A defense lawyer is already in place for a Filipina overseas worker currently detained by Thai authorities, the Department of Migrant Workers said Sunday, even as the agency refused to go into detail about what led to her arrest.
DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac confirmed the worker’s detention in a television interview but stopped short of describing the specific circumstances. He acknowledged only that her infant is at the center of the case.
“Hindi muna ako magbibigay ng detalye. Basta meron lang circumstance tungkol sa kanya at sa kanyang sanggol. Gano’n muna. Ayoko rin magsiwalat ng detalye kasi kasama ito sa potential na legal assistance na ibigay natin sa kanya sa legal defense na ibibigay natin,” Cacdac said in a Daily Tribune report.
He said the worker has already been contacted by Philippine officials through a video call, and that she appeared to be in a stable condition. “Nakausap na siya virtually, video call, at nasa maayos naman siyang sitwasyon. However, under detention nga at may kaso,” he said.
The Philippine Embassy in Thailand is actively tracking developments in the case, with a labor attaché and a welfare officer both involved in monitoring the worker’s situation. Cacdac added that an in-person jail visit is being arranged for the coming week.
The worker is identified in Thai and Philippine media reports as Jovelyn Canino Cardienete, 25, who was arrested following the discovery of a newborn boy’s body inside a black plastic bag in a women’s restroom at a shopping mall along Sukhumvit Road in Bangkok on March 20. Responding officers from Thong Lo Police Station confirmed the infant showed no visible injuries. The worker was later found at a bus terminal, where bloodstains were observed on her clothing. She was brought to Police General Hospital, where doctors confirmed she had recently given birth and administered treatment.
Under Thai law, she potentially faces charges under Section 199 of the country’s Criminal Code for improper handling of a corpse — an offense that carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison, a fine of up to 20,000 baht, or both.
“May abogado tayong tutulong sa kanya to put up the best legal defense. At the same time, iyong kapakanan niya under detention ay mino-monitor din natin,” Cacdac said.
