Compassion Fund for Charles

UPDATE (29 JUN): Charles would like to return the remaining amount that wasn't used. Whether you want him to keep it or not, please fill up the form as he would also like to give his thanks personally.

https://forms.gle/aG3ieJg3pkWPQg1eA

UPDATE (27 JUN): Don't forget to read the update by Charles in the "Updates" tab. ☺️

Those who personally know Charles (CJ) Navarro can attest that he is a thoughtful friend, a hard worker, a loving brother to his little sister, and a devoted son to his parents.

As some of you may already know, Charles is currently facing four charges in court due to an incident on Apr 19-20. Media has led the public to believe that the purpose of that night was to drink and be merry.

Unbeknownst to many, it was not a night to be merry but his last resort to maintain his mental health due to extremely unfortunate recent events. Before I continue, I would like to clarify that in no way is my intention (or Charles') to justify his mistakes but to shed light on the circumstances that have led him there. We hope that you will see him as a human being whose life hasn't been too kind, who has made foolish mistakes to which he fully admits to, and is remorseful.

Important events:

21 yo, 2016 - The family struggled with financial troubles because of retrenchment. The family had to make the difficult choice of moving back to the Philippines. Charles decided to stay in Singapore to pursue his career in the F&B industry and to help with his family's finances.

22yo, 2018 - In Q4, his father had a heart attack and was in and out of the hospital for several months. The medical fees added up, causing more financial stress on Charles.

23yo, 2019 - Roughly a year later, his father passed away. Charles becomes the sole breadwinner for his mother and his younger sister. Charles then starts to struggle with managing his mental well-being for a few months.

24yo, 2020 -

(A) Early April - He became a victim of cybercrime. Someone got a hold of his bank account details and his handphone number. The criminal then proceeded to harass him through texts and calls and even went to the extreme by calling his workplace to threaten his livelihood. Charles then made a police report. A couple of days later, his only bank account is frozen due to the investigation. According to the investigating officer in charge, they will need until July to complete the investigation and unfreeze his account. This leaves him to survive the month with whatever cash he had left and unable to access any of his savings.

(B) Early April - He, together with his workmates, received a pay cut due to effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on restaurants. This means less money to support his family and himself, and more worries for Charles.

(C) Perhaps due to the extreme mental, emotional and physical stress, his body finally gave in. An ear infection started around April 15, to which, he could not even afford to have it treated. His frustrations with life heighten.

(D) On the brink of a mental/emotional breakdown, he and his workmates decide to have a drink after their shift on April 19. Charles saw an opportunity for moral support as he vented out his frustrations and drank his troubles away.

(E) One of his workmates promised to bring him home, but when the police showed up in response to a call, they gave his friend an option, "You can either bring your friend home, or we will detain him." His "friend" then left him alone with the police. As they were detaining him, Charles was pushed to the car, and he hit his head on the trunk, causing $309 worth of damage. He then spewed some vulgarities but to be fair, I like to think that most of it wasn't so much directed to the police officers but to his life, hence, "I don't f***ing care anymore," and, "this is f***ng ridiculous."

Again, there is no excuse, and Charles fully admits his faults. Still, I humbly ask for your compassion to his situation. We need your help to fund the potential fine amount he might incur by June 22 2020. Legal advice estimated that it could go as high as SGD 10,000. If he were to be unable to pay the full fine amount, he would need to serve time in jail. If he were to go to jail, he would not be able to support his mother and sister financially.

Finally, to all the racist people commenting "go back to your country," know that he is as much of a Singaporean as you are. He was born and bred here in this little red dot. In fact, he already received an approval-in-principle for his citizenship. Unfortunately, he could not attend his oath-taking because he was in the Philippines' with his family after his father's death.

PS If the fine amount is lower than expected (God willing), we will return the remaining amount to you so, please indicate your name.

Thank you, and God bless you! We appreciate all your concern and prayers!