Cagayan de Oro City —Six students from the Philippine School of Science and Technology have re-filed illegal recruitment and large-scale estafa against school officials who they claim assisted an illegal recruiter in running away with P2.2 million from 217 students.
Jessie Cunahap, head of Jespher Travel tour and Visa Consultancy, was accused of illegal recruitment aided by PSST officials Amy Bendisula, Pamela Verda, Rubelyn Llovia, Rodrigo Bendisula, Noel Bendisula, Krista Anna Bendisula, Louie Bendisula and Agnes Bendisula.
The students alleged that the school officials made them believed that there is an assured overseas placement for them after graduation.
PSST is a technical school offering short-term courses.
An earlier case was filed by the students before the city prosecutor’s office last year but the case was dismissed in March for lack of probable cause.
The students then brought their case to the Office of the Regional State Prosecutor.
The Standard also learned that this is not the first case filed against the school officials. A similar case was filed by a different group of students promised job placements in South Korea.
But PSST lawyer Jerome Jarales on Tuesday said that the school is innocent in the case filed against them as they did not engage in illegal recruitment. It has a memorandum of agreement with other employment agencies.
It was learned however that Cunahap’s company is not licensed with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration and the school entered into a legally binding document with it without ascertaining its legitimacy.
Jarales said that the case now is a learning experience for them even as he refused to admit they failed to conduct due diligence.
Jarales said that the school officials have also filed 22 counts of illegal recruitment against Cunahap.
