Comments for A Death in Hong Kong

Comment on Thorough Investigation? by rosesmdCW

rosesmdCW — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 06:17:31 +0000

I am reading about “VICKY’s” case and what’s happening with her case now; it really makes me sad to think that up to now nothing happens:

I have been here in Hongkong for almost 14 years now, and it makes me sad to say that most of us believes that “LAW” here in Hongkong is much better than Philippines, but yes I do agree that the discrimination here is much worse than I have ever imagined. That 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 goverment hospital several times with a severe stiff neck pain, and still the staff doesn’t attend to you immediately (you have to wait 2 to 3 hours before being attended with. I brought my sister at one of the hospitals yesterday as she was bleeding, but still sent home and advice by the doctor to wait for her appointment on November 21, 2008. My question here is: What does “emergency” mean!? Does emergency mean that you should be on your last breath for you to be considered as one? I really can’t understand the hospital rule here… while 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 to work even though she was in pain and bleeding.

I wish the goverment will really act on this, and not wait till the reputation of Hongkong deteriorates further.

Comment on Know Your Rights Seminar, 27 July by concerned

concerned — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 12:59:27 +0000

Ye, we need some seminars like this so we can learn more not just for our self but in case , we encounter some problems we know how we can help them and whom we can asked for help..especially for newly helpers who had come to Hongkong to work and doesnt know whom they can turned to for some help.

Comment on Know Your Rights Seminar, 27 July by anonymous

anonymous — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 12:53:57 +0000

I agree that “HDH”is very helpful to everyone.I’m a domestic helper her in Discovery Bay and one time I went to the office of “HELPERS FOR DOMESTIC HELPERS”and they really help me.

Comment on Know Your Rights Seminar, 27 July by Know Your Rights Meeting - Hong Kong

Know Your Rights Meeting - Hong Kong — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 11:19:29 +0000

[...] here: Know Your Rights Seminar, 27 July A Death in Hong Kong But frankly domestic helpers working for people who would accede to your request are probably not [...]

Comment on Payout Problems by smog

smog — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 03:01:41 +0000

Well OK (although what is power of attorney for if not for cases like this?), but there would still have been better ways. One would have been for the money to have been sent to Vicky’s mother by Western Union; the lawyer can specify the full name of the recipient and the requirement for ID (although frankly there’s a good chance that Vicky’s mother doesn’t have any ID I would guess.)

Comment on Payout Problems by Admin

Admin — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 04:07:06 +0000

The second last paragraph of the post has been changed in partial reponse to your comment.

The money wasn’t paid in cash because the employers’ lawyer insisted that only Vicky’s mother, as the legally defined closest relative, should be able to access it, even though Irene had power of attorney for her mother in the matter.

Irene’s mother doesn’t have a bank account, and the Tung Chung police currently have the passbook for Vicky’s account, which could not be accessed in any case given that it is now affected by probate

Comment on Payout Problems by smog

smog — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 03:24:07 +0000

Why on earth would someone take a cashier’s order drawn on a small Hong Kong bank back to The Philippines? Or for that matter why did she accept such an instrument in the first place?

Surely the money owed should have been paid in the same form as Vicky was paid in, which, I assume, would either be cash or by transfer into a HK bank account (over which Irene now presumably has control)?

Comment on Employers Pay in Full by Pamela Kember

Pamela Kember — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 10:58:30 +0000

The headline “Employers pay in Full” with regard to Vicky’s employer’s paying her family her outstanding salary and long service enentitlements, made me think, that in fact it has been Vicky Flores who has paid the full price - her life, for her loyalty, and ability to endure for so long, what seems more apparent of late: her exceptionally problematic living environment. Through events which are still unclear, and many questions left unanswered, we only know she was shouting at someone to stay away from her, during an argument not long before she went missing. We know she did not leave DB by choice, therefore, was either forced, or later taken after she became unconscious or died. The account of what led to her rushing from her home remains a blur, with no statement from her employers offered by the police to the media as to what took place. We look to the police for a statment to explain what have been their investigative findings and give the public a true account of events, rather than speculative comments to the media that do a great injustice to a young woman’s faith and integrity.

Comment on Letter Now Online by concerned

concerned — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 09:09:46 +0000

I agree with with Ms.Pamela Kember

Comment on Letter Now Online by Pamela Kember

Pamela Kember — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 06:33:15 +0000

I wrote my previous comments before seeing Mike’s posted letter written to the police regarding the handling of Vicky’s case, and was therefore taken aback to read ‘One also finds from the many accounts of her friends and relatives a pattern of Vicky’s concern. And that pattern of concern was that Vicky had been the victim of a pattern of sexual harassment (if not abuse) on the part of the employer.’

How have these concerns or this pattern been ignored? If as a group, either friends/relatives, are willing to speak the truth of what they know, some more serious investigation by the police will have to take place. Please try to be her voice and post what information you know and shed some light on her real situation.