2
filipino globe
the city
May 2008
Bizarre
ANGBANsA
twist to
Northern Samar
Five government hospitals have
DB Pinay’s
received needle crashers from
Health Care Without Harm, an
international coalition of 473
death from
organizations in more than 50
countries.
The coalition works to
occult text
transform the health care sector
to ensure it does not become a
a source of harm to people and
the environment.
FROM PAGE 1
Turnover ceremonies ere
held at provincial capitol in
already questioned the sender of the
Catarman, led by governor
text messages, identified as a certain
Raul Daza and HCWH’s
Nelson from the Philippines.
representatives.
The Coroner’s Court has yet to
The donation followed
come up with its full report on the
a review of the waste
management system in the five
death of Flores, 31-year-old and
hospitals, particularly how used
single from Lubo, Batangas who
needles were discarded.
had worked as a maid for a childless
HCWH also held a two-day
Hong Kong couple for 12 years.
seminar on hospital waste
She was seen fleeing her
management. It was attended
employers’ home in Discovery Bay,
by 28 medical and hospital
barefoot and in pajamas, on April 7 workers.
and was last seen alive being told
to alight from an airport-bound bus
in Tung Chung because she had no
Davao
money to pay for the fare.
The most high-profile case since the watch list was introduced involved canto pop star Jacky Cheung (above) and his wife.
Migrant organizations and a
Additional air services between
support group of Discovery Bay
Manado, Indonesia to Davao
residents had held vigils and protest
rallies calling on the police to look
deeper into Flores’ death. Privacy chief clears
City would help jump start the
tourism industry in the region,
Angel Puentespina, president of
the Davao Association of Travel
A blog has also been opened giving
Agencies, said.
regular updates about the case.
Puentespina said the tourism
The case has been initially
considered closed by the police after
a post-mortem revealed “nothing
watch-list scheme
industry in Davao was fueled
by the domestic market,
but the entry of flights from
suspicious” with the circumstances
surrounding the death.
The concern groups as well as
Philippine officials are hoping
Hong Kong officials drop complaint by banned employer
the Coroner’s Court will order an
inquest into Flores’ death to settle
troubling questions that have been
Jose Marcelo in Hong Kong
BY THE NUMBERs
consulate, the privacy office wrote a
left unanswered by the initial police
second letter saying it found no rea-
report. “I’m hoping there will be an
The consulate’s watch-list system has
Employers with a history of abuses
son to pursue the complaint and con-
passed scrutiny from Hong Kong’s
blacklisted by the Philippine Consulate
inquest so everything can be looked
sidered the case closed.
into. Kasi tetestigo roon ’yong
Office of the Privacy Commissioner
“In so many words, they said they
Manado will be a most welcome
pathologist sa mortuary. Iyong mga
following a challenge from a banned
find [the explanation] satisfactory
development”.
nag-imbestiga na pulis sasabihin
and said that let us consider this case
The Manado-Davao route was
employer.
previously served by Indonesia-
doon kung ano ang nakita nila,” said
The privacy office had sought
200
closed,” Vicente said.
based Merpati Airlines. But
vice consul Val Roque, head of the
clarification after a complainant al-
Salud sees the privacy office’s deci-
services eventually stopped.
the Assistance to Nationals section of
leged that labor officials were post-
sion as a validation that the consulate
“There has been an increase
the consulate.
ing lists of banned employers on the
is standing on solid legal ground in
in air traffic from Metro Manila
Both the consulate and Reguis
consulate’s premises and other public his office is held by labor officers
enforcing the watch-list system to de-
and from the Visayas to Davao,”
have sent letters to the Hong Kong
places – a charge Philippine officials manning the counters at the consul-
ter maltreatment of Filipino domestic
Puentespina said.
authorities asking for copies of the
denied. ate.
helpers. “Mas maganda ngayon dahil He said this indicated that
autopsy and coroner’s reports. “But
“The fact is that we’re very much “They need that list dahil kailangan
kumbaga sa government office, para local tourists continue to visit
we were told that it will take time.
