SINGAPORE: A Filipino woman who purportedly went to Cambodia for a job but found herself in a scam compound was sentenced to 25 months‘ jail on Monday (Aug 24) for being part of a syndicate and a conspiracy to cheat people in Singapore.
The judge found that the prosecution had proven the charges against 35-year-old De Villar Rizalyn Panganiban and said she had not been coerced or forced into committing any of the acts she did.
While there were some limits on what she could do in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, she had a substantial amount of freedom and could have left the group’s premises or obtained help, said Principal District Judge Thian Yee Sze.
De Villar was among the 12 people charged in September last year after the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and the Cambodian National Police disrupted the syndicate in a cross-border operation.
Several Singaporeans and Malaysians were charged along with De Villar, but hers was the first to go to trial.
THE WOMAN’S ACCOUNT
De Villar had claimed that a friend offered her the overseas job for a salary of US$1,500.
She went to Cambodia through Malaysia in late March 2025, had her passport taken from her and was driven to a call centre where she was given a script.
De Villar was represented by Mr Chooi Jing Yen and Ms Claire Chong from the Chooi Jing Yen law firm under the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme.
They had taken issue with De Villar’s knowledge of Singapore, as she denied knowing where Singapore was located and thought Singapore was in China.
She also depicted herself as ignorant of Singapore as she had never previously left the Philippines.
In contrast, Deputy Public Prosecutors Suhas Malhotra and Yeo Kee Hwan pointed to evidence that De Villar knew the target area was Singapore through references to Singapore addresses, currency and institutions like the Monetary Authority of Singapore. She was also told to have a Singapore English accent.
Judge Thian said that for the charge to be made out, De Villar was not required to know of Singapore’s characteristics, that it was in Southeast Asia or was an independent country. Instead, it must be shown that she knew Singapore was a locality or place.
Even if her mental map was hazy or if she was ignorant of where Singapore was, the judge said the evidence showed that De Villar knew Singapore was a specific location where criminal activity was occurring or intended to occur.
The defence had argued that De Villar had not been shown to be a member of the syndicate, that she had not passed a test and did not take part in activities like recruiting others, and that her presence at the compound was not enough to convict her of being a member.
However, the prosecution said De Villar had undergone training and received some money.
The judge accepted that the evidence showed De Villar’s membership. While she did not have her passport, she could have obtained help or tried to leave, and she had her phone with her.
While she did not pass the test, she did take part in what was assigned to her at the compound, such as training and being part of a chat group.
She said that while there were questions raised on who the co-conspirators were, she said De Villar herself said there were others who provided training and funds.
This was sufficient to show that there were others involved, said Judge Thian.
The prosecutor, Ms Yeo, sought at least 27 months‘ jail for De Villar, saying the syndicate was sophisticated and successful.
Within a year of operation, the syndicate was responsible for at least 528 reported scam cases with losses of S$52.5 million (US$41.3 million), she said.
Government official impersonation, like the ones perpetrated by the syndicate, is the most lucrative scam in Singapore with the second-highest in loss amounts after investment scams, said Ms Yeo.
In response, Mr Chooi sought not more than 15 months‘ jail, with a sentencing discount for cooperating with the authorities.
He disagreed on the harm factor, saying the figure of S$52.5 million is „nothing more than hearsay“ and the word of the investigating officer.
He said De Villar was a member for less than a month and that figure, for the full year, should not be attributed in full to her.
„She did nothing other than be in the scam centre,“ said Mr Chooi.
For being a member of an organised criminal group, De Villar could have been jailed for up to five years, fined up to S$100,000, or both.
For conspiracy to cheat, she could have been jailed for up to 10 years and fined.