Page 2 Page 2 Page 14 BUSTED. A 29-year- COMING. Akbayan old Filipino tourist is party-list Rep. Walden caught at the airport Bello will lead a with $1.7 million House hearing here in worth of suspected HK on former Labatt cocaine. Manuel Roldan’s case. LUCKY. Feng sui master Hanz Cua says women are luckier in the Year The No.1 Filipino Newspaper Vol.VI No.319 February 15, 2015 of the Sheep. Erwiana on ex-employer: ‘Jail her for life’ By Philip C. Tubeza SHE has forgiven her former employer but justice should take its course. Indonesian domestic worker Erwiana Sulistyaningsih said her former employer should receive “the maximum sentence” after the District Court found her guilty in a case that sparked international outrage. Speaking to reporters after the court verdict came out on February 10, Erwiana said Law Wan-tung, 45 and a mother of two, should be jailed for life after she was convicted in 18 out of 20 charges which included assault, criminal intimidation, and failure to pay Erwiana’s salary and to allow her holidays. “As a human being, I could forgive her and her family but since Hong Kong has a justice system, justice must be upheld. I hope Law Wan-tung will receive the max- imum sentence; even though for me, that is still not enough compared to what she did to me and the other victims,” Erwiana said. “For me personally, she should receive life imprisonment for what she did, and for the fact that she does not have any remorse for her past actions while also teaching her children to lie for her,” she said. “My other reason is because no one could guarantee she will realize what she did to me and that she would not hurt oth- VICTORY. Erwiana Sulistyaningsih (fourth from left) is surrounded by supporters and the media outside the District Court in Wan Chai after the Turn to page 12 verdict against her former employer, Law Wan-tung, was announced on February 10. Erwiana said Law should be jailed for life. Senators tell MIAA to stop collecting terminal fees from OFWs By Cheryl Arcibal Sen. Cynthia Villar, head of the Com- cy Binay and Koko Pimentel during the Senate is serious in this issue, napag-usa- ma o program para magkaroon ng auto- mittee on Public Services sub-committee, committee hearing that was held on Feb- pan po natin na ang mga senador dito na matic exemption ang mgs OFWs,” Villar HALT. told MIAA General Manager Jose Angel ruary 9. gagawa na lang po kami ng resolution re- said at the conclusion of the hearing. Senators are set to sign a resolution urg- Honrado that members of the Senate are “Dahil hindi natin mapa-promise si Mr. questing the board of MIAA na iwithdraw Honrado told the committee that he ing the Manila International Airport Au- asking the agency to suspend the imple- Honrado na he will influence his board to nila ito. would “convey” the Senate’s sentiments thority (MIAA) to suspend the automatic mentation of the new scheme. withdraw this Memorandum Circular No. “Isasali po namin ang lahat ng senador to the MIAA Board but he could not as- inclusion of the P550 terminal fee in plane Villar was joined by Senate Majority 8 until such time na macomputerize na- na sana i-withdraw muna ito ng MIAA at tickets of overseas Filipino workers. Leader Alan Cayetano, Senators Nan- tin ang system and just to show that the ituloy nila kapag makagawa na ng siste- Turn to page 12 PUBLISHED BY HK PUBLICATIONS LTD. TEL: 2851 1766 WEBSITE : WWW.HONGKONGNEWS.COM.HK 2 NEWS February 15, 2015 HONG KONG NEWS House committee sets HK Nearly 300 FDWs hearing on Labatt Roldan’s case report being By Cheryl Arcibal ed his tour of duty in September. based lawyer to represent him in the in- Roldan is now the officer-in-charge vestigation before the DOLE. SAYING they want to get to the “bottom of the National Maritime Polytechnic “I have seven days to answer the com- assaulted of labor- and recruitment-related abuses” (NMP), an attached agency of the DOLE, plaint, and I have until tomorrow (Feb. By Philip C. Tubeza in Hong Kong, members of the House of on a temporary basis. 