Two Filipino women were sentenced to jail on July 17 for using forged academic documents to obtain employment passes in Singapore.
According to The Straits Times, 29-year-olds Alyssa Riva Fernan and Almira Joy Torres submitted fake university certificates to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and were subsequently employed for 15 months at CL Enterprise, which operates several Mr Fix retail stores selling kitchenware and household items.
Fernan pleaded guilty to one count under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act and was sentenced to four weeks in jail. Torres, who faced multiple charges, received a six-week sentence after pleading guilty to a similar offense, with two other charges taken into consideration during sentencing.
MOM prosecuting officer Teo Sijing emphasized the need for a strong deterrent, pointing out that the women had unfairly secured jobs that might have otherwise gone to qualified applicants.
Investigations revealed that Torres had approached a Philippine agent—known only as “Cory”—in September 2020 for help in finding new employment after leaving her previous job in Singapore.
