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(Eagle News) — Zamboanga policemen arrested on Thursday (Feb.11) an accused illegal recruiter who is also facing various cases of estafa while trying to escape the country and allegedly smuggle girls into Malaysia.
Authorities identified the accused illegal recruiter as a certain Bless Grace Hernandez-Ardona, who was arrested at the passenger terminal of the Zamboanga Pier.
Ardona, who also goes by the name Benito Affleck in social media, was also identified as one of the group of “operators” of expelled Iglesia Ni Cristo members Angel Manalo and Lottie Hemedez. Ardona had been charged for trying to swindle money from several people. She was expelled from the INC way back 2005 for being involved in activities that were against the Church doctrine.
According to Zamboanga authorities led by the Immigration Bureau, Ardona sought to flee the country via Zamboanga Pier.
She tried to board a commercial vessel with several unidentified female companions. They were supposedly bound for Sandakan, Malaysia. The Bureau of Immigration called on joint elements of the Philippine National Police; Zamboanga City Police Station 11, the local agents of the National Bureau of Investigation, among other agencies for the said arrest.
Ardona’s passport and name triggered a watch list order based on a warrant of arrest issued on December 19, 2007. The warrant of arrest was for a criminal case before the Regional Trial Court of Manila, People of the Philippines against Bless Grace H. Ardona (Criminal Case NO. 07-252768-69) dated December 19, 2007 and signed by Judge Jose A. Mendoza. The arrest warrant is for her pending cases including estafa and several counts of illegal recruitment.
Since 2007, Ardona (alias Benito Affleck) has been a fugitive of the law and the warrant has been outstanding and in the watch order of authorities.
She was reportedly caught trying to smuggle several young girls. The local authorities are looking into the possibility of filing human trafficking charges against her.
Her estafa cases are bailable while the illegal recruitment case has no bail set. Estafa is punishable by imprisonment of prision correctional while illegal recruitment is punishable by not less than 12 years up to lifetime imprisonment if there are more than three (3) victims. Human trafficking is a non-bailable offense and if found guilty, Hernandez-Ardona, might be looking at a lifetime imprisonment.
As of press time, Hernandez-Ardona is held in the custody of local authorities while she is being served processes.
