Philippine
authorities are holding a woman they suspect of being an illegal recruiter.
Singaporean Yvonne Phua was arrested during a raid held on an alleged human
trafficking den. Ms. Phua denies the charges against her. She was arrested
along with 13 other Filipino nationals for allegedly bringing Filipino maids to
Singapore illegally. Michael and Joy Abellar, a Filipino couple arrested with
Phua, were the supposed representatives of the PEM Maid Employment Agency, but
were not able to present proper documentation that would allow them to operate
a recruitment or training facility in the country. Phua admitted that she was a
trainer at the PEM Maid Employment Agency, based in Singapore, but claims she
was only in the Philippines for vacation. "I come to here actually to tour
because my friend is here. I am Singapore trainer but am not working here. The
news is very unfair to me. They say I have a partnership here. But I am not, I
am a worker, I work in Singapore. I came here to visit my friend," she
said. While the PEM Maid Employment Agency is a registered agency in Singapore,
in the Philippines it is not. Authorities believe that Phua came to the
Philippines to train domestic workers before they were to be deployed to
Singapore. Part of the complaint by the rescued women points to Phua as the one
who trained them in household duties. Ms. Phua is charged with illegal
recruiting and human trafficking, and if found guilty, will face the maximum
penalty of life imprisonment. Singapore's Foreign Affairs Ministry is aware of
the case and has claimed that it is rendering consular assistance to the Ms.
Phua and the family.
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