VICE President Jejomar Binay, acting on complaints by overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), warned licensed recruitment agencies against possible sanctions for violating the Philippine passport law when they confiscate passports of job applicants.

In a statement, Vice President Binay advised overseas job applicants, whose passports were “held hostage” by recruiting firms to keep them from withdrawing their applications, to immediately file a complaint with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).

“I have raised this issue with Administrator Carlos Cao, and he promised to act on such complaints since this also constitutes illegal recruitment,” Binay said.

The Vice President, who serves as presidential adviser on overseas Filipino workers concerns, asserted that job applicants are entitled to get back their passports and other vital documents when their deployment does not push through.

“A recruitment agency cannot hold on to a job applicant’s passport and use it as a leverage for profit or to keep a worker waiting for months for work visas or job orders to be issued,” Binay said.

He issued the warning after the Office of the Vice President received complaints from overseas job applicants about the practice of some licensed recruitment agencies of demanding payments in exchange for the release of their passports.

“This is a clear violation of the Philippine Passport Act of 1996, which states that the Philippine passport remains the property of the government and cannot be surrendered to any person or entity other than the government or its representative,” Binay said.

At the same time, the Vice President said licensed recruitment agencies would not be spared in the government’s campaign against illegal recruitment.

“The task force is now in the process of investigating illegal recruitment complaints involving licensed recruitment agencies. Those who charge excessive fees or uses a job order assigned to a different agency shall have to face the consequences of their actions,” Binay said.