Sotto Jennie Villaron worked as a domestic helper in Singapore. Her employer wanted to fire her in February 2024.
The 37-year-old Filipino woman had been dating Singaporean Faizal bin Farid since 2021. She faced returning to the Philippines. She came up with a plan.
Sotto asked her boyfriend to help her get a work pass under his name. This would let her stay in Singapore after her current job ended.
Faizal said yes. On 7 March 2024, Sotto signed a form saying she would work as Faizal’s domestic helper.
They submitted the application. A work permit was issued to Sotto. She never planned to actually work as his maid.
From 9 March 2024 to 2 July 2024, Sotto lived with Faizal at his home four to five nights each week. She stayed as his girlfriend, not his employee.
The other nights, she worked as a babysitter elsewhere. For four months, Sotto never did any domestic helper duties for Faizal.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) got information about possible violations on 2 July 2024. They started investigating Sotto right away.
Court Case Results in Three-Week Sentence
Sotto appeared at State Courts on 1 September 2025. She pleaded guilty to one charge under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act.
The charge involved conspiring with Faizal to make a false statement to the Controller of Work Passes. A second charge for working without a valid permit was considered during sentencing.
MOM prosecutors said Sotto was the mastermind. She started the scheme and asked Faizal to help her get the fake work permit.
Prosecutors wanted about four weeks’ jail before any reduction for her guilty plea. They said she had bypassed Singapore’s foreign worker rules.
“She undermined the integrity of the work pass framework while engaging in unauthorised employment with other parties,” the prosecutor said.
The Controller of Work Passes would not have issued the permit if they knew Sotto had no intention of working as Faizal’s maid.
Sotto had no lawyer. She came to court with an older woman she called her fiancé’s mother.
She begged for mercy and apologised. “I hope you will give me a chance,” Sotto told the judge. “I really like to stay here and work here, your honour. I hope you will give me leniency.”
The judge said he had “no control” over whether she could work in Singapore later. He said it was not his decision to make.
Sotto got three weeks’ jail on 1 September 2025. The judge let her delay her sentence for a few days.
Faizal faces similar charges for his alleged role in the case. He will plead guilty in October. His case remains before the courts.
