A Filipina domestic helper arrested for money laundering before she could board her flight to Manila last Jan. 26, was sent back to jail after she did not apply for bail when she appeared yesterday (Feb. 2) at the Eastern Court.
Ma. Rochel Fuentes, 35 years old, instead requested to be given access to
her mobile phone so she could contact a shelter for OFWs, and arrange for her accommodation
in case she is allowed later to post bail.
Principal Magistrate Ivy Chui not only granted the request, conveyed by a
duty lawyer assigned to Fuentes, she also scheduled a bail review for Feb. 9.
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Fuentes
is charged with “dealing with property known or believed to represent proceeds
of indictable offense,” which is punishable under the Organized and Serious
Crimes Ordinance with up to 14 years
in jail, and a maximum fine of $5 million.
The charge arose from police investigation into a total of $666,300
being moved in and out of her Standard Chartered Bank account within two days last
year, on April 2-4.
Fuentes was to take the
11:45am AirAsia flight to Manila when she was stopped at immigration and turned
over to the police.
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| TAWAG NA! |
A friend had said Fuentes intended
to go home to wait for her new work contract to be processed, after her
previous employer of five years relocated to another country.
A police spokesman said that
after investigation, Fuentes was taken to Eastern Court on Jan 27 and charged
with money laundering.
Her family and friends who
heard about her arrest sent appeals on social media, saying she was being
detained at Central police station because someone had used her name to take
out a loan without her knowledge.
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| PINDUTIN DITO |
Staff at the Migrant Workers
Office of the Philippine Consulate who spoke with Fuentes’ relatives said they
had called the police and were told that she had been taken to Eastern Court on
Jan. 27 to be charged.
FDHs are among vulnerable
groups that have been linked to money laundering cases in the past few years,
often through the use of their bank accounts by scam syndicates.
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| PADALA NA! |
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