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Page 20 Page 15 Page 12 NUPTIALS. Despite JUSTICE. The police their age gap of 35 file robbery with years, showbiz stars homicide charges Vic Sotto and Pauleen against the suspect in Luna are set to get the killing of ConGen married in December. Catalla’s nephew. MERCY. In a historic move that could help OFWs in failed marriages, Pope Francis says Catholic marriages can be annulled in just 45 The No.1 Filipino Newspaper Vol.VI No.333 September 15, 2015 days. High Court junks FDH rape case By Philip C. Tubeza NOT once but twice. The High Court has acquitted a Nepa- lese national accused of raping a Filipino domestic helper twice in Clear Water Bay last year. Court of First Instance Justice Clare-Marie Beeson on September 9 ac- quitted defendant L.J. Gurung of the two rape charges after the complainant did not return to Hong Kong to testify. “I acquit you of Charge 1 and I acquit you of Charge 2. You are free to leave the court,” Justice Beeson told Gurung. The justice issued the order after Gu- rung was arraigned and he pleaded not guilty to the two rape charges. The defendant was accused of raping the Filipino woman, then his co-worker, on April 17, 2014 inside the storeroom of their employer’s home along Hang Hau Wing Lung Road in Clear Water Bay. Five days later, the defendant allegedly again raped the complainant in the same storeroom. But because the Filipina did not ap- pear in court, even after the hearing was WAGE HIKE. Filipino domestic workers are asking the Hong Kong government to increase their minimum allowable wage by $390 and their food Turn to page 14 allowance by $636. The government is expected to come out with its decision later this month or early October. (Story on Page 2) FILE PHOTO Nine domestic workers arrested for illegal gambling in North Point By Cheryl Arcibal ficer at the Police Public Relations Branch Point at around noon. Leung said the 10 suspects were the illegal gambling charges against the of the Hong Kong Police, the authorities Of those arrested, seven were women, charged and brought to the Eastern Mag- Filipinas after they agreed to be bound THE crackdown continues. arrested 10 persons---nine of them Fili- and three were men (including the Indian istrates’ Courts on September 4. over for $1,000 for 12 months. Nine Filipinos were arrested during the pinos and one Indian national--- because national). On July 16, an Eastern Courts judge “This means you should not commit special holiday on September 3 after they they were playing cards and making mon- “They were arrested because they were ordered four Filipino domestic helpers to or attempt to commit any illegal act in- were caught gambling illegally in North etary bets. gambling in a place not operated by a pay a fine of $500 each after they were volving illegal gambling in the next 12 Point. Leung said the defendants were arrest- gambling establishment. They were play- caught gambling in Central. According to Dorothy Leung, Duty Of- ed near the City Garden Road in North ing cards,” she said. The Hong Kong government dropped Turn to page 14 PUBLISHED BY HK PUBLICATIONS LTD. TEL: 2851 1766 WEBSITE : WWW.HONGKONGNEWS.COM.HK 2 NEWS September 15, 2015 HONG KONG NEWS ‘Wage hike won’t bankrupt employers’ By Cheryl Arcibal seeking could lead to job losses for for- and in their food allowance. eign domestic workers as many employers In October 2014, the Hong Kong gov- THE increase in the minimum allowable in the territory might not be able to afford ernment granted a $100-raise to the MAW wage (MAW) and food allowance that the increase. and $44-increase to the food allowance of foreign domestic workers are seeking will “We told him that what we are seeking foreign domestic workers. not bankrupt their employers, a migrant for will not put employers to bankruptcy. The AMCB has earlier cited a study by leader said. Hindi unreasonable at pabigat sa employ- Oxfam HK, which stated that each per- Eman Villanueva, who attended a meet- ers ang hinihingi namin,” Villanueva said. son’s food allowance should cost $1,632 ing with Labour Department officials on He added that granting the increase in every month to maintain a nutritional diet. September 2, said the total hike in the the MAW and food allowance would be a “We urge the HK government to raise MAW of domestic workers amounted to a “win-win” for both the domestic workers FDWs food allowance to $1,600 to pro- mere 1.65 percent since 1998 while infla- and their employers. tect workers from hunger and keep them tion was 4.4 percent in 2014 alone. “When domestic workers