Agonizing wait for OFW on Taiwan death row

MANILA, Philippines— (UPDATE) The next five days would be the most agonizing for Cecilia Alcaraz and her family, including sons Jherome and Efhraim Alcaraz, as they await the verdict of a Taiwan court.

On May 4, the Taiwan Appellate Court is scheduled to hand down its decision on the appeal of Cecilia, a teacher who hails from Liliw, Laguna, who pleaded innocent on the murder of her job broker in September 2007. If found guilty, she would be sentenced to death by firing squad.

Another OFW left to fend for themselves? Common story -- "no one available" yet these OFW's pay the Philippine Government in order to get out of the Country to work outside.

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Background info here

Hong Kong: Treatment of Domestic Helpers Studied

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.