for Caloy and the Philippines at Paris Olympics

 

It's an unprecedented second gold for Caloy, and a source of pride and joy for the country

As the announcer put it, the first gold was a dream, the second was a fairy tale.

Surmounting big odds, 24-year-old Carlos Edriel Yulo won another gold medal for the Philippines at the Paris Olympic 2024 for the second day in a row, dominating the men’s vault final late on Sunday night. He secured his slot in the finals after placing sixth in the qualifying round.

Yulo won his first gold in the men’s floor exercise only the previous night.

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His back-to-back victory raised the country’s gold medal haul in the Olympics from the one won by weightlifter Hidylin Diaz in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, to three practically overnight.

 I owe this to the One above, says Caloy

Yulo also has the distinction of being the first Filipino to win multiple golds in the world’s premier sports meet. 

His first vault was a picture of power, grace and artistry, earning for himself a score of 15.433, the highest given in the competition.

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A slightly imperfect landing caused his score in his second vault to dip a bit, giving him a score of 14.800, but it was still enough to earn him the top place on the podium, with an average score of 15.116.

The Philippine flag was raised and the national anthem played
 for only the 3rd time in Olympic history

Armenia’s Artur Davtyan who won the silver medal in the Tokyo Olympics, again took the second slot after finishing his routine with an average score of 14.966. Britain’s Harry Hepworth, whose score of 14.949 initially put him in the lead, took bronze.

The Philippines is now assured of four medals in the Paris Olympics, with female boxers Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas each assured of at least a bronze medal after their winning bouts also on Sunday.

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This ties up the number of medals won by the Philippines in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (held in 2021), and boosted its haul highlighted by Yulo’s two gold wins.

Since it began taking part in the Olympics in 1924, the Philippines has won a total of 15 medals, eight of which were from the two immediate past quadrennial games.  

After winning his first gold medal, Yulo was assured of huge rewards from both the Philippine government and various private enterprises.

Under a law passed in 2015, an Olympic gold medalist is to be rewarded with a “financial incentive” of P10 million, while the House of Representatives has pledged to give an additional P3 million.

The athlete will also receive an Olympic Gold Medal of Valor from the Philippine Sports Commission, as well as a house and lot. In addition, a private developer has pledged to give him a condominium unit, like what Hidylin Diaz received after her win three years ago.

What is unclear if the rewards will be doubled now that Yulo has won two gold medals.

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Immigration formally opens Tseung Kwan O headquarters

Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki presides over  formal opening of new Immigration headquarters

The Immigration Department today formally opened its new headquarters in Tseung Kwan O, almost two months after transferring its operations from its Wanchai base.

The Immigration Headquarters, which started operation last June 11, is located at 61 Po Yap Road, Tseung Kwan O.

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Chief Secretary for Administration Chan Kwok-ki, who officiated at the opening ceremony, said the transfer was planned by Immigration Department and Government Property Agency officers during his tenure as Immigration director.

He said the new headquarters was built near both the Tseung Kwan O and Tiu Keng Leng MTR Stations and is easily accessible by other modes of public transport, to make it convenient for the public to use its services.

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 “Every process of the project, from design to preparation and implementation of the relocation plan, was carried out with meticulous attention to detail to ensure that the services and operation of the department would not be affected by the relocation,” he said. 

“The new headquarters have commenced operation without hiccups, and credit must go to all colleagues in the ImmD for their commendable efforts.”

For his part, the current Immigration director, Benson Kwok, said: "The Immigration Headquarters… represents the image of the Immigration Department that places equal importance on service provision and law enforcement, and symbolizes the department's firm commitment to serving the public and striving to maintain the stability and prosperity of the country and Hong Kong."

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Information on public transport services for travelling to the Immigration Headquarters and the opening hours of its offices, can be found at: www.immd.gov.hk/eng/imm_hq.html

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Carlos Yulo wins gold for the Philippines in Paris Olympics

 

Yulo screams for joy after his winning score was announced (GMA News photo)

Carlos Edriel Yulo delivered the Philippines’ first gold medal in the Olympic Games Paris 2024, and the second ever in the Olympic games.

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Yulo, 24, clinched the gold in the final of the men’s artistic gymnastics floor exercise final at Bercy Arena on Saturday, Manila time.

Here's a  link to his golden moment at the Olympics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54mDfHpJax0&t=2s

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He scored an impressive  15.000 points in a near-flawless performance, sufficient for him to win the top slot, ahead of Israel’s Artem Goldopyat (14.966) and Britain’s Jake Jarman (14.933). 

