KAKAMMPI News

A woman has filed a $10-million class action suit against flag carrier Philippine Air Lines (PAL) at a United States superior court after her flight to the Philippines from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York was abruptly canceled due to mechanical problems on May 17.    According to California-based news service  Courthouse News , Cherilyn Darilag filed the case on Tuesday, saying she was bounced around various hotels and was never rebooked by PAL after the flight cancellation.   In her complaint, Darilag said she initially waited three hours inside the plane before being asked to get off because of the mechanical problem.   Darilag claimed PAL told passengers another flight would be available the next morning and that they would be booked at a hotel in the meantime.   But Darilag said no PAL representative met with her or the other passengers at the hotel they were told to go to.   Darilag also said in her complaint...

BOGOTA - A young, pretty girl from the countryside seeks a better life in the big city as a domestic worker. She falls in love with her boss, or his son, and triumphs against the odds to overcome the class divide and lift herself out of poverty. It's a recurring plot line in Latin American soap operas or telenovelas from Brazil, Colombia and Mexico, watched by tens of millions every day across the region. Fairytales aside, Latin America's nearly 20 million domestic workers face long working hours, unpaid overtime and verbal abuse by employers, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO). In general, however, they can expect wages and working conditions superior to their counterparts in the Middle East and Asia. "I like watching the daily afternoon telenovela and following the love story," said Perla Reyes, a Colombian housemaid, wearing the typical white coat and trouser uniform. "But I've never known any maid to fall in love with her boss and li...

LONDON — When Susi, a single mother from the Philippines, left for a job in Qatar, she convinced herself it was a sacrifice worth making for her children at home. For more than a year, Susi's sacrifice involved waking before dawn and working past midnight, cooking, cleaning and looking after a Qatari family. Once every two months, she was given a "day" off - in reality, it amounted to eight hours off. Conditions deteriorated when Susi was brought to Britain by her boss. She was given no time off, forced to sleep in a storeroom which she shared with two other maids, and forbidden to leave her employer's house, even to go into the garden. The ordeal continued until Susi, who requested anonymity, found her confiscated passport while cleaning one day, and escaped. "I was prepared to do anything to provide for my children," Susi told staff from a London charity who later advised her. Britain has been keen to present itself as a world leader in the fight against s...

Filipino workers in Nigeria have been warned against a supposedly visa scam being perpetrated by Ghanian nationals targeting migrant workers and Nigerian nationals seeking Australian work visas. According to the Philippine Embassy in Abuja, a group of Ghanian nationals was tricked into traveling to the Philippines to have their Australian visa processed after paying $5,000 for each visa and $2,000 for their tickets. These individuals were lured by scammers promising jobs in Australia through social networking sites and telephone lines in the Philippines, according to a news release from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). In light of this scheme, Filipinos were urged by the embassy to exercise caution in communicating with strangers through social media. Filipinos were also advised to avoid providing sensitive information and responding to telephone or Internet offerings involving financial transactions.  — Rie Takumi /KBK, GMA News

The three Filipino workers who were jailed in Qatar for allegedly committing espionage were reportedly coerced into confessing the crime, information reaching the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said. One of the three, an employee of state-run Qatar Petroleum, was sentenced to death by a lower court, while the two others, both technicians at a military base, were meted life imprisonment. Their case is on appeal and a decision is expected on May 31. The Filipinos have been detained in Qatar since 2010 for allegedly committing the crimes of espionage and economic sabotage. They were charged of passing along Qatar’s military state secrets to the Philippine government, an accusation vehemently denied by Manila. International human rights watchdog Amnesty said the three were tortured into owning up the crime by Qatari authorities. “Our embassy in Doha is aware of these allegations of human rights violations and we have raised these concerns in several high-level meetings with the Qatari...

