Bethune House in Jordan on Hong Kong’s Kowloon side provides temporary accommodation for domestic helpers who have been wronged by their employers and are seeking justice through the Labour Tribunal, the courts or both. The organisation urgently needs help with food and monetary donations.
The House has 22 bed spaces but is currently sheltering just over 60 residents who have been exploited and abused. It only has enough rice to feed these women for around a week. Anything you can give will be very much appreciated.
Details are as follows.
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BETHUNE HOUSE FOOD DRIVE
SUPPORT FOR DOMESTIC HELPERS IN DISTRESS
The Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge provides temporary shelter for domestic helpers with
ON-GOING LABOUR CASES
We urgently need donations of foodstuffs such as rice, coffee, cooking oil, sugar and milk to feed our residents
Tax deductible CASH donations will also be accepted. Cheques should be payable to:
“The Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge, LTD.”
Address: c/o Mission for Migrant Workers
St. John’s Cathedral, 4-8 Garden Road, Central
Tel: (+852) 2537-1333 or (+852) 9488-9044
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The Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge Limited is a registered charitable institution under the Companies Ordinance (Cap 32) of Hong Kong
Recent bad weather in the Philippines has barred Sister Aida Casambre from travelling to Batangas and speaking to Vicky’s elderly mother about what has been happening with the investigation into her daughter’s disappearance and death here in Hong Kong. Fortunately, though, Vicky’s aunt Edith was in the country last week and spoke about the situation.
Edith reports that Vicky’s mother was unaware of the continuing investigation, and had presumed that the case was closed without any detailed explanation offered for her daughter’s death. Hopefully an inquest will help to remedy that situation.
We still have no news about whether the Coroner will order an inquest into Vicky’s death. As that decision will necessarily be made without public consultation, we will only know of the outcome after the fact or if any information is leaked to the newspapers.
In the meantime, and presuming that the police have not identified a crime in their report, the following information from the Judiciary’s website indicates that an inquest “may” be held when a person dies:
suddenly
by accident
by violence
under suspicious circumstances
and when the dead body of a person is found in or brought into Hong Kong
The Coroner’s Ordinance of 1997 (Chapter 504 of the Laws of Hong Kong) indicates that the first 4 categories are conditional. In other words, the death can happen suddenly, or by accident, or by violence or under suspicious circumstances, as long as the body is found in or brought to Hong Kong.
At least 1 of the first 4 conditions (suspicious circumstances) is met in Vicky’s case.
As mentioned briefly in the South China Morning Post today, 14 August, the North Lantau police have finalised their investigation into Vicky’s disappearance and death. Their findings have not yet been made public.
In line with standard police procedure, the report has been forwarded to the Coroner, who will consider whether an inquest is necessary.
Given the publicity surrounding both Vicky’s death and the investigation into it, an inquest seems likely, but is in no way guaranteed. Further news will be reported here as soon as it becomes available.
For anyone with enough time to read through it, Migration and Domestic Helpers is a blog well worth visiting. Maintained by a woman who spends time in both the Philippines and Hong Kong, the blog covers the many problems faced by migrant workers in the region.
The blog’s author, Helly, writes that:
I work with domestic workers in need of help due to underpayment of wages, premature termination of the employment contract, passport confiscation, or excessive placement or training fees in the home country. The majority of the women I encounter are Filipino and Indonesian. This blog is my attempt to understand the reasons why migrant workers are vulnerable to abuse and exploitation.
Particularly interesting are Helly’s observations about a severance pay dispute involving “Remia”, a Filipino domestic helper here in Hong Kong. This sort of thing is happening in Discovery Bay with increasing frequency.
“RosesmdCW”, a Filipino domestic helper in Clearwater Bay, has been following Vicky’s case since we began posting news about it here. She left a long comment on the Thorough Investigation? page last week that deserves to be shown here in full because it gives yet another example of how Hong Kong is failing in its duty of care towards migrant workers.
The comment has been edited slightly to ensure clarity, and broken into paragraphs to emphasise the main points. Further comments on this or any other case are very welcome.
I have been reading about “VICKY” and what’s happening with her case now; it really makes me sad to think that up to now nothing has happened.
I have been here in Hong Kong for almost 14 years now, and it makes me sad to say that most of us believe that the “LAW” here in Hong Kong is much better than in the Philippines, but yes I do agree that the discrimination here is much worse than I have ever imagined. If you are only a mere servant, even in cases of emergency, people here will just ignore you.
I have experienced going to the emergency section of the government hospital several times with a severe stiff neck pain, and still the staff haven’t attended to me immediately (you have to wait 2 to 3 hours before being attended).
I took my sister to one of the hospitals yesterday as she was bleeding, but she was still sent home and advised by the doctor to wait for an appointment on November 21, 2008. My question here is: What does “emergency” mean? Does emergency mean that you should be drawing your last breath to be considered?
