Two separate incidents this week amplify the fact that the illegal recruitment of workers for supposed placement overseas remains a pernicious problem.
And the age-old modus still works, which has led me to believe that the victims are too desperate to get out of the rut that they just throw caution to the wind.
In the first case, at least 177 job seekers lost P43 million in combined processing fees that they gave to their Quezon City-based recruiters who promised them non-existent jobs in Poland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Each of the jobseekers paid P200,000.oo to P300,000.oo to the seven recruiters, according to the police.
Last Monday, policemen swooped down on the recruiters and charged them with violating Republic Act 9208, or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, and RA 10022 for illegal recruitment.
In the second incident, an immigration consultancy firm is now in trouble after 221 job seekers accuse it of illegal recruitment. The consultancy firm collected P178,000.00 for work permits in Italy which turned out to be fake, the complainants told Senator Rafael “Raffy” Tulfo.
The consultancy firm had “no legal personality whatsoever to process the work visa applications of Filipinos seeking jobs in Italy,” Tulfo said. The senator wasted no time demanding an inquiry into the case.
Meantime, the Department of Migrant Workers deployed a fact-finding team to gather information on the “Italian connection” of the illegal recruiters.
No offense meant but the DMW probers, lacking investigative skills, could end up empty-handed except perhaps for some tidbits of information. I am more inclined to rely on the Senate probers who are in a position to unravel the extent of this criminal activity. After all, the Senate has the power to summon witnesses and subpoena evidence if necessary to do its job.
Many people have fallen prey to the false promise of better jobs abroad, and yet, the same modus goes on and on. It is “sheer evil”, to borrow a quote from US President Biden.
EO 41 makes sense
One of the most interesting issuances to have come out of the Palace is that of Executive Order 41, the presidential fiat that suspends the collection of pass-through fees imposed by local government units (LGUs) on all types of vehicles transporting goods.
The way has been cleared for the smooth implementation of that EO with President Marcos Jr. signing it on Sept. 25 and subsequently, the Metro Manila Council approving a resolution on Oct.6 to carry out the presidential order.
MMC president and San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora sees the EO as one of the means to help bring down prices of basic commodities. The EO has a wide-ranging coverage: sticker fees, discharging fees, delivery fees, market fees, toll fees, entry fees or Mayor’s Permit fees that are imposed on all motor vehicles transporting goods through any local public roads built and funded by LGUs.
I wholeheartedly agree to that observation. Cutting transport cost will somehow speed up the delivery of goods and services. The foregone fees will ultimately be recouped in other forms like more jobs and increased individual and corporate taxes as the local economy grows more vibrant.
The timing is just perfect. October signifies the start of busy months ahead of the Yuletide holidays. Deliveries are on frenetic pace as people begin receiving their bonuses while the OFWs send remittances and padala (balikbayan boxes bearing gifts) to their relatives. As my favorite president once said, EO 41 is a “winable” measure.
