NEW YORK – Ten Filipino nurses face up to six years imprisonment in New York and deportation to the Philippines on charges of conspiracy and child endangerment. The nurses who were on a three-year contract with Avalon Gardens Rehabilitation and Health Care Center in Smithtown, resigned without notice and walked out from the medical facility that cares for physically disabled children. Their lawyer in New York, Felix Vinluan, was also charged. The left the facility to protest the failure of the recruiter to honor its commitments to them.
The nurses and Vinluan
pleaded not guilty on March 22 on sixth-degree conspiracy, five counts of
endangering the welfare of a child and six counts of endangering the welfare of
a physically disabled child.
The 10 nurses are among
26 nurses and one physical therapist who walked out of their jobs last year
from different health care facilities owned by Sentosa Care Group. The group
included Elmer Jacinto, a Filipino doctor who opted to work as a nurse in New York City. The group complained
that Sentosa paid them less than what was promised them and forced them to
render overtime work without pay. They said they were recruited to work for a
certain facility but ended up with a different employer upon their arrival in New York. The Sentosa group has
resumed hiring nurses from the Philippines.
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