I really can’t understand the hospital rules here … I saw people waiting at the emergency section with just slight problems. To make matters worse for my sister, she was immediately terminated by her employer when they knew she was to attend Emergency! They had objected to her going to see the doctor and made her continue work even though she was in pain and bleeding.
I wish the government would really act on this, and not wait until the reputation of Hong Kong deteriorates further.
If you know anyone in a situation like this, please ask them to contact Helpers for Domestic Helpers, or another group that can help with arranging action through the Labour Tribunal. What “RosesmdCW” describes is not a termination but a contract breach by the employer.
The Philippine Consulate has again contacted the Tung Chung police to ask about progress in Vicky’s case. Mr Gil Salseda of the Assistance to Nationals Section passed on the news when contacted by a member of the Justice for Vicky concern group late last week. As soon as we have word of an official reply we will report it here.
Sister Aida Casambre, member of the Justice for Vicky concern group and tireless worker for social justice with the Diocesan Pastoral Centre for Filipinos, will visit Vicky’s mother when she returns to the Philippines for a 6-month sabbatical next week.
Sr. Aida will explain the efforts of various groups seeking justice on Vicky’s behalf, the current state of the police investigation and any other matters of interest.
We wish Sr. Aida all the best and look forward to seeing her again when she returns to Hong Kong next year.
In a letter responding to our request last month for more information about the early police investigation into Vicky’s disappearance and death, the Lantau District Commander has informed us that “a death inquest is very likely to be held”.
This, of course, is not the first time that the possibility of an inquest has been raised, but it is the first time that the District Commander has expressed the likelihood in writing.
The statement corroborates independent advice about the likelihood of an inquest that the Justice for Vicky concern group received recently.
The Know Your Rights seminar for domestic helpers held in Discovery Bay today, 27 June, was very successful. Attracting 70 participants, the event covered rights in relation to employment, the police and the Immigration Department.
The participants were eager to ask questions, and presenter Holly Allan, Manger of Helpers for Domestic Helpers, offered very practical advice at all times.
The event concluded with a short talk by Sol Pilas, a representative of UNIFIL Hong Kong and member of the Justice for Vicky concern group, updating participants about the ongoing campaign to return domestic helper wages to the 2003 level and abolish the levy paid by employers.
It is very encouraging to see the recent comments on the importance of knowing your rights, even though not having to defend them would be a much more hopeful scenario. Still, the reality of being a domestic helper in Hong Kong is not always promising.
For those of you who have the time, an easy to read academic study of how Filipino domestic helpers in particular are treated in Hong Kong Hong, including social attitudes towards them and how the justice system treats them, has recently been made available free online.
Estelle Kennelly’s ‘Culture of Indifference: Dilemmas of the Filipina Domestic Helpers in Hong Kong’ covers the situation until 2007, but mainly focuses on the period from mid-1999 to early 2001. Kennelly worked with and around migrant women’s shelters, including those associated with the Mission for Migrant Workers.
Her major finding, which is obvious to many but should be stated openly, is that a culture of indifference towards foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong fosters abuse. The study, a PhD thesis, is a very important document.
The Know Your Rights seminar will be held on 27 July in Discovery Bay. The details are as follows:
Date: Sunday 27 July
Venue: Multi-Purpose Hall at the back of Park ‘N Shop
Time: 2.00 PM to 5.00 PM
Presenter: Mrs Holly Allan, Manager of Helpers for Domestic Helpers
As mentioned previously, Holly is very experienced in explaining legal rights for domestic helpers, and approached us to help her organise the event. She will be more than happy to answer all the questions she can during her talk.
The seminar is open to domestic helpers and their supporters of all nationalities.
A note to all readers. Any comments that contain personal abuse will be deleted. That includes all comments from “chedycorum”, who should find something better to do with her life.
Irene has now managed to deposit the payout for Vicky’s salary and long service entitlements with Metrobank in the Philippines. In doing so she was aided by the Philippine Consulate in Hong Kong and the Department of Foreign Affairs in the Philippines.
The money will not be available to Vicky’s elderly mother for another month, but the situation has certainly improved since our last report.
Vicky’s sister Irene has been facing great difficulty in trying to deposit the Cashier’s Order she received on behalf of her mother in payment for her sister’s outstanding salary and long service entitlements.
As Vicky was solely responsible for supporting her elderly mother, this situation is very worrisome.
The Cashier’s Order was drawn on the Shanghai Commercial Bank, a small Hong Kong bank (despite the name) that does not seem to have branches in the Philippines. This means that even with power of attorney for her mother, Irene can’t open a bank account into which the Order can be deposited.
Irene, who has been working tirelessly to see this matter resolved, faced similar problems while here in Hong Kong, and was advised by the issuer that she could deposit the Order in the Philippines.
