2 ILLEGAL RECRUITERS FALL
September 11, 2008

Two more suspected illegal recruiters fell in the hands of authorities following an entrapment operation in Quezon City as the Task Force Against Illegal Recruitment under Vice President and Presidential Adviser on overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) Noli 'Kabayan' De Castro pursued a renewed campaign against illegal recruitment.

De Castro identified the suspects as Sagisag Atlas Bautista, 26, of MB24 Unit 410, Pamayanang Diego Silang, Brgy. Ususan, Taguig City and Rosamel Cara De Guzman, 31, of block 2 lot 25, Rosewood Village, Tagapo Sr., Laguna.

He said Bautista and De Guzman were arrested recently (September 8) by members of the anti-illegal recruitment task force while accepting marked money from complainant Wilson Tiongco in a Magoo Pizza parlor at the 4th floor of the Robinsons Galeria Mall in Quezon City.

Aside from the marked money, confiscated from the suspects were blank labor contracts, employment contracts and visas of Tiongco and two more overseas job applicants.

The arresting team led by police superintendent Bernard Relato Yang of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) hauled the suspects to Camp Crame for further investigation.

Yang said Bautista and De Guzman are facing charges for violating Republic Act No. 8042 or the Filipino Overseas and Migrant Workers Act of 1995.

In his report to the Anti-Transnational Crime Division (ATCD) of the CIDG, Yang said the suspects already collected P210,000 from Tiongco and are still demanding additional money allegedly as processing fee for his overseas job application.

Accompanied by two more applicants, Tiongco met the suspects at the Magoo Pizza parlor where the transaction and the entrapment operation took place.

It was learned that the suspects are victimizing applicants who want to gain employment in South Korea through a direct hiring scheme. However, it was also found out that the suspects have no license from the Philippine Overseas Employment Authority (POEA).

De Castro again reminded the public to be wary of illegal recruiters collecting fees in exchange for their promise of immediate employment abroad. He said it is important to verify first whether the employment agency concerned is licensed by the POEA.

Despite this, De Castro said scores of illegal recruiters already fell to law enforcers after the government intensified its campaign against illegal recruitment.

"Big and small, these illegal recruiters are being caught by our dedicated men in uniforms with the help of other concerned government agencies. With the cooperation of everybody including the victims, the fight against unscrupulous illegal recuiters won't be long," he said.

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