New warning on drug mules
The Philippine Consulate Generals in Hong Kong and Macau have reiterated its warning to Filipinos to be extra wary of accepting offers from individuals or groups to carry illegal drugs in their luggage or in their person when going abroad.
Earlier, Hongkong and Macau airport authorities arrested Filipinos in three separate occasions there for alleged drug trafficking.
In Hong Kong, Consul General Claro Cristobal said authorities arrested two Filipinas on separate occasions for alleged drug trafficking.
The first arrest was made on June 2 when immigration authorities at Hong Kong International Airport refused entry of a Filipina.
As a customary procedure before deportation, her luggage was taken to the customs checking area for inspection. Authorities reportedly found 1,040 grams of heroin hidden inside the soles of three pairs of shoes in her suitcase. The estimated street value of the drugs was HK$930,000 (US$119, 500).
The Filipina is currently under custodial remand at Tail Lam Centre for women, and her case will be heard in Tsuen Wan Magistrate Court on September 2.
In a letter to the Consulate-General, the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department informed them of the arrest of another Filipina on June 24. The said Filipina was charged with drug trafficking the next day and was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital to extract the drugs from her body cavity. The doctors managed to extract about 876 grams of heroin from her body, with an estimated street value of HK$780,000 (US$100,300).
She is currently confined at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and will be brought for custodial remand at the Tai Lam Centre for Women.
“The Consulate-General will ensure that these Filipinas will have legal representation in all their court appearances and will continue to monitor the said cases,” Consul General Cristobal said.
Meanwhile, the Consulate General in Macau reported that a Filipina was arrested at the Macau International Airport on June 26 for allegedly smuggling almost one kilogram of drugs hidden in three pairs of sports shoes in her luggage. The arrest was published as a headline of the Macau Post Daily.
“We have made arrangements with the Macau authorities to visit her and we will extend necessary legal assistance to her,” he said.
Consul General to Macau Renato Villapando said that they are concerned with the increasing number of Filipinos serving sentences in Macau for drug trafficking. The number of jailed Filipinos now stands to 17.
Department of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Esteban Conejos has continuously issued warnings to Filipino travelers against becoming drug couriers.
“We warn our countrymen not to accept packages which they suspect are drugs. If they are caught carrying illegal drugs, they will face very dire consequences,” he said.
Drug trafficking of 50 grams or more of illegal drugs in China is punishable by 15 years in prison, life imprisonment or death. In Muslim countries, drug trafficking is punishable by death, according to Shariah law.
HK, Singapore OFWs transmit votes successfully
11 May 2010 – The Department of Foreign Affairs-Overseas Absentee
Voting Secretariat (DFA-OAVS) said today that the election results
from the Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong and the Philippine
Embassy in Singapore were successfully transmitted to the Commission
of Elections (COMELEC) server in Manila last night.
The automated mode of voting was implemented in the two areas.
The Consulate General in Hong Kong said that 39,383 out of 95,355 OFWs cast their ballots in 96 clustered precincts.
Unofficial results showed that Senator Noynoy Aquino of the Liberal
Party (LP) led the candidates for President with 19,606 votes,
followed by Eddie Villanueva of Bangon Pilipinas with 8,327 votes and
Senator Manuel Villar of the Nacionalista Party (NP) with 5,622 votes.
Lakas-CMD bet Gilberto Teodoro Jr. (2,556) bet followed,
Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino’s Joseph Estrada (1,980), Bagumbayan-VNP’s
Richard Gordon (945), Kilusang Bagong Lipunan’s (KBL) Vetellano Acosta
(58), independent candidate Jamby Madrigal (30), Ang Kapatiran’s John
Carlos delos Reyes (26) and independent Nicanor Perlas (20) were next.
For Vice President, Senator Mar Roxas (LP) got 19,837 votes, followed
by Senator Loren Legarda of the Nationalist People’s Coalition with
6,885 and Bangon Pilipinas’ Perfecto Yasay with 6, 353 votes.
Garnering fourth place is PDP-Laban’s Jejomar Binay (4,083), followed
by Bagumbayan-VNP’s Bayani Fernando (998), Lakas-CMD’s Eduardo Manzano
(639), KBL’s Jose Sonza (103) and Ang Kapatiran’s Dominador Chipeco
(20).
For senators, the top 12 are: Bong Revilla (22,020); Ralph Recto
(20,495); Franklin Drilon (19,982); Jinggoy Estrada (19,946); Miriam
Defensor-Santiago (19,739); Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (18,555); Juan Ponce
Enrile (16,479); Vicente Sotto III (14,262); Pilar Juliana Cayetano
(13,817); Serge Osmena III (11,690); Jose de Venecia III (11,263),
and; Teofisto Guingona III (10,853).