The situation will be addressed fully tomorrow, with enquiries directed at the Philippine Consulate and through it the lawyer of Vicky’s former employers. Further news will be posted here once it becomes available.
As previewed earlier on this blog, a seminar on legal rights for domestic helpers will be held on Sunday 27 July in the management seminar room, Discovery Bay Plaza. The seminar will open to all domestic helpers and their supporters, regardless of nationality.
Holly Allan, Discovery Bay resident and manager of Helpers for Domestic Helpers, will conduct the seminar. She is very good at covering issues of concern to all domestic helpers, and is always willing to answer questions.
The event should last from 2 to 3 hours, and we will announce the exact time and location early next week.
Unfortunately, the Tung Chung police were not forthcoming with any news on Vicky’s case when her sister Irene visited their headquarters yesterday. Irene had been hoping to learn when the investigation would be concluded, but she was told it would now run for another month.
This new estimate exceeds the last and suggests that the police could well be unsure how long their current tasks will take.
Irene did, however, retrieve six of at least 15 of her sister’s belongings that the police were holding. Notably the police retained Vicky’s two mobile phones - one used for local calls and the other with a roaming sim card used for texting the Philippines.
Vicky’s sister Irene will visit the Tung Chung police headquarters tomorrow, July 3, accompanied by a representative of the Philippine Consulate.
She will be asking for any further news on the police investigation into Vicky’s disappearance and death before returning to the Philippines on Friday morning.
Any information that Irene passes on will be announced here as soon as it is available.
Hong Kong News, the largest circulation Filipino newspaper in the city, has maintained its coverage of Vicky’s case in its main July edition. Two articles feature on the second page, one reporting an interview with Philippine Vice-Consul Val Roque and the other with Justice for Vicky spokesman James Rice.
The interview with the Vice-Consul covers the payment of outstanding salary and long-service entitlements by Vicky’s former employers, with no news other than what has been given here.
In the second article, James Rice expresses our concern that the police investigation is flawed, and our determination to make a difference in the case by helping witnesses to come forward. James and his wife Cris have worked tirelessly to that end.
As mentioned yesterday, we are currently in a quiet period waiting for the police to issue their final report.
As we await the final police report on Vicky’s disappearance and death it pays to remember that although this blog has carried a good deal of news about the case, not all information is available to us.
In every locality around the world, police investigations are conducted in secrecy. We have repeatedly noted our concern about the police conduct here on Lantau, but understand the necessity of discretion in the investigation overall.
Although we have no news with a direct bearing on the case to report, we are working with Vicky’s sister Irene on minor matters. The Justice for Vicky concern group is still doing everything possible to ensure exactly what its name suggests.
But at the moment, we’re just having to do that patiently.
Help for Domestic Helpers, an NG0 based at St John’s Cathedral in Central, has offered to conduct a seminar on legal rights for domestic helpers here in Discovery Bay next month.
Members of the Justice for Vicky concern group will attend a similar seminar in Central this weekend and offer advice on how the format might be tailored to suit local concerns. Help for Domestic Helpers has a good deal of experience in helping migrant workers deal with legal issues, so the event should be well worth attending.
When a date, time and place is set for the Discovery Bay seminar we will announce the details here.
The Justice for Vicky concern group has written another letter to the Tung Chung police, copied to the Coroner’s Office. The letter, delivered by fax yesterday, 23 June, asked for or requested the consideration of information pertinent to the early stages of the police investigation into Vicky’s disappearance and death.
An important point to note is that Vicky’s sister Irene was one of the signatories to the letter. The letter asked:
Whether a water sample was taken to determine if Vicky died where she was found
As the autopsy report gives no indication, whether the police can estimate the length of time Vicky’s body was in the water before discovery
As Irene noticed lacerations on Vicky’s left foot that weren’t mentioned in the autopsy report, whether the police or Coroner have any photographic evidence to confirm or refute this
Whether members of Vicky’s family can obtain copies of any photographs of Vicky’s body taken where it was found
Whether Vicky’s body was found face up or down (this could indicate an error in the finding of death by drowning)
Whether it is possible or likely that a van could have been parked overnight in the parking lot adjacent to the ferry pier in Tung Chung
Whether the police were aware that the posters calling for information about Vicky’s death around the ferry pier have all been torn down
Why the police took into consideration the statement of an un-named decoration worker in the flat beside Vicky’s employers’ that there had been no audible disturbances in the 2 days leading up to Vicky’s disappearance but seemingly ignored a neighbour’s statement that he heard “hysterical screaming” coming from the vicinity 3 days before the woman disappeared
This last point is very significant because it highlights our concern that the police have not sufficiently considered Vicky’s environment before she disappeared.
Any reply from the police or the Coroner’s Office will be reported here.
