For possession of fake dollar bills Illegal recruitment victims arrested

Six Filipinos who paid a recruiter in Manila $1,000 to $1,500 each in exchange for good jobs on Saipan landed in jail after police and immigration authorities found them in possession of counterfeit dollar bills amounting to $5,000.

The promised jobs turned out to be non-existent and the recruiter — illegal. Worst, the victims had been asked by their recruiter to carry dollar bills which they learned to be fake only after they were arrested by immigration and public safety officials yesterday.

Charged with counterfeiting before the Superior Court were Rolando Hilongo Lambio, 34, Nelia Baradi Florendo, 28, Archie Barnatcha Macapagal, 23, Ronalia De Guzman Navarro, 22, Romeo Gumin Montoya, 52, and Thelma Loqueno Tejano, 36.

Superior Court Associate Judge Juan T. Lizama set a $10,000 bail for each of the accused. They are now detained at the Division of Corrections in Susupe.

Investigation showed that the six Filipinos who hailed from Isabela and Ilocos provinces were promised good jobs in Saipan after they paid $1,000 to $1,500 each (50,000 to 75,000 pesos) the recruiter in Sta. Cruz, Manila.

The four women were supposed to work as chambermaids in a hotel while the men were supposed to work in the maintenance section.

Immigration officer Capt. Delia Dado discovered the fake US dollar bills when she was interviewing Ms. Navarro at the immigration section. Asked what she will be doing in Saipan as a tourist for two days when she only had $225.00, Ms. Navarro replied that she will be staying at Aqua Resort.

Immediately, Capt. Dado told her that she will deny her entry because the cheapest room in the hotel per night cost $235.00.

Ms. Navarro then got the rest of the money in her bag and showed it to Capt. Dado who noticed that the US dollars were fake.

The other immigration officers were then alerted and eventually found the counterfeit $100 bills amounting to $5,000 from the rest of the Filipinos.

Capt. Delbert Sablan, commander of the Criminal Investigation Section, said the bogus money were brought to the Hong Kong Bank for testing which later on confirmed initial suspicions that they were counterfeit.

According to Ms. Macapagal, they did not know that the money given to them by her cousin Emma Ragoyal Cabigting were fake US dollars. Ms. Cabigting works in the recruitment firm which was also managed by a Filipino engineer who used to be employed in Saipan.

Ms. Macapagal said the trip was not even supposed to push through because they were having problems on how to produce show-money since they were coming to Saipan as tourist.

Later on, Ms. Cabigting told them that they will be able to leave because she was able to produce the money.

The six boarded Asiana Airlines flight 252 and arrived in Saipan at 3:20 am. They were assured by the recruiters that a certain Arthur will pick them up as soon as they arrive.

Unfortunately, their hopes of landing a good job in order to give their families in the provinces a better life will only remain a dream.

Still shocked and confused about the whole incident, the victims asked the Philippine Consulate officials to call their families in the Philippines.

The maximum penalty for counterfeit if they are found guilty is 10 years imprisonment and/or $5,000 fine or both.