2 domestic workers acquitted of illegal dentistry as Hong Kong authorities accused of staging a ‘show’ during arrests

Two Filipina domestic workers have been acquitted of practising illegal dentistry in Hong Kong after the defence raised concerns that authorities staged a “show” during their arrest.

This photo provided by Hong Kong’s Immigration Department shows an arrest operation on August 17, 2025, in which six Filipina domestic workers were apprehended on suspicion of running an unlicensed dental clinic in Sham Shui Po. Photo: GovHK.

Jucen Lihaylihay Naong and Rowena Marcaida Cerdina had their names cleared on Tuesday midway through a trial of four domestic workers. The women faced charges including breaching their conditions of stay and practising dentistry without registration.

The pair were among six defendants arrested by the Immigration Department in August last year on suspicion of running an unlicensed dental clinic in Sham Shui Po. Two previously pleaded guilty, while four stood trial.

Magistrate Pang Leung-ting on Tuesday ruled the pair had no case to answer after prosecutors decided to drop the case against them, according to local media outlet The Witness. They were immediately released.

‘Grossly disproportionate’

The decision came after the defence last week raised concerns about the arrest procedures conducted by immigration officers during a raid of the Sham Shui Po flat allegedly functioning as an unlicensed dental clinic.

The defence told the court that the officers did not identify themselves by wearing a vest, did not have a search warrant when they entered the premises, and had begun questioning the suspects in English without the presence of a Tagalog interpreter.

The defence also said that, as the six defendants were led to an Immigration Department van, they were handcuffed without justification and were told to line up for photos and videos. Several takes were made, with the women having to repeat their actions for the cameras.

Magistrate Pang noted that, to the public, “it is quite obvious” that the Immigration Department was “staging [a] performance.”

Barrister Azan Marwah, representing Naong, said that the Immigration Department “put on a show” during the arrests. “This is grossly disproportionate,” he said.

Shatin Magistrates’ Courts. File photo: Peter Lee/HKFP.

Pang last week also demanded explanations as to why the prosecution failed to disclose the footage and photos taken during the arrest operation to the defence.

On Tuesday, prosecutors said they would drop the case against Naong and Cerdina but persisted with the prosecution of two other defendants, Carles Lie Agtang Ramos and Cherrie Mel Magno Patiga.

Ramos and Patiga had confessed to the offence inside the Sham Shui Po unit before they were taken to the Immigration Department headquarters in Tseung Kwan O, prosecutors said.

Outside the court on Tuesday, Naong told The Witness that the past year had been difficult and that she could only “try to lead a normal life.” She thanked her employer and her legal team for the support.

The trial of Ramos and Patiga continued on Wednesday.

Breaching one’s conditions of stay carries a maximum penalty of a HK$50,000 fine and up to two years in jail. The illegal practice of dentistry carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison – seven years if the act resulted in injuries.