Members of the Justice for Vicky concern group who signed the letter to the police District Commander now featured on this blog have received a reply, of sorts. The original letter was copied to the Coroner’s Office and the government Ombudsman. The Office of the Ombudsman has acknowledged receipt of the letter and pointed out that it has no authority to investigate complaints against the police, except those involving access to information.
The Ombudsman also mentioned that we should direct our concerns to the Complaints Against Police Office. We were, of course, aware of this, and will take that path should the final police report confirm our current fears about the direction of the investigation into Vicky’s disappearance and death.
However, the Complaints Against Police Office is an arm of the police force, which hardly inspires confidence in any of its findings given that our original complaint was against police failure to act. Only after a report from the Office would we be able to appeal to the Independent Police Complaints Council, as the Ombudsman pointed out.
It seems that justice can be a much delayed process in Hong Kong.
Vicky’s former employers paid her outstanding salary and long-service entitlements through their lawyer today, 18 June. Vicky’s sister Irene received a Cashier’s Order for the amount, on behalf of her mother.
Our focus now turns solely to the final police report, which is due within a month. In the meantime, we will announce anything of relevance here, and continue to broaden our coverage to include other issues concerning the mistreatment of domestic helpers in Hong Kong.
The final police report on Vicky’s disappearance and death should be issued within a month. Mr Gil Salceda of the Assistance to Nationals Section at the Philippine Consulate informed Vicky’s sister Irene of the news last Friday, 13 June. Responding to a Consulate inquiry, the police stated that the report would be ready in four weeks.
Any associated information that becomes available before the report is issued will be announced here.
We mentioned earlier that as Vicky’s case progresses we would move toward looking more generally at the conditions of domestic helpers in Hong Kong. Unfortunately we haven’t had to travel very far to uncover mistreatment.
Over the last few weeks in Discovery Bay we have been involved with or become aware of:
1 case of insufficient food given to a helper
1 case of underpayment
6 cases of employers insisting that their helpers work on statutory holidays
1 case of instant dismissal without notice
We are not dealing with rumours, but with facts. If you know of any mistreatment in your area please don’t look the other way. Check the ‘Helping Helpers’ page on this blog for contact details of people who can make a difference.
Vicky’s sister Irene attended the Labour Tribunal today, 13 June, but her sister’s former employers did not. However, they did agree by telephone to pay all outstanding salary and long-service entitlements.
Upon receipt of the full payment, Irene will sign an agreement not to pursue further claims against the employers for any salary-related amounts. She will receive the outstanding payment on behalf of her elderly mother, Vicky’s most direct next of kin.
The Inside DB article on reactions to Vicky’s disappearance and death has now been included as a separate page on this blog. Just click on the ‘Helping Helpers’ tab above for access.
The page contains a download link for the PDF file of the article and images of each page that can be enlarged.
The Justice for Vicky Flores concern group is currently scrutinising the initial police report on Vicky’s case for inconsistencies. The report was provided by the Tung Chung police to the Philippine Consulate, summarising the case to 22 April. It is not an official report, but does reflect the police approach to the case that we have already questioned.
One possible inconsistency with oral evidence has been identified so far. We will report that inconsistency and any others uncovered when we have cross-checked all available information.
Another significant fact that the report reveals clearly in hindsight is that the autopsy on Vicky’s body was conducted and a finding of death by drowning delivered on 15 April, the day Vicky’s aunt positively identified the body.
The Coroner’s Office did not release an official autopsy report until 20 May - more than a month later, and after repeated requests.
Vicky’s sister Irene has submitted a claim to the the Labour Tribunal to recover outstanding long-service payments from Vicky’s former employers. She will attend an initial meeting at the Tribunal next Friday, 13 June.
Any relevant details will be reported here when they become available.
The results of the toxicology tests on blood and liver samples taken from Vicky’s body have been released. No toxic substances were found.
The report mentions the presence of a ’sub-therapeutic level’ of paracetamol in Vicky’s liver, but that is a very common condition. Paracetamol is the main ingredient of Panadol, which many people take for the relief of mild aches and pain.
With the release of these results, the autopsy report is now finalised.
Vicky’s sister Irene today, 5 June, faxed the Coroner’s Office requesting the release of the toxicology test results if they are currently available. The latest possible date on which the results can be released is 15 June, but given the difficulty and delays Irene faced in securing the partial autopsy report, it seemed wise to offically request them now.
The results will indicate whether or not Vicky was affected by poison, drugs or other toxic substances when she died. We will report on the chemist’s findings as soon as they are available.
Joan Gill of Inside DB magazine has kindly made available a copy of her article on the reaction to Vicky’s disappearance and death. You can open or download it in a PDF file for the moment. Blog administrator Mike Poole will convert the file into images and upload them to a separate page for easier access over the coming weekend.
