Juvy Banting Del Rosario, 30, who is also from the Philippines, was sentenced to 10 years’ jail on each charge of trafficking, under Section 13 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling Migrants Act 2007, The Star reported.
Sessions Court Judge Ainul Shahrin Mohamad ruled that Del Rosario was to serve her sentence concurrently, and for it to be effective from Oct 22, 2015, the date of her arrest in Labuan.
Anyone convicted under Section 13 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling Migrants Act 2007, faces a maximum jail term of up to 20 years and a fine.
She was also to be deported back to the Philippines after serving her sentence.
According to the daily, the seven Filipino women trafficked into Malaysia were aged between 21 and 25. They too were arrested during a raid by police at an entertainment outlet in Labuan in October 2015.
In mitigation, Del Rosario’s lawyer pleaded that since she was the sole income earner for her children as well as her family back in the Philippines, that she be deported as soon as possible.
However, despite Del Rosario’s plea for forgiveness and regret over her actions, the prosecution’s argument for a deterrent sentence to send a strong message against sex exploitation, was upheld by the court.
The report however, did not disclose any details as to where Del Rosario’s four children were currently located or if they had been sent back to her hometown in the Philippines.