Mary Jane Veloso, whose execution in Indonesia for drug smuggling was put on hold a month ago, is eager to testify and debunk the claims of her alleged recruiter in the Philippines, her counsel said Thursday. Lawyer Edre Olalia of the National Union of Peoples' Lawyers (NUPL) told GMA News Online that Mary Jane became more anxious to testify against Ma. Cristina Sergio after Sergio “twist[ed] the details of the incident” in the affidavit that she submitted to the Department of Justice (DOJ). “She said she is ready to stand by her word anytime and anywhere and that she is absolutely innocent and that her version of the events has changed not one whit since 2010,” Olalia said. Veloso's role in the Philippine investigation on her alleged recruiters was cited as reason for the temporary reprieve granted to her by the Indonesian government. At present, the Indonesian and Philippine governments have yet to decide on how Veloso can testify against her recruiter, who is now detained in...

Inspired by his father, a 24-year-old Filipino singer would bring music to foreigners and locals alike in Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, and even as far away as Canada. “Nakuha ko ang hilig sa pagkanta sa yumao kong Papa. Pareho kaming mahilig mag-vidoeke. Ganun din ang ilan sa mga kapatid ko,” Anthony Rosaldo shared in an email. Recalling his experiences when he was 8 years old, Anthony said, “Nung bata pa ako, Papa would visualize me in the future as his Atty. Anthony Rosaldo or an architect maybe. Kasi lahat noon gusto kong gawin. Lahat noon gusto kong salihan.”   Anthony joined Pinoy Pop Superstar, GMA Network's year-long talent search for amateur singers, in 2007. Although he was unsuccessful, it did not stop him from pursuing a career in singing. In 2009, another break came, and this one brought Anthony to other countries to showcase his talent. “Noong November 2009, nabuo ang grupo kong Fahrenheit at ako ang naging band leader nila. We toured Asia—Malaysia, Japan and Singa...

Photo from the Philippine Embassy in Singapore   A Philippine choir and a Singapore orchestra made beautiful music together as they shared the stage in Singapore last weekend, the Philippine embassy there said Wednesday. The embassy said the Kabataang Silay Rondalla Ensemble (KSE) and Marsiling Chinese Orchestra wowed a big audience at the “Love Across the Ocean II” at the Star Theatre in Singapore last May 22. The Philippine embassy said the performance was "well received" by an audience of more than 4,000 people including Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, the guest of honor. It added the joint performance "is very significant as it coincided with Singapore’s celebration of its golden anniversary this year." The embassy said the joint performance is the brainchild of Singapore Member of Parliament (MP) Hawazi Daipi, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Manpower, and MCO founder. Daipi proposed the idea to then Philippine Ambassa...

SAN DIEGO - A San Francisco Bay Area community leader and a Filipino-American pioneer in his profession has added another feather in his hat. Dr. Jei Africa, director of the office of diversity and equity at San Mateo County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS), received the 2015 Distinguished Humanitarian Award from the California Psychological Association. The award is conferred on an individual whose "voluntary and career efforts have directly and significantly improved the quality of life for a broad range and large number of persons in society," according to the announcement from the guild.   The award aims to highlight members of the psychology profession who transcendprofessional interests. "I just want to do my part to make this world a better place for all of us," Africa told Philippine News after receiving the award.  "Injustice surrounds all of us and I do not want to be part of that by being a bystander. I do not want to give consent to ra...

Filipino workers repatriated from strife-torn Yemen may claim a cash grant of P10,000 from the Financial Relief Assistance Program (FRAP) by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) within six months of their return to the Philippines. Qualified OFWs can avail of the grant at any OWWA Regional Offices by submitting the following requirements: -- passport or travel documents indicating the date of entry to Yemen -- date of exit from Yemen and date of arrival in the Philippines -- any government-issued ID with address or barangay certificate "FRAP aims to provide immediate relief to OFWs while they are undergoing economic and social adjustments in their communities as a result of sudden displacement from their jobs," OWWA said in a statement on Wednesday. A total of 337 OFWs out of 482 workers repatriated have already availed of the cash grant as of May 25, 2015, OWWA said. The government has provided at least P3.37 million in financial assistance to OFWs who will be ...

