The Department of Labor and Employment uncovered an illegal recruitment scheme inside the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency office involving several officials, security guards and janitors in the processing of overseas employment certificates for departing overseas Filipino workers in exchange for considerable amount of money.
Labor Undersecretary Dominador Say said Tuesday that several POEA officials are now under investigation while about 40 security guards and janitors would also be replaced for their alleged involvement in the illegal recruitment schemes at the POEA.
He said the POEA official who are found to be involved in the illegal recruitment will be suspended from duty, reshuffled, or removed from duty and charged if proven guilty.
The Labor official declined to name the POEA officials and other persons involved in the illegal scheme while the investigation is being conducted.
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III ordered the suspension on the issuance of OECs last Nov. 13 up to Dec. 1 due to reports of illegal recruitment and corruption at the POEA.
The labor chief instructed undersecretaries Dominador Say and Bernard Olalia to investigate and implement the suspension and cancellation of licenses of certain recruitment agencies suspected of or engaged in illegal recruitment.
The DoLE officials said that to prevent illegal activities inside the POEA premises, they will install CCTV cameras at every POEA office to monitor the modus of using janitors and security guards to deliver paperwork to involved officers.
While the entire agency is under investigation, those involved with the processing of direct hires, balik-manggagawa, and agency-hires will be particularly placed under high scrutiny, the labor official said.
An estimated 75,000 would-be OFWs were affected by the suspension that will make way for an investigation on POEA employees who allegedly issue OECs to illegal recruiters in exchange for huge sums of money.
Meanwhile, Say also advised applicants seeking overseas employment not to entertain individuals claiming to represent recruitment agencies but do not hold meetings in their offices.
Say said some individuals are using the names of licensed agencies to victimize would-be overseas Filipnio workers.
“Sometimes, itong mga pangalan ng licensed agencies na ’to, ay ginagamit ng mga tao na hindi konektado sa licensed agencies na ’yun at nakikipag-meeting sa, halimbawa, coffee shop somewhere in Ermita,” Say said.
“Para sa publiko, I would like to advise them: ’pag hindi kayo inanyayahan at pinatawag sa central or main office, registered address ng agency na ’yan, at dun lang kayo kakausapin sa mga kanto kung saan-saan… ’wag ho kayong maniwala dahil ginagamit lamang ang pangalan ng agency na ’yun. Illegal recruitment ’yan, definitely illegal recruitment,” he added.
A list of licensed recruitment agencies is available on the website of the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency.
Say said Bello III has ordered a crackdown on agencies involved in illegal recruitment.
“Ang order ng secretary is to look up the site of POEA kung sinu-sino ang engaged in illegal recruitment na mga kaso. That should be decided immediately, for cancellation or suspension,” he said.
Individuals convicted of illegal recruitment may be imprisoned for 12 to 20 years or fined P1,000,000 to P2,000,000. If constituted as economic sabotage, he or she may be meted out life sentence and fined P2,000,000 to P5,000,000.
Recruitment agencies, lending institutions, training schools, or medical clinics convicted of illegal recruitment will also have their license or registration immediately revoked.
Say also apologized for the inconvenience caused by the temporary suspension of overseas employment certificate (OECs) processing for Filipinos headed abroad as they conduct an investigation on POEA itself for employees involved in illegal recruitment.
“Yung mga kaso ng illegal recruitment na naka-appeal sa akin, bibilisan ko rin ’yun kasi kung illegal recruitment ka, even if it transpired several months ago, kasama ’yan sa activities na ginagawa natin ngayon,” he said.
“Humingi lang kami ng a little patience from the public because we have been bombarded by a lot of complaints na hindi makaalis ang mga nag-aaply.”
Exceptions to the suspension include balikbayans planning a vacation in the Philippines during the period of suspension and those issued with validly-stamped visas by their employers before Nov. 12.