This is an important article because it discusses the circumstances that domestic helpers face in Hong Kong, and how those circumstance disconnect them from the wider community.
We need to make sure that isolation never plunges into mystery again.
Vicky’s sister Irene will be returning to Hong Kong tomorrow. Her aim on this visit will be to secure the results of the toxicology test from the Coroner’s Office, follow up the police investigation, and take the case for payment of her sister’s overdue salary and long service entitlement to the Labour Tribunal.
A feature of Labour Tribunal procedure in the initial phase is that no lawyers can be present. This means that Vicky’s former employers must enter the conciliation meeting without their solicitor, who has been representing them in the matter to date.
Following requests from readers unable to access our photos from the Justice for Vicky rallies and the memorial mass in Hung Hom, linked images are now available in the sidebar. Just click on one of the images to visit the corresponding Flickr photostream.
You might experience delays in loading the pages - the problem will be fixed as soon as possible.
The current issue of Inside DB, the Discovery Bay community magazine, features a three page article on reactions to Vicky’s disappearance and death. Written by Joan Gill, who conducted interviews with Bethune House Director Edwina Antonio and blog administrator Mike Poole, the article is a comprehensive guide to what has happened, the conditions under which domestic helpers work in Hong Kong, and what should and will happen in the future.
The message is simple: we all need to work against the isolation and exploitation of domestic helpers to ensure that mysterious circumstances surround no more disappearances and deaths.
Edwina Antonio, whose over-worked organisation provides shelter for domestic helpers forced to flee their places of residence, has been an integral part of the Justice for Vicky concern group since its inception. She, and other members of migrant worker support organisations who are part of the group, have helped us understand the extent to which domestic helpers in Hong Kong are unable to communicate their concerns, both work-related and personal, for fear of retaliation by capricious employers.
Whatever led to Vicky Flores’ death, had she been in an environment that did not restrict her movement for most of her waking hours and did not encourage silence in the face of difficulties, everyone - including the police - would have been less likely to grasp at explanations that have little basis in fact.
The examples of the conditions under which helpers live that Edwina gives in the article are common, despite protestations to the contrary from some commentors on this blog. They are dangerous and have to change.
If you live in Discovery Bay, copies of the magazine will be in your building now - please try to read the article, or to pass out copies to those who could benefit from it.
For everyone else, we will seek permission from the magazine to upload a full version of the article to its own page here.
The Filipino Globe article that we recently criticised for adding to the ‘occult-link’ accusations surrounding Vicky’s disappearance and death is available online. Given that we mention in it the letter on our Thorough Investigation? page, it seems only fair that we link to the full article as well.
To access the Globe’s May issue you will need a Flash player installed in your browser, which is fairly common. The article begins on the front page and concludes on page two. The toolbar at the top of the Flash player will allow you to zoom into the page, and switch between pages.
We thank everyone who has left comments here, especially in the last few days. Our policy is to allow all comments regardless of whether they agree or disagree with anything we have posted. Please feel free to write about the situation, or criticise our coverage if you feel that is warranted.
Blog administrator Mike Poole answers specific questions by email if he has any information to give, but he currently has no information that hasn’t already been posted here.
As a group, including the Discovery Bay residents named in earlier posts, Vicky’s sister Irene, her aunt Edith, Bethune House and the Mission for Filipino Migrant Workers, we feel it important to provide coverage of every significant thing we do in relation to Vicky’s disappearance and death. Hence, the recent inclusion of the letter to the police Chief Inspector on a separate page.
That page, and the letter itself, also reflect our growing belief in the need to discuss wider issues associated not only with migrant worker deaths in Hong Kong, but also with the conditions of employment and general attitudes toward domestic helpers here. As James Rice mentioned at the Rally for Vicky in Admiralty on 27 April, a recently revised electronic version of his handbook on migrant worker rights will be posted here soon.
When we have less to post about Vicky’s case, the blog will be opened to multiple authors for broader coverage or rights-related issues.
Our concern is that people like Vicky be treated fairly under the law, in life as in death. Unfortunately, our recent experience has shown that there is still much inequality in the pursuit of justice in Hong Kong.
We realise that our position will not please all readers, but the Internet is a very democratic arena. Please feel free to register your displeasure or support as a comment. If you fundamentally disagree with us, blogging software is free to use.
The more that these issues are discussed, the better.
Vicky’s sister Irene has almost finalised her tasks in the Philippines and has informed us that she will be returning to Hong Kong next week. While she is here she will follow up the police investigation, initiate the recovery of outstanding salary and long-service payments from Vicky’s former employers, and seek the release of the toxicology test results.
Any significant news in relation to these activities will be reported here as it becomes available.
As promised yesterday, our letter to the Tung Chung police objecting to their handling of Vicky’s case is now online, in a separate page. You can access it through the link here or the tab at the top of this page entitled ‘A Thorough Investigation?’
