CEBU, Philippines - Six women from a bogus travel agency were charged for large-scale illegal recruitment before the Regional Trial Court on Friday for allegedly recruiting workers for Dubai despite having no authority from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration to do so.
Erlinda Jayme Jamaldin, Marivic Pondoc, Shawn Pondoc, Eduardina Estrella, Naomi Gloria and Charlotte Sison of EGC Travel Agency were sued by their recruited clients Junalee Formentera, Pinky Orozco, Ernaneta Amisola, Ludivino Companer and Ralph Lomontad before the RTC.
Complainants disclosed that the respondents, without authority from the POEA, recruited them to be deployed as either saleslady or waitress in Dubai.
The complainants said that on December 2007, they were recruited by the six and in consideration of the promised deployment they were asked an amount ranging from P35,000 to P40,000 as placement and processing fees.
They were promised that they will be leaving within a week. But after two months had lapsed, the agency failed to deploy them to Dubai.
The complainants also said that they verified with the POEA and learned that the respondents have no authority to recruit for they have no license coming from the POEA.
Subpoena for the respondents were returned unserved because the travel agency was already closed at that time.
Based on the uncontroverted pieces of evidence, assistant city prosecutor Alexander Acosta has found probable cause to believe that respondents are guilty of the crimes charged the fact that they have no authority to recruit said workers.
On top of the large-scale illegal recruitment charges, five counts of estafa charges have also been filed against the six. — Jasmin U. Labaco/MEEV (THE FREEMAN)