Following the announcement of his score, Yulo roared and pumped up his fists, certain he came out on top.

Medal standings in the gymnastics' event that gave the gold to Yulo, and the Philippines

Yulo became the second Filipino to ever win a gold medal in the Olympics, after weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz brought one home from the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.

He delivered an almost impeccable performance that showcased his signature high-flying tumbles and intricate spins. 

The routine’s difficulty level, combined with his exceptional execution, secured him the top spot on the podium, and paved the way for the Philippine national anthem to be played for only a second time in Olympic history.

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Yulo will have a chance to bring home another gold for the Philippines when he competes in the vault apparatus competition tomorrow, Sunday.

Meanwhile, in Hong Kong, two fencing athletes brought home the gold from the Paris Olympics, Vivian Kong and Edgar Cheung Ka-long, who defended the first gold he won at the Tokyo Olympics.

Swimming champion Siobhan Haughey won two bronze medals, one in the 100m and another in the 200m freestyle events, to add to the two silvers she won in Tokyo. She now stands as the winningest Olympic athlete in Hong Kong's history.

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Feeding pigeons could get you jailed and fined up to $100k

The law against feeding wild pigeons will be enforced in both private and public areas

Starting this month, the maximum fine for the illegal feeding of feral or wild pigeons has gone up to $100,000 which is 10 times higher than the $10,000 set previously.

The new penalty is provided for under the Wild Animals Protection (Amendment) Bill 2023, which also provides that the offence can be discharged by paying a fixed penalty of $5,000 on the spot.

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In announcing the stricter law, the authorities said there will be a grace period of until Aug. 31, when offenders will be issued with just a warning. After this period, violators will be meted appropriate penalty without prior warning.

Officers from various government departments, including the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, Housing Department, and Leisure and Cultural Services Department, are empowered to enforce the law on both public and private premises.

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The harsher penalty is aimed at reducing the feeding of wild animals and address associated nuisances and sanitary concerns like the birds shedding feathers, dropping poop and pestering people for food, while potentially transmitting viruses.

Being fed by people in these areas is seen to have served as an incentive for the pigeons to forage and gather in increasing numbers.

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To promote the revised law, government officials held an outreach event at Hang Hau Station on Sunday to inform people about the stricter rules. They also called on citizens to report any violators to make the new law more effective.

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Wala kang day off kasi may alaga kang matanda? Busy sobra sa amo wala nang oras sa sarili pati pagbili ng load ng SIM eh hindi mo magawa? Eh di wow! 

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Kung naka 4 months data ka, eh di $37 kada buwan na lang ang internet mo. Ang mura! Eh di WOW! 

At kung gusto mong sumakabilang bahay o lipat network, pwede yan sa WOW SIM at same number! May FREE Regalo ka pa na Cutlery (Spoon + Fork + Chopsticks worth $50)!

Kaya punta sa Barkadahan Shop 159 WWH Central o Shop B, 1F Jollibee Shopping Arcade, Yuen Long para makabili ng WOW SIM. Para sa iba pang services ng SmarTone, tap here https://www.barkadahansasmartone.com/service-site/BSS/view/english/AL.html. 

Para updated lagi sa lahat ng offers, i-follow ang Barkadahan Sa SmarTone Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/barkadahansasmartone. 

Kung may tanong, mag WhatsApp lang sa https://www.smartone.com/hk/BSSWhatsAppCS. 

Mas bongga talaga sa Barkadahan, pramis! 

Barkadahan sa SmarTone for the OFW, with the OFW!

3 Filipinas co-accused in lending at excessive interest rates set to be tried

 

The case is being heard at District Court

The District Court trial of three Filipinas accused of being runners for a Chinese couple has been set for Aug. 8, after the second pre-trial review for a case of conspiracy to lend money at interest rates higher than the yearly limit of 48 per cent set by law.

Lorna Pingol and Alma Cuntapay were named co-accused in one charge of conspiracy with the two Chinese, Tai Ming Fung and Cheng Wai-king, while Milagros Anna Laderas was alone in the second charge when they appeared together on Thursday (Aug. 2) at District Court.

The Filipinas allegedly conspired with Tai and Cheng in lending a total of $10 million to about 1,000 Filipina domestic workers at usurious rates, in a case that happened more than eight years ago.

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Pingol and Cuntapay were charged with the couple of conspiring with “a person named Jessie and other persons unknown” to lend money at an effective interest rate of more than 60 per cent between May 1, 2016 and March 12, 2017, according to information filed by the Department of Justice.

