She lives in Cebu City and claims that she owns her own home, and has a small plot of land in the countryside. The land is supposedly an inheritance from her parents, who are both deceased. The house is of uncertain provenance. I'm under the impression that she acquired it through savings garnered through working as a personal caregiver in Israel for 10 years. As to her schooling, she claims that she partially funded it through savings and the balance through a loan from her sister.
She has a 20 year old son who is a merchant marine engineering apprentice and occasionally visits.
We have chatted extensively over the last two months via webcam. In that time she has not once asked me for money, nor hinted at anything that would suggest a request for money was coming.
I recently asked her if she would come visit me in Canada if I paid for half of her airfare, and she said 'yes'. I warned her that a tourist visa would likely be impossible to obtain. She didn't seem worried about this and reiterated her willingness to have me come visit her in the PI and stay with her if she couldn't get a visa. I realize there is a real risk that she could bugger off the minute she lands in Canada.
What's amazing is that she emailed me copies of her passport, student ID, and original birth certificate, thinking that I was the one who would need to apply for the visa. She has also provided me with what appears to be a legitimate street address in Cebu City.
She claims that she is separated and has not got an annulment because of the expense. Recently she claimed that she is friends with a judge who says she could help her expedite the process. Frankly I doubt it, because no ethical judge would make such a statement or place himself/herself in a potential conflict of interest to assist a friend. But I understand that bribery is a well-practiced art in the Philippines, too.
I still have concerns about her. She's clearly real, very real. But some things just aren't adding up for me.
What I wonder: Does she have a boyfriend lurking in the background? Or is the husband is still in the picture? While chatting with her on webcam, I did catch a fleeting glimpse of someone she called her 'uncle', who she claims is 56 years old, and also her aunt, whose age is unknown. Is the 'uncle' really the boyfriend/spouse? I suppose I wouldn't find this out (if ever) until I met her.
I still have trouble reconciling how she could have a house of her own, enough money to cover routine maintenance/utilities expenses and even construction costs (I've seen pics of the house and it's a work in progress), and still be able to afford nursing school and a trip overseas. My thinking is, not without a lot of money socked away, or coming in from somewhere. Or someone in the background helping her out.
Any thoughts?