The letter contains details of the police investigation that some people might not be familiar with. Over the next few days we will index it with a simple menu at the beginning so readers can easily go to specific parts, if they wish.
In the meantime, we urge everyone who is concerned about Vicky’s disappearance and death, and the ensuing police investigation, to read the letter in full.
The police investigation into Vicky’s disappearance and death has taken an alarming and seemingly unwarranted turn. Earlier today, the Justice for Vicky Flores concern group, Vicky’s sister Irene, Bethune House and the Mission for Filipino Migrant Workers faxed a very detailed letter of complaint to the North Lantau police.
Copies of the 10 page letter were forwarded to the Coroner’s Office and the government Ombudsman.
The letter outlines our reaction to the meeting between police representatives, Irene and her supporters at the Lantau District Headquarters last Monday, 19 May. Although we appreciate the time and effort the police are expending on the case, the direction of their enquiries is unacceptable.
The police seem to be of the opinion that Vicky was somehow susceptible to occult beliefs, and that she could well have been erratic and irrational. They base this on little evidence, and in doing so confirm our serious concern about their capacity to conduct a thorough investigation into Vicky’s disappearance and death.
The letter also covers other aspects of the situation, such as the general state of relations between migrant workers in Discovery Bay and the police, the manner in which Vicky’s former employers are attempting to evade her outstanding salary and long-service payments, and the difficulty that Vicky’s family faced in obtaining a copy of the partial autopsy report.
A separate, hyperlinked page containing the letter in full will be added to this blog tomorrow.
For those of you who are yet to see the print version or are living outside of Hong Kong, the Sun newspaper included a balanced and informative interview with Vicky’s sister Irene in its mid-May edition. The article quotes Irene as asking the still obvious questions:
Bakit siya natatakot? Sino’ng kinatatakutan niya? Iyon ang dapat imbestigahang mabuti . . .
[Why was she scared? Who was she running from? That's what they need to investigate properly . . .]
We reported earlier that the police ensured Irene they were 100% committed to investigating her sister’s death. But we are now very concerned with the direction of that investigation.
Up-to-date details on the outcome of the meeting between Irene, members of the Justice for Vicky concern group and the police District Commander will be posted here tomorrow.
Vicky’s aunt Edith reports that the autopsy conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation in the Philippines has delivered a similar finding to that conducted in Hong Kong: death by drowning. However, two minor points should be mentioned.
The Philippine authorities found a small, superficial mark on Vicky’s neck that was not reported in Hong Kong. They also estimated that the body had been in the water for 5 days, and not the 4 reported in Hong Kong.
Neither of these two findings are likely to be significant. The superficial mark is not a wound - although we will report confirmation of that as soon as we have it. The length of time in the water is problematic because it seems to place Vicky’s death a day before she was seen fleeing her employers’ house. Again, we will confirm the estimated time as soon as we can.
Perhaps even more important than these two discrepancies, the second autopsy has shown that the process doesn’t take very long. Autopsy results can be given quickly, and the Hong Kong Coroner’s Office clearly stalled in releasing the partial report here.
ABS-CBN in the Philippines is carrying a story on its news website covering Vicky’s disappearance and death, this blog and what the Justice for Vicky concern group is trying to achieve.
I answered a series detailed of questions around a week ago, and the information has been used fairly and accurately. The two journalists involved also extracted quotes from posts on this blog, and included video from our YouTube page.
The added coverage will certainly help to boost the profile of Vicky’s case in the Philippines. But even more importantly the story will be picked up by news aggregators, RSS feeds and search engines.
That will push it out around the world a little more, and help other people discover the injustice of one particular death in Hong Kong.
Distasteful though it is to mention this so soon after her funeral, it seems that the ludicrous rumours about an “occult-link” in Vicky’s disappearance and death will not go away.
Following the South China Morning Post article which ran that angle early this month, the Filipino Globe, a free Filipino newspaper circulated here in Hong Kong and in Manila, regurgitated the claim in its May print edition not long after.
In an article entitled “Bizarre twist in Discovery Bay Pinay’s death”, Jose Marcello mentioned a letter in Latin and text messages in Tagalog that both contained “strange references”.
Note that neither publication quoted any of the text messages in full.
The messages do NOT contain “strange references”. Maricris Rice, who has actually read the messages, unlike the reporters from the SCMP and the Globe, says that they contain playful references to rural Batangas folklore, and questions about whether Vicky wanted any herbal medicine to cope with aches and pains.
A sworn statement by the person with whom Vicky was swapping texts backs this up. No occult references, at all.
However, the police have refused to release the letter written in Latin, which Vicky’s sister Irene should have been able to collect as a personal affect. That fact, and what now seems like multiple leaks to the media, suggests that the police are pursuing a premeditated line of investigation.