Laderas, on the other hand, was accused of conspiring with “Jessie” -, said to be the couple's former domestic helper -and others of lending money at such rates between July and September in 2016.

Earlier reports from the police said the group made as much as $12 million from the illegal transactions. The borrowers were allegedly charged an interest of 10% per month, or 120% per year, double the legal rate.

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They were all charged with lending at excessive interest rates, violating section 24(1) of the Money Lenders Ordinance which sets the limit for interest rates at 48 per cent per year, and section 159A(1) of the Crimes Ordinance which defines conspiracy.

The offense is punishable under the section 24(4) of the Money Lenders Ordinance, which sets the punishment for lending at excessive rates at a maximum of P5 million fine and 10 years’ imprisonment, and section 159C of the Crimes Ordinance which enhances these penalties.

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All three Filipinas were freed on bail of $2,000 each, while Tai’s bail was set at $80,000 and Cheng’s was $20,000.

Except for Pingol, the accused were told by Judge Timothy Harry Casewell to return on Aug. 8 for the start of trial, having pleaded not guilty in earlier hearings at the Tsuen Wan Law Courts. 

The same date was also set for Pingol to declare herself guilty or not.

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DMW takes anti-trafficking campaign to provinces

 

DMW joins hands with local officials in Albay in the campaign against human trafficking 

Days before the World Day Against Trafficking was marked on July 30, the Department of Migrant Workers has launched outreach seminars in various provinces to ramp up its campaign against illegal recruitment and human trafficking.

DMW organized the activities as part of its commitment to provide a full range of assistance to overseas Filipino victims (OFW) who have fallen prey to trafficking and exploitation and are seeking justice onsite and in the Philippines.

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The department has pledged to continue working with member agencies of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), local governments, civil society and private organizations, and with host governments to prevent trafficking, strictly enforce laws prohibiting the recruitment of children for overseas work, and extend help to survivors and their families.

The latest to be visited by DMW officials was Legaspi City, where an anti-illegal recruitment and trafficking in persons campaign seminar was held, alongside Albay PESO (Public Employment Service Office) managers, OFW help desk officers and beneficiaries of the reintegration program for teachers and livelihood assistance program.

MOU signing  in Davao City among various anti-trafficking advocates

Earlier, a similar one-day seminar was held in Davao City with the DMW’s Migrant Workers Protection Bureau joining hands with OFW advocates, barangay officials, PESO managers and law enforcers in taking the campaign to the grassroots level.

DMW Assistant Secretary Francis Ron De Guzman who led the activity thanked the department’s social partners for their firm commitment to combatting illegal recruitment and human trafficking.

The provincial government of Davao Occidental took the campaign a step farther by setting up OFW Help Desks in the province to provide immediate and comprehensive assistance to OFWs and their families.

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Through this effort, OFWs will be helped throughout their journey, from pre-employment seminars, to quick response to requests for assistance while onsite, up to their safe return and reintegration.

Undersecretary Bernard Olalia said the DMW partnership with the local government is geared towards empowering OFWs and their families, so the OFWs are not only protected against illegal recruiters and syndicates, but will be given immediate services when necessary.

The memorandum of agreement between the two agencies provides for pre-employment seminars to safeguard OFWs from unscrupulous recruiters and syndicates. The related activities include public information drives and workers education sessions on overseas employment, covering its potential benefits, potential risks, and legal channels for working abroad to avoid illegal recruitment.

Other government agencies like the National Reintegration Center for OFWs (NRCO), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), in cooperation with the LGUs, have committed to providing full-cycle reintegration interventions and support to OFWs and their families.

These reintegration interventions include livelihood assistance and skills enhancement trainings for OFWs, enabling them to explore other employment opportunities if they choose to continue their labor journey in the Philippines.

Davao Occidental Governor Franklin Bautista, meanwhile, urged his constituents to support the push to empower and protect all the OFWs in the province.

Five municipalities in Davao Occidental including Don Marcelino, Jose Abad Santos, Malita, Santa Maria, and Sarangani also signed the agreement with the DMW to signify their commitment to empowering Filipino migrant workers.

Also part of the anti-illegal recruitment campaign is the OFW Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Caravan which aims to strengthen collaboration between the DMW and local government units in protecting migrant workers.

Around 150 OFWs and their families, as well  as PESO managers and members of the Philippine National Police joined the second round of the campaign held in Tarlac province.

DMW’s nationwide drive to combat trafficking and exploitation came in the wake of complaints that illegal recruiters had partnered with LGUs and PESO officials in luring Filipinos all over the country to apply for non-existent jobs abroad. 

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