Five Filipinos were arrested in Singapore over an alleged theft of SGD 155,000.
The amount is about P7.6 million, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs. The alleged theft happened on September 25 at Tang Plaza along Orchard Road.
Philippine Ambassador to Singapore Medardo Macaraig confirmed the arrests in an interview in Singapore on Wednesday. He said the five are tourists and that their case has reached a Singapore court.
Court dates
Macaraig said the five first appeared in court on October 2. He said they have another hearing on October 9.
"Well, na-arresto sila ng mga Singapore police. At totoo 'yan, lima yung turista, Pilipinong turista," he said.
Macaraig said the embassy has yet to receive more details on who the victim was. He did not name the five or give other details about the case.
Who it affects
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Macaraig said there are about 220,000 Filipinos in Singapore. He said this is the first time such a case has come up during his time here.
He pointed to the number of CCTV cameras and law enforcement measures in Singapore. "There are a lot of CCTVs," he said.
The case sits before the courts, so the details of what happened are not yet public. The embassy has not said whether it is providing assistance to the five.
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What we know
So far, the confirmed facts are the date and place of the alleged theft, the amount, the number of people arrested, and the two court dates.
The names of the five, their ages, and the status of the case have not been released. It is also not confirmed whether they have lawyers or whether bail has been raised.
GMA News reported the story on October 7, citing Macaraig's interview.
Filipinos in Singapore who need consular help can reach the Philippine Embassy through its official channels. Court schedules and case updates in Singapore are handled by the Singapore Judiciary.