We began agitating for a thorough and transparent police investigation into this situation because there was little evidence of cultural sensitivity in police attitudes towards the case.
It is a sad reflection on the law in Hong Kong that there is not yet any sign of change.
Few people will be surprised with the main finding of the partial autopsy report released to Vicky’s sister Irene yesterday, 19 May. As foreshadowed in the preliminary police report, the cause of death is listed simply as drowning.
Toxicology test results will be appended to the report when they become available. Unless those results offer any new evidence, it seems unlikely that the Coroner will order an inquest.
Irene has just returned to the Philippines with a copy of the report, which she will show to her family tomorrow, 21 May.
Vicky’s sister Irene will travel to the Philippines tonight, 20 May, to oversee the funeral arrangements before returning to Hong Kong next week. Aside from supervising activities she will also be answering her family’s many questions and explaining what has been happening here in Hong Kong.
Irene says that Vicky’s body is currently in Lipa, Batangas, where it will undergo pathology tests later today. Any findings that contradict the Hong Kong autopsy report will be reported here.
When Irene returns to Hong Kong an immediate priority will be to ensure that Vicky’s former employers pay her outstanding salary from April, and the long service benefit that is owed.
The Coroner’s Office has finally released a copy of the autopsy report to Vicky’s sister Irene. The copy does not include the toxicology test results, which still have to be appended to the original report.
A solicitor with experience in the area will read the report tomorrow to advise Irene and her family on whether any areas have been insufficiently investigated, and what the wording actually means.
In other news, Irene reports that the police District Commander assured her today that his officers are 100 percent committed to investigating her sister’s disappearance and death.
As some of you will know, we received many signed petitions calling for a thorough investigation into Vicky’s disappearance and death after the initial cut-off date. All petitions were presented to the authorities, but other commitments have delayed us re-counting our own copies.
We can now tell you that we received a total of 5,780 signatures, indicating heavy concern for transparency in the investigation.
Vicky’s sister Irene and two members of the Justice for Vicky concern group met with the police District Commander earlier today to address the concerns raised in the petition. We will report whether the meeting had a significant outcome tomorrow.
Family, friends, supporters and Discovery Bay residents gathered today, 18 May, to pay their final respects to Vicky Flores before the repatriation of her remains to the Philippines. In a service held at the Universal Funeral Parlour in Hung Hom, Kowloon, prayers were offered, eulogies were given and tears flowed in mourning for a woman who spent too little time on this Earth.
United in their grief, the group - like many others in Hong Kong - were still asking questions about Vicky’s disappearance and death, questions the local authorities have yet to answer, or even indicate they are fully capable of answering.
In preparation for her final journey home, Vicky’s casket had already been secured in a packing case, painfully emphasising the transience of life. Father Emil Lim performed the ceremony, beginning with a prayer for Vicky’s family members in the Philippines, and for the safety of the Filipino community here in Hong Kong.
Bible readings were given by Cora Carsola of the Philippine government’s Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, and Sister Aida Casambre.
As the service continued Father Lim spoke of the mystery surrounding Vicky’s death, and emphasised that “there is still love; there is still hope”. He then broadened his message to speak about the circumstances that brought Vicky to Hong Kong, the conditions that force so many Filipinos and others in poor countries to leave their homelands.
“Let us pray”, he said, “for many more OFWs [overseas Filipino workers], not only those in Hong Kong but around the world, not only the Filipinos, but all nationalities, races and cultures, every single person who has suffered because of poverty, because of injustice . . . may you all be alleviated from this pain”.
The service ended with eulogies from Vicky’s family members living in Hong Kong, her sister Irene and others. As the mourners slowly began to file out of the small room, Irene’s sister-in-law Maricel sang unaccompanied, softly at first but with a voice that grew in strength and clarity.
Passing through the chorus of Elton John’s ‘Candle in the Wind’, she shifted almost seamlessly to a hauntingly beautiful rendition of ‘Lord I Offer My Life to You’.
Farewell Vicky Flores; those who remain will not rest until justice is done.
Vicky’s sister Irene has decided to stay in Hong Kong longer than expected because she has encountered two significant difficulties.
The first problem is that Irene has yet to obtain a copy of the autopsy report on her sister’s body. The Coroner’s Office is engaging in callous delaying tactics and treating her with contempt. We will post more on this early next week because further action is planned to address the situation.
An even more worrying situation is that Vicky’s former employers have appointed a solicitor to deal with any long-service payment to be made to the surviving family members.
Given that this should be a straightforward matter and the employers are clearly stalling, Irene is worried that no payment will be made if she leaves Hong Kong next week.
The payment, a relatively small amount from the employers’ perspective, would cover the cost of Vicky’s funeral in the Philippines for a desperately poor family.
