MANILA, Philippines—An overseas Filipino workers’ group has expressed alarm over the reported lack of legal assistance to a Filipina who has been accused of being a drug mule and is facing death penalty in Brunei. Migrante International chairman Garry Martinez referred to news reports that the suspect, Maricar Mendinan Domagtoy, 30, underwent preliminary inquiry before the Bandar Seri Begawan Magistrate’s Court on January 23 with no lawyer to represent her.
Domagtoy “appeared unrepresented” during the inquiry, Martinez said citing reports posted on the online edition of the Borneo Bulletin, Brunei’s largest daily, on January 24.
“The lack of legal assistance to suspected drug mules is frightening and could become a precedent. The Philippine government should immediately send a legal team and not wait for her to be sentenced to death. Her legal defense is crucial, especially since she was probably just duped by a drug syndicate,” Martinez told the Inquirer over the phone.
The court has set the sentencing for Feb. 6. Domagtoy was caught with 251.917 grams of diamorphine, a controlled drug, he said. Domagtoy was charged with drug trafficking after being arrested on June 3, 2009, in a hotel in Jalan Kubah Makam Diraja, the central district of Brunei’s capital Bandar Seri Begawan.
“Our embassy should have quickly hired a lawyer for her the moment they were told about her arrest. The Migrant Workers Act of 1995 annually allots P100 million for legal assistance to OFWs,” Martinez said.
