Recruitment agency raided, worker nabbed

[godsaint]

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Recruitment agency raided, worker nabbed


By Chito O. Aragon
Cebu Daily News
First Posted 12:14:00 05/07/2009

Filed Under: Employment, Overseas Employment


A secretary of a recruitment agency was arrested in an entrapment operation in Talisay City, Cebu yesterday.

Mechel Lopuz, 24, was arrested by operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Central Visayas (CIDG-7) after accepting P3,000 in marked money from a complainant on the second floor of the Tabunok Commercial building.

Ma. Ana Liza Laguna, manager of the Platinum Brothers International Manpower Agency Inc., was not around during the operation.

Police said charges of large scale estafa will be filed against the secretary and Laguna today.

Supt. Ritchie Posadas, CIDG-7 deputy chief, said they conducted the raid after at least 20 applicants complained that the agency failed to deliver their promise to find them jobs abroad despite having made payments.

Posadas said the agency was not registered with the Philippine Overseas and Employment Administration (POEA) and was previously known as Aqua-Gem International Manpower Corporation whose license was suspended by POEA for certain violations.

The agency occupied the same room rented by 64-year-old lawyer Timoteo Gabison Jr., who is an uncle of Laguna.

The raid did not go smoothly when Gabison intervened.

Gabison confronted the police and questioned the manner documents of the agency were confiscated.

Gabison, who said he was not the legal counsel of his niece, said he had to face the police since he was the one renting the place.

Gabison said the agency was allowed to hold office in the building for free while waiting for its permit from the POEA.

Gabison denied that the agency's transactions were made inside the room.

The CIDG-7 said it would investigate if Gabison had a role in the agency.

A female complainant from Mindanao, who asked not to be named, said that in 2007 she applied with the agency and spent P135,000 for her application.

The complainant said the agency promised to send her to Macau and was later told she would be sent to Cyprus to work as a caregiver.

The complainant said she started doubting the offer when several months passed and the agency had yet to send her abroad.

The applicant said she later knew that Laguna and the owner of the agency had a conflict and were not authorized to accept money from applicants.

Another female applicant said that she had already spent P105,00 for her applications but the agency failed to send her abroad.

Kinsa pa gyud ang na biktima aning bayhana?

[samsungster]

sana ma preso na! let the victims file a case...

[epoyking]

paeta btaw ani mga klase na tao oi... kahibaw na sila perti kalisod karon perti lisora mangita kwarta nya sayun sayunon lang ka ug ilad... angay ni sial mapriso oi

[Motownkid]

sus ang mga biktima ug illegal recruiter nga taga probinsya ibaligya pa intawn ang yuta or kabaw para lang naay ikabayad sa application.

[hardlock]

Common na kaayo ning mga ingon ani pero naa paman gihapoy mabiktima...

[xxSTARLIGHT]

OMG sa taLisay pa jd.. grabeha..
dghan na jd btaw case sa estafa.. sa imbestigador ug sa xxx prme Lang ko kita ani.
haLos mao jd prme tirahan kai Lisud na dghan na ma iLad..
Last kai naiLad ang mga compLainants nga mka angkon dw cLa ug iLang yuta kai buhi pa dw c Marcos F nya ntago Lang dw
mawa nuon.. dghan2x mn sd naiLAd nga bsag kLaro na kaau..

[jlodarl]

wala jud sila ma louy na mao gani naningkamot tawn na makagawas kay lisod ang panahon samotan pa jud nila.. wala jud mga puangod.

[SaywatUwant]

Unsa na kaha nga names ang gi panggamit aning Analiza laguna ron aron maa ikyas sa iyang mga gi pang ilad?

[sUnDoLp]

kaluoy intawon sa mga nabiktima ani oi, daghan na jud kau ning mga illegal recruiter. mas maayo kung imo jud pangutan-on sa POEA ang kana imong agency gi applyan kung legal ba jud na kay lisod kaau mailad..

[YJOB]

unahon na ug dukol ang polpol nga attorney nag intervene sa raid