AN advocate for overseas Filipino workers (OFW) and other government agencies have called on law enforcers to intensify the manhunt for illegal recruiters, particularly those with standing warrants of arrest.
In a news briefing, Susan Ople of the Blas Ople Policy Center made the call, along with the
departments of Justice (DOJ), Interior and Local Government and Labor and Employment (DOLE) officials.
“Kailangan po magkaisa tayo at magtulungan para matakot naman sila. At sila naman ay mahiya at managot sa kanilang ginagawa [We need to unite and help one another to put fear and shame into these illegal recruiters and make them answer for their deeds],” she said.
Ople particularly wants the arrest of two illegal recruiters who have preyed on at least 200 workers, mostly from Davao City.
The victims, she said, pointed to a certain Osmando Nivero Habilag of Biwas, Tanza, Cavite, owner of Bantayog Travel and Tours, and a certain Alejandro Navarro Jr., owner of Pads Travel Consultancy, as their illegal recruiters.
Ople said Nivero Habilag and Navarro use the social media to post announcements for jobs in Australia, New Zealand, Germany and Japan, and collect from their victims a processing fee ranging from P70,000 to P300,000.
Any information on the whereabouts of the two that could lead to their arrest should be forwarded to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) or the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, she said.
“While these illegal recruiters travel in their air-conditioned sport-utility vehicles, their victims suffer mental and emotional anguish, hide from [money] lenders and commute from one agency to another to seek justice,” the daughter of the late Labor Secretary Blas Ople said.
She also lamented that many of Nivero’s victims are based in Davao City, because he was able to enter and post on a Facebook account created by a group of butchers based in the city.
“After collecting the money, he would then tell his victims that Pads Travel Consultancy, which is owned by his cousin, Alejandro Navarro Jr., is processing their papers,” she said.
Ople noted an increase in the number of victims of illegal recruiters owing to the social media and a low rate of convictions for those involved in the crime.
The POEA earlier reported that it was able to obtain 31 convictions out of more than 700 cases filed at the DOJ in the past five years.