Man charged for illegal recruitment of teachers

The National Bureau of Investigation filed charges against a suspected illegal recruiter for promising non-existing jobs to at least eight teacher-applicants for the United States.

NBI regional director Medardo de Lemos recommended for the prosecution of Samuel Mavida Jr. for violation of Section 6 of Republic Act 8042, otherwise known as the Anti-Trafficking of Persons Act.

Mavida, of San Jose Extension, Cebu City, allegedly recruited Erma Lyn Dutosme, Maria Paola Ebreo, Judy Garcia, Lilibeth Gorres, Dinah Mae Enriquez-Mayol, Jennifer Cabatingan, Shiela Miñoza and Maica de Guzman to work as Special Education (SPED) teachers in San Francisco and Las Vegas, USA.

Mavida recruited the women from the period July 2003 up to July 2006 promising salaries ranging from $80 per hour to $4,000 per month.

The suspect allegedly demanded from the victims placement fees ranging from $400 to $1,400 to $3,200.

The victims claimed they already paid the placement fees that Mavida required from them, and waited for so long to be able to work abroad. However, the promised jobs never materialized.

An investigation conducted by the NBI revealed that Mavida is not a licensed recruiter of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration.

POEA officials also issued a certification that Mavida is not authorized to recruit workers for overseas employment and that his activity is illegal.

According to the victims, Mavida’s fraudulent promises prompted them to quit from their already stable jobs here hoping to earn better salaries.

Aside from the eight victims that recently sought the NBI’s help, there were several others who earlier filed the same complaint against Mavida.

The suspect even offered to return the money that he had collected from his victims but not all of them were able to recover their money. — Fred P. Languido/MEEV