13). My lawyer has asked the DOLE to Representatives are set to visit the territo- The investigation was based on a com- give us an extension to decide,” Roldan THE police received nearly 300 reports of ry in the third week of the month. plaint filed by the Coalition of Service said. He refused to divulge the name of foreign domestic workers (FDWs) being Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello, chairman Providers for Ethnic Minorities in Hong his lawyer. wounded or seriously assaulted from 2012 of the Committee of the Overseas Workers Kong, alleging that Roldan breached con- Sherilyn Malonzo, chief of the Legal to 2014, Labor Secretary Matthew Che- Affairs, told Hong Kong News that he, and flict of interest rules for allegedly approv- Representation Division of the Legal Ser- ung Kin-chung said. two other members of the committee and ing the accreditation of an employment vice, said Roldan could either opt for a Cheung told the Legislative Council two or three other members of the House agency owned by the daughter of Donald Bello full-blown investigation or submit a posi- (Legco)on February 11 that the Hong will be in Hong Kong on February 24-25. Retirado, a former staff member at the tion paper to answer the formal complaint. Kong Police in 2012, 2013 and 2014,re- “We want to investigate labor recruit- Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Hong hearing in Hong Kong. If Roldan chooses formal investigation, ceived respectively 40, 37, and 38 reports ment abuses, specifically the case of Mr. Kong, among others. “We’ll inform the Consulate that we’re then an order will be issued to assign a of wounding and serious assault cases [Manuel] Roldan,” Bello said. A fact-finding committee tasked by holding a hearing, so bahala na ang Con- hearing officer and a special prosecutor to involving FDWs being attacked by their The Legal Service of the Department Consul General Bernardita Catalla had sulate and we want to make sure that we handle the case. The hearing period will employers. of Labor and Employment is undertaking found Roldan to have violated conflict of want to get to the bottom of the Roldan be 60 calendar days with an allowed ex- “The Police also received respectively an investigation on administrative com- interest rules. case which will mean that we will hear tension of five days. 60, 64, and 57 reports of wounding and plaints of grave misconduct and conduct Bello said that besides him, committee from representatives of the OFW commu- If he wants to merely submit a position serious assault cases involving FDHs be- prejudicial to the best interest of service members and representatives Leah Paquiz nity in Hong Kong,” Bello said. paper, then he will have 10 days upon re- ing attacked by people other than their em- against Roldan, former Philippine Labor and Wes Gatchalian, Gabriela Rep. Luzvi- Meanwhile, in a phone interview, ceipt of his answer that he is not electing ployers between 2012 and 2014,” Cheung Attache to Hong Kong, and who has end- minda Ilagan, and two others will hold the Roldan said he has engaged a Davao- formal investigation to submit one told the Legco in a written reply to inquir- ies from lawmaker Emily Lau. Cheung maintained that the personal safety of any person in Hong Kong, in- cluding domestic workers, is protected by Filipino nabbed with $1.7 M of suspected cocaine law. By Philip C. Tubeza prisonment and a fine of $5 million,” it suspected cocaine, worth $2.4 million, in “Inflicting bodily harm is a very seri- added. her luggage. ous offence. Any person who is charged HONG KONG Customs agents have Vice Consul Charles Macaspac said She was arrested after returning from a with “shooting or attempting to shoot, or arrested another “drug mule” from the the suspect was a tourist from Metro Ma- vacation in the Philippines. wounding or striking with intent to do Philippines, with $1.7 million worth of nila and she had to be hospitalized after The February 2 drug haul also came grievous bodily harm”..shall be subject suspected cocaine. her arrest. a day after Hong Kong Customs caught to a maximum penalty of life imprison- The authorities arrested the female “May mga potential leads na iniex- two persons from Kolkata, India with ment,” he said. tourist on February 2 at the Hong Kong plore so hindi pa talaga ako pwede mag- The suspected illegal drugs $560 worth of suspected marijuana resin. “Besides, any person who is charged International Airport after she was salita about this. Na-extandan na siya ng “Hong Kong Customs will continue to with “wounding or inflicting grievous caught with 1.8 kilos of the suspected consular assistance ng konsulado,” Ma- mally heavy,” the government said. keep track of the latest drugs trafficking bodily harm” under section 19 of the illegal drug. caspac said. “Upon further checking, false com- trend and formulate pertinent anti-nar- above Ordinance shall be liable to impris- “The arrested person, aged 29, will be “Masama yung pakiramdam niya. partments were found in the briefcase. cotics enforcement strategies,” the gov- onment for three years,” he added. charged with one count of trafficking in Investigators said the suspected co- As a result of close examination, about ernment said.