Filipino-Australian mother of four jailed for embezzling A$1.7 M
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www.abs-cbnnews.com
The Swiss Hotel in Market Street, Sydney was a favorite haunt of Filipino-Australians. On weekends, it was common to see Pinoys feasting on the buffet spread. Function rooms would play host to a variety of celebrations, from weddings to debuts, anniversaries, baptisms and a host of other events. Walking around the hotel lobby, one might catch a glimpse of a Filipino celebrity in town for a show, as event organizers favored the guest rooms of Swiss Hotel.
But Swiss Hotel wasn’t an exceptional hotel. True, it’s a five-star hotel located in the heart of Sydney’s shopping district. But many other five-star hotels have received better reviews from critics. The Swiss Hotel became a top
choice for many Pinoys because of the big discounts they could negotiate with a Filipino-Australian named Welda Bacolod, an employee of the sales department.
Welda, 42 years old and a mother of four, is now languishing at the Emu Plains Correctional Centre after District Court Judge Peter Berman found her guilty of embezzling $1.7 million Australian dollars (about 70 million pesos)
Welda, 42 years old and a mother of four, is now languishing at the Emu Plains Correctional Centre after District Court Judge Peter Berman found her guilty of embezzling $1.7 million Australian dollars (about 70 million pesos)
from the Swiss Hotel. She’s been sentenced to a non-parole period of three years with a head sentence of five years.
By all accounts, Welda was a kind and generous woman. As an employee of the hotel, she was entitled to staff discounts on guest rooms, food and services. But when word spread that she had such a privilege, it became
common for strangers to approach Welda and ask for a discount. “Hanapin mo lang si Welda,” one Filipino would often say to another when contemplating in which Hotel to book guests or a function.