The family of Mary Jane Veloso will be placed under the government's Witness Protection Program, following reports of "visits" from "unidentified armed men" in their residence in Nueva Ecija, National Bureau of Investigation Dir. Virgilio Mendez said Wednesday. At a hearing at the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Director Virgilio Mendez of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said Mary Jane's husband and two children "will be turned over to the NBI and will be covered by the Witness Protection Program to ensure their safety." The turnover is expected within the day, he said. Mary Jane has been sentenced to death in Indonesia for drug smuggling, but her execution was put on hold last month after the Philippine government said it wants her as witness in the case against her recruiters in the Philippines, who are facing illegal recruitment and human trafficking cases. In her affidavit, Mary Jane claimed she was tricked into bringing 2.6 k...

A representative of the Department of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday said there are 1,288 Filipinos in jail abroad for drug-related cases.    At a House hearing, Francisco Noel Fernandez III, special assistant to the DFA's Office of the Undersecretary for Overseas Workers Affairs, said these include 41 who are on death row.    Aside from Mary Jane Veloso, who was granted temporary reprieve from death via firing squad, there are 18 Filipinos facing death sentence in Malaysia, 21 in China, and one in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Fernandez added.    The 21 Filipinos on death row in China were all granted a two-year reprieve, which will likely turn into a commutation to life sentence if they exhibit good behavior in prison, he also said. Meanwhile, according tot he DFA, 47 other Filipinos are on death row in other countries for murder, including 26 in Saudi Arabia, 17 in Malaysia, two in the US, one in Kuwait, and one in Thailand with additional char...

Justice Sec. Leila de Lima on Wednesday said Mary Jane Veloso may be saved from execution if it is proven that she was a victim of drug trafficking. "If it is proven in the ongoing investigation that she's a victim, maybe there's a chance that she will be saved from death sentence. But that's an aspiration. We're looking at a possible executive clemency, but we don't want to be repeatedly saying that at this point because we don't want the Indonesian government to be pressured about it," she told lawmakers during a House committee hearing.   De Lima added: "Ang usapan is magtulungan tayo to solve the drug trafficking problem in the region, particularly [regarding the] West African syndicate." De Lima told the House committee on dangerous drugs that the Philippine government has requested the ASEAN Mutual Legal Assistance from both Indonesia and Malaysia to help in their investigation, as the country does not have such bilateral agreement w...

An autopsy report of the National Bureau of Investigation has bolstered suspicions of foul play in the death of a deck cadet last March aboard a vessel in Brazil. Relatives of Felipe Borra III vowed to file charges against those responsible if there was indeed foul play, GMA Iloilo's Nenita Hobilla reported Monday. The autopsy results were presented at a House of Representatives inquiry last May 20 by NBI head medico-legal officer Dr. Wilfredo Tierra. In the report, there were supposed signs of "ante mortem hematoma (swelling of clotted blood before death)" on Borra's body, particularly on the head and face. Borra's sister Marfe Esmeralda told GMA News they will pursue charges against those who may be involved. Borra, 21, was found dead aboard the M/V Sanko Fortune while it was heading for Singapore from Brazil last March 20 (PHL time). He was a fourth-year marine transportation cadet of John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University and would have graduated this y...

Saudi Arabia on Tuesday carried out its 88th execution so far this year, surpassing the total for all of 2014 despite activists' concerns that trials are not conducted fairly.   The interior ministry identified the latest to be put to death as Saudis Awad al-Rowaili and Lafi al-Shammary, who were convicted of smuggling amphetamines.   They were executed in the northern region of Jawf, the ministry said in statements carried by the official Saudi Press Agency.   Another Saudi, Mohammed al-Shihri, was separately put to death in the southwestern region of Asir for murder.   The conservative Islamic kingdom executed 87 people in 2014, according to an AFP tally.   Those beheaded this year include Siti Zainab, an Indonesian domestic worker convicted of murder despite concerns about her mental health, according to the Indonesian newspaper Kompas.   Jakarta summoned Riyadh's ambassador over her case, a rare diplomatic incident linked to Sau...