The next 12 are: Liza Maza (10,460); Manuel Lapid (10,217); Satur
Ocampo (9,949), Ma. Katherine Inocencio (9,834); Imelda Papin (9,471);
Rey Langit (9,444), Gilbert Cesar Remulla (9,088); Sonia Roco (8,828);
Francisco Tatad (8,424); Ramoncito Ocampo (7,533); Alexander Tinsay
(7,188) and; Susan Ople (7,056).
In Singapore, 9,588 out of 31,851 OFWs cast their ballots in 32 clustered precincts.
Unofficial results there said that Aquino led the presidential race
with 4,949 votes, followed by Villar (1,314) and Gordon (1,105).
At fourth place is Teodoro (1,024), followed by Villanueva (711),
Estrada (345), Madrigal (19), Perlas (19), Acosta (17) and Delos Reyes
(12).
For Vice President, Roxas led all candidates with 5,017 votes,
followed by Legarda (1,617) and Bagumbayan-VNP’s Bayani Fernando
(1,060).
Following them are: Binay (1,056), Yasay (386), Manzano (247), Sonza
(71) and Chipeco (15).
For senators, the top 12 are: Recto (5,651); Defensor-Santiago
(5,534); Drilon (5,472); Cayetano (4,394); Revilla (4,373); Osmena
(4,085); Marcos (3,906); Enrile (3,899); Guingona (3,825); Sotto
(3,711); Estrada (3,120); Roco (2,679), and; De Venecia (2,679).
The next 12 are: Rozzano Rufino Biazon (2,582); Tatad (2,555); Lapid
(2,431); Remulla (2,381); Alexander Lacson (2,368); Risa Hontiveros
Baraquel (2,277); Ramon Mitra (1,825); Ople (1,704); Gwendolyn
Pimentel (1,603); Emilo Mario Osmena (1,542), Ocampo (1,383) and
Nereus Acosta (1,375).
Other Embassies and Consulates General are manually canvassing their
votes after polling ended at 7:00 p.m. (Philippine time) yesterday.
A total of 134,000 registered overseas voters participated in the
overseas absentee voting (OAV) as of yesterday morning. This
surpasses the 2007 voter turnout of 81,732.
The DFA-OAVS, through its OAVS Monitoring and Action Center
(OAVS-MAC), is operating 24 hours a day to receive the results of
voting in all the Embassies and Consulates General around the world.
They are expected to receive all results on or before May 15.
DFA-OAVS Vice Chairperson Nestor Padalhin said that the results
transmitted at the OAVS-MAC are unofficial, as the official canvassing
is done at the COMELEC and the National Board of Canvassers at the
Philippine International Convention Center.
DFA-OAVS Chairperson and Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Rafael Seguis
also thanked the volunteers and other groups who took time out to help
the Embassies and Consulates General in the OAV exercise.
For the foreign service posts who adopted postal or personal voting, a
preliminary certificate of canvassing are being faxed to the DFA-OAVS
on the results of voting in their area of jurisdiction after the
counting of ballots.
Demand for OFWs is sustained until 2010-Labor Department
13 November 2009
MANILA- Here is a bit of breather for overseas Filipino workers and their families.
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Marianito Roque foresees that as the world economies recover in 2010, demand for OFWs will be sustained in traditional markets such as the Middle East, Guam, HongKong and in emerging markets such as Canada, Australia, Korea, Macau, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Caribbean Islands, Slovenia, and Croatia.
Demand for Filipino seafarers overseas will also be sustained despite closure of some shipping lines in Japan and other countries, he likewise predicts.
Roque stressed on Thursday that the prospects for better employment situation both for local and overseas will receive further boost from spending and activities for the national elections in 2010. These, he said, are seen to make a significant dent on unemployment which stands at 7.7 percent compared to 7.4 percent posted in January last year. Among the regions, the highest unemployment rate was recorded in the NCR at 14.0 percent during the same period, according to National Statistics Office (NSO) Labor Force Survey.
He said the employment prospects for Filipino workers will offset job losses that may arise in the manufacturing sector that may be affected by contraction in exports. He said joblessness in this sector that may result from reduced exports would have minimal impact on the overall employment picture as employment in this sector constitutes only 8.3 percent of the total 35.5 million employed persons in the country.
Roque is optimistic that efforts to sustain the “resiliency” of the economy coupled with continued demand for OFWs and election activities are expected to buck joblessness and pave for a brighter employment situation in 2010.
He further said the employment picture in the country in 2010 is seen to be better than this year as the government has already set in place measures to sustain the economic resiliency program to enable the country take advantage of the projected global economic rebound in 2010.
He said the new resiliency program will prepare the country for the projected global upturn in 2010 by focusing on investments in new industries such as renewable energy, the green industries, information and communications technology, and science, technology and innovation which in turn are expected to generate new jobs for the workers. (Gloria Esguerra Melencio)