A final viewing of Vicky’s body, necessary for identification before transportation to the funeral parlour, was held this afternoon at the public mortuary in Kwai Hing.
Attended by Vicky’s sister Irene, Vicky’s friends and a small group of supporters, the occasion was understandably emotional.
After the viewing, Irene and some of the group travelled with the body to the Universal Funeral Parlour in Hung Hom, where it will be sealed in a casket before the memorial service tomorrow and then repatriated to the Philippines.
We can now confirm that a mass for Vicky will be held on Sunday. The details are as follows:
Time: 10 AM, Sunday 18 May
Place: Universal Funeral Parlour
Address: 10 Cheong Hang Road, Hung Hom
The mass will be given by Father Emil Lim.
Directions
Universal Funeral Parlour is within walking distance of the Hung Hom railway station (formerly KCR, now MTR), near the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
The map on the left shows the location in red. Click on the picture for a larger image on a separate page.
To reach Hung Hom from Discovery Bay the quickest route is to take the DB03R bus to Sunny Bay station, the MTR to Lai King, cross over to the red line to Central and alight at Tsim Sha Tsui. From there walk through to the Tsim Sha Tsui East station (the signs are clear and it is all underground) and take the first train to Hung Hom.
The MTR map is available online for those unfamiliar with the train system.
If you can make it, please do. This will be our chance to pay final respects to Vicky before her body is flown back to the Philippines.
If you’re reading this somewhere other than Hong Kong, please spend a moment on Sunday in prayer or reflection.
As most of you who are living in Discovery Bay will know, there are many rumours circulating about what might or might not have happened to Vicky on the night she disappeared. Everyone is obviously wondering why she fled, but some of the rumours coming to our attention are bizarre to say the least.
All of the major facts that are known in the case and have been released to the public are available on this blog. We have also been careful to offer as much information about what is happening to pressure the authorities and support Vicky’s family as possible. The administrator, Mike Poole, might have forgotten something but it would not have been intentional. All errors are corrected as soon as they are detected.
Some of the links are no longer active in the earlier posts - they will be fixed or removed on the weekend.
Something we can add tonight to squash some of the more recent rumours is that Vicky’s sister Irene has seen the body and it has no puncture or stab wounds.
In partial response to one of the comments in the sidebar here, we mentioned the ludicrous South China Morning Post article of 4 May that claimed Vicky had occult links because it, too, was little else than rumour. The reporter, by the way, was Mary Ann Benitez.
The obvious difficulty for everyone either involved in or concerned about the situation is that there is so little information and so much suspicion. The Coroner’s Office has told us that the release of the autopsy report is “pending”. We are unsure of how to interpret that, and Vicky’s sister Irene is returning to the Philippines next week, but we will report on it when the details are available.
In the meantime, we will give any further details on the planned memorial service tomorrow. Currently, the funeral parlour is baulking at a large gathering, as it does not have much space available.
The ex-mayor of Lobo, Vicky’s home town in Batangas, the Philippines, has organised for a second autopsy to be held when her body returns next week. Regardless of the findings delivered in the autopsy report issued here in Hong Kong, this will help Vicky’s family rest assured that every avenue has been searched in explaining her death.
The Justice for Vicky concern group has assured Vicky
Comments and Intentions
May 29, 2008 by Mike Poole
We thank everyone who has left comments here, especially in the last few days. Our policy is to allow all comments regardless of whether they agree or disagree with anything we have posted. Please feel free to write about the situation, or criticise our coverage if you feel that is warranted.
Blog administrator Mike Poole answers specific questions by email if he has any information to give, but he currently has no information that hasn’t already been posted here.
As a group, including the Discovery Bay residents named in earlier posts, Vicky’s sister Irene, her aunt Edith, Bethune House and the Mission for Filipino Migrant Workers, we feel it important to provide coverage of every significant thing we do in relation to Vicky’s disappearance and death. Hence, the recent inclusion of the letter to the police Chief Inspector on a separate page.
That page, and the letter itself, also reflect our growing belief in the need to discuss wider issues associated not only with migrant worker deaths in Hong Kong, but also with the conditions of employment and general attitudes toward domestic helpers here. As James Rice mentioned at the Rally for Vicky in Admiralty on 27 April, a recently revised electronic version of his handbook on migrant worker rights will be posted here soon.
When we have less to post about Vicky’s case, the blog will be opened to multiple authors for broader coverage or rights-related issues.
Our concern is that people like Vicky be treated fairly under the law, in life as in death. Unfortunately, our recent experience has shown that there is still much inequality in the pursuit of justice in Hong Kong.
We realise that our position will not please all readers, but the Internet is a very democratic arena. Please feel free to register your displeasure or support as a comment. If you fundamentally disagree with us, blogging software is free to use.
The more that these issues are discussed, the better.
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