KAKAMMPI News

SUSUPE, Saipan - A Filipino construction worker here was sentenced to six years in prison for beating up his common-law wife, pouring gas on a 15-year-old girl and sexually assaulting the same minor. The sentencing of Arnel Cunanan Gutierrez, 41, came a few weeks after he pleaded guilty to the charges filed against him. David Wiseman , associate justice of the Superior Court in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), sentenced Gutierrez to six years in prison for one count of kidnapping, and one count of sexual abuse of a minor in the second degree. After serving the prison term, Gutierrez will be placed on probation for three years Gutierrez, employed as a carpenter on Saipan, capital of the CNMI, is also required to perform 80 hours of community work service, write a letter of apology to the victims, and undergo counseling evaluation. The defendant was also required by the court to register as a sex offender. On Aug. 3, 2007, Gutierrez assaulted his common-law wife w...

Email this | Email the Editor | Print | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us MANILA, Philippines - A legislator who filed a bill requiring government to collect housing contributions from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) has urged them to participate in the proposed law’s deliberations. In an interview held Saturday, Northern Samar Rep. Emil Ong said that he “encourages the participation of OFWs by attending the hearings or sending their position papers through fax or email." According to Ong, a technical working group has already consolidated three related bills regarding the Home Development Mutual Fund, also known as the Pag-Ibig Fund, which is allotted for employees’ housing needs. One of these bills include House Bill No 1097, which was filed by Ong. The proposed law requires all employees of the Social Security System (SSS), Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP), and other working g...

QUEZON CITY, Philippines- An officer of a migrant workers’ group criticized the government for inefficiency in handling cases faced by overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), noting the case of yet another Filipina in the death row in the Middle East. "We are put in the gallows one after another," said Ramon Bultron, managing director Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM), a Hong Kong-based group. "What is the government doing to assist them? And even more importantly, what actions are done to address the abusive conditions these OFWs are made to suffer from prior to their alleged crimes?" Bultron’s reaction came at the heels of the conviction of domestic helper Jakatia Mandon Pawa last Sunday for the murderi of her employer's 21-year-old daughter, Dalal al-Naqi, in Kuwait. Aside from Pawa, Marilou Ranario and May Vecina also face death by hanging – unless the Kuwaiti emir, Sheik Sabah Al Ahmed Al Sabah, commutes their sentences or the families of the victims forgi...

MANILA, Philippines-Emirates (UAE) Three overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) face charges in the United Arabover allegations they damaged copies of the Koran, Islam's holy book. Bombo Radyo reported Monday that the three Filipino workers, who were not immediately named, were based in the conservative emirate of Sharjah in the UAE. Sketchy initial reports indicated the three were involved in a labor dispute lasting several months. It was not the first time Filipino workers got in trouble for damaging a copy of the Islam's sacred book. In 2006, an Abu Dhabi Islamic court ordered a Filipino housemaid jailed for accidentally sitting on a Koran while cleaning her employer's house. -GMANews.TV

MANILA, Philippines - A legislator who filed a bill requiring government to collect housing contributions from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) has urged them to participate in the proposed law’s deliberations. In an interview held Saturday, Northern Samar Rep. Emil Ong said that he “encourages the participation of OFWs by attending the hearings or sending their position papers through fax or email." According to Ong, a technical working group has already consolidated three related bills regarding the Home Development Mutual Fund, also known as the Pag-Ibig Fund, which is allotted for employees’ housing needs. One of these bills include House Bill No 1097, which was filed by Ong. The proposed law requires all employees of the Social Security System (SSS), Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP), and other working groups with or without employer contributions to contribute to the Pag-I...

MANILA, Philippines - No doubt, the stranded overseas Filipino workers recently deported back to the Philippines from Saudi Arabia are rushing to be with their families. But before getting home, they have called on Philippine officials to act on their problems. Deported Armando Navarro and Ricardo Abad urged the Philippine government to replace all Philippine officials assigned in Saudi Arabia. “Palitan n’yo na lahat ng nakaupo mula sa ibaba hanggang sa itaas" (Replace all officials there from bottom to top), said Navarro. “Imbes na sila ang makatulong sa amin, sila pa nagpapahirap sa amin" (Instead of helping us, they have caused us hardships.) Navarro is willing to stay a little longer at the Migrante office just to wait for his fellow OFWs, even if that means it would delay his reunion with his family in Palawan. “Nagpaplano nga kami ng reunion pag nakabalik na kami dito" (We are planning to hold a reunion once we all get back home), he said. “Y’ung inumpisahang laban...

MANILA, Philippines - The eleven distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Jordan – four of them minors, including a two-year-old infant – will be arriving in the Philippines on Monday afternoon instead of Sunday evening, according to the office of Senate President Manny Villar. In a text message Sunday, Ms Avic Amarillo, Villar’s media officer, said flight booking and completion on the documentation of the distressed OFWs caused the delay. “There will be a little bit of delay (on their arrival) but hopefully lahat ng 11 makabalik, instead of five lang na earlier have been given the clearance to go home (There will be a little delay on their arrival but hopefully all the 11 distressed OFWs and not just the five earlier reported will be able to come home)," Amarillo said. Villar shouldered the airplane tickets of the OFWs as revealed last Friday by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA). Amarillo said the distressed OFWs are set to arrive from Jordan via Thai Air...