are happy, healthy, and to also send a positive mes- “Kung tutuusin, hindi commensurate they will do their job better, and they have sage to the HK public that FDWs also ang sweldo ng mga domestic workers sa better relationship with their employers,” have the right to sufficient food and a taas ng presyo ng services at bilihin dito sa Villanueva said. Migrant workers meeting with Labour Department officials healthy diet,” the AMCB said. Hong Kong,” Villanueva, a leader of the He said Chan also reiterated that Hong Villanueva added they raised with Chan Asian Migrants Coordinating Body, said Kong and its people are grateful of and On September 13, foreign domestic bour’s office in Sheung Wan. Those join- the possibility of granting the option of in a phone interview. value the contribution that foreign domes- workers are set to hold a rally starting 3 ing are encouraged to wear red. allowing foreign domestic workers to live Nicolas Chan, Assistant Commissioner tic workers to the community. p.m. to press the Department of Labour to On August 7, about 40 members of out of their employer’s home. at the Department of Labour, told the var- Villanueva said the group is expecting grant their petition to seek an increase in various organizations under the AMCB “We said na dahil sa policy, hindi lang ious representatives of the group that the the decision on the MAW and food allow- their MAW and their food allowance. trooped to the Labour Department’s build- domestic workers ang nahihirapan, pati $390-hike in the MAW and $636-raise in ance review either late September or early Assembly time will be 2 p.m. on Chat- ing on Pier Road in Central and held a employers kasi forced sila maghanap ng food allowance that domestic workers are October. er Garden and they will march to the La- picket to ask for an increase in their MAW, space for domestic workers,” he said. Pinay seeks $200k damages vs vet By Philip C. Tubeza The tribunal heard the case on Sep- Hong Kong on May 2, 2009 to work un- tember 7 but the defendant did not attend der Mark in a pet clinic. A Filipino woman is seeking $200,000 the hearing. “She was contractually obliged to in civil damages against a veterinary “The defendant took advantage of the work under the defendant. In June 2009, surgeon for alleged sexual harassment plaintiff as a newcomer. She is a foreign- the defendant started the sexual harass- in 2010. er in Hong Kong. She only came here in ment conduct in question,” Gale’s law- With the help of the Equal Opportu- May 2009 to seek employment,” Gale’s yer said. nities Commission (EOC), Gale V. M. lawyer told District Court Judge Alex Mark allegedly harassed Gale seven asked the District Court to order her for- Lee. times in the course of eight months, in- mer boss, veterinary surgeon Mark B., to “She had no friends, no family here,” cluding touching her buttocks. pay her $150,000 for “injury to feelings” she added. “The sexual harassment lasted for and $50,000 for exemplary damages. Gale, a veterinary technician, came to eight months before the (plaintiff’s) employment ended,” Gale’s lawyer said. She said Gale filed a complaint with the police but, up to now, there was no feedback from investigators. “In cases of this nature, it is simply beyond imagination that the investi- gation would take five years,” Judge Lee said. “If the police were investigating, they have a duty to inform her of the results,” he added. The judge also questioned Gale’s lawyer as to why it took a long time before the case reached the District Court. Gale’s lawyer said the plaintiff lodged a complaint with the EOC in April 2010 and the commission con- ducted an investigation until Febru- ary 2011. The EOC tried to conciliate both parties but nothing came out of it and Gale sought legal assistance from the EOC in June 2011. On the other hand, the defendant allegedly did not appear in any pro- ceeding to defend himself from the accusations thrown at him. “There was no notice of intention to defend. He was absent all along,” Gale’s lawyer said. She added that Mark was still in Hong Kong and was still a registered veterinary surgeon in the territory. HONG KONG NEWS September 15, 2015 3 4 September 15, 2015 HONG KONG NEWS HONG KONG NEWS September 15, 2015 5 6 NEWS September 15, 2015 HONG KONG NEWS Tourist to plead guilty Woman from PH caught with $1.3 M of cocaine By Peter C. Castillo ery of a slab of suspected cocaine being to drug trafficking concealed inside the false compartment of CUSTOMS agents arrested at the airport a the suitcase,” the statement said.

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