aware of the privacy ordinance in nilang i–check ang mga applications
kang na-audit,” said Salud. “It bol- Davao region and neighboring
May hinihintay pa raw results ng
Hong Kong and that we’re not going before they are accepted and ap-
sters our message that you can’t mal-
areas. The increase in the air
toxicology tests,” Roque said.
to do anything like that,” said Consul proved,” Salud said.
treat our workers.”
traffic enhanced connectivity
Flores’ remains is set to be
General Al Vicente. “Wala naman talagang naka-post na
To date, there are more than 200
among the islands, he added.
repatriated next week. A final
“There is nothing posted there that list. In fact even the list that is in the
people of various nationalities on the
memorial service was scheduled
shows the names.” hands of our people at the counters is
list, including high-profile employers
Dagupan
at the Universal Funeral Parlour in
Labor attaché Romy Salud said the stamped ‘confidential’ at the top.”
with a history of abuses against do-
Hung Hom on May 18.
mestic helpers.
The 4.8 kilometer Dawel-
only list of banned employers outside After receiving a response from the
Lucao Road and its 380-meter
bridge opened to traffic after
Man, 87, on watch list for sexual harassment
a ceremony attended by
Public Works and Highways
Secretary Hermogenes
Ebdane Jr and Japanese
FROM PAGE 1
for yam cha, but only to ogle women ing television. “Tinaas n’ya ang paa at indecent assault after a four-year-old
Ambassador Makoto Katsura.
in skimpy outfits. “Umpisa pa lang sabi masakit daw, kaya masahiin ko under her care told his parents the
Mayor Alipio Fernandez
with the octogenarian and admitted to
talagang palaging nakasarado ang raw. Minasahe ko naman,” she said. maid had on two occasions kissed his
Jr presided over the
her afterwards that she had granted
pintuan ko sa kuwarto,” she said. “At “Pero pagkatapos noon, binaba n’ya private parts.
inauguration. The P1.2
the old man’s wishes, the maid said.
ang kanyang zipper at inilagay ang The Filipina, a first-timer as a do-
billion project was completed
“She filed the complaint para ma-
kapag nasa bahay ako, kung mag-short
months ahead of the schedule.
watch list na natin iyong matanda,”
man ako iyong lampas sa tuhod.” kamay ko sa ari n’ya. Nagulat ako at mestic in Hong Kong, claimed her
A grand opening is
said labor attaché Romy Salud. “Hin-
The situation got worse when she sumigaw ng, ‘Don’t do that’.” act was no more than a spontaneous
scheduled for next with
di natin alam what will happen next.”
asked the old man’s permission to sell Days later, the maid was out of a show of affection that she also did to
President Arroyo expected
The complainant, a mother to a
the stacks of old newspapers in the job. her three kids back home.
to attend. Also invited was
teenage daughter, said she had seen
house. The incident was the latest in a string Being on the watch list, the employ- former House speaker Jose
telltale signs of her employer’s “ma-
“Hindi s’ya pumayag, pero ang sabi of sex cases involving maids in the ter- er, Salud said, will have to appear be- de Venecia and Pangasinan
niac” tendencies barely days into the
sa akin, ‘You want to earn money? ritory in recent months. fore the labor office if he wants to hire congressman.Joey de
job.
I’ll give you $1,000 if you do what I Early this month an Indonesian maid another Filipino helper. Labor officers
Venecia.
The old man routinely cut out pic-
want.’ admitted in court that she had a sexual will decide on the merits of his appeal
The road component was
relationship with her employers’ 14- before he is allowed to do so.
financed from the P286
tures of sexy women in provocative
“Umalis na lang ako at hindi na lang
year-old son. “It’s a difficult [situation], but it’s
million priority development
poses from Chinese newspapers; reg-
nagsalita.”
Another Filipina awaits sentencing the only thing we can do right now,”
assistance fund of Jose de
ularly hired prostitutes and watched
The second incident happened a few
Venecia.
X-rated movies; and loved to go out
nights later while the man was watch- in a Fan Ling court for two counts of Salud said.
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