Woman indicted for illegal recruitment

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office has indicted a woman who allegedly recruited five persons to be food servers in a hospital in Guam without the authority to recruit.

Prosecutor Rodulph Carillo elevated the charges for illegal recruitment in large scale against Maria Victoria Oledan to court after finding probable cause. No bail was recommended against the accused.

Dedith Chan, Felix Charles Sucayre, Vincent Chan, Wildine Amarga and Alex Amarga filed the complaint after the accused failed to deploy them overseas.

They said accused demanded from them processing fees, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration fees, medical examination fees and visa stamping fees which they paid.

Sucayre gave P11,000; Vincent Chan gave P15,700; Dedith Chan gave P15,988; Wildine Amarga gave P12,500 and Alex Amarga gave P12,000 to accused.

Complainants said despite their demands the accused never deployed them abroad as promised. They added the accused likewise failed to return the money they had paid.

Upon inquiry, the complainants said they found out from the POEA that the accused was not licensed or authorized to recruit workers for employment abroad.

Carillo said he summoned the accused to file her counter-affidavit and other controverting evidence but she failed to do so, prompting him to resolve the complaint based on evidence of the complainants.

“From the foregoing, the undersigned submits that there exists probable cause to charge respondent,” Carillo said.

He added “respondent’s acts of promising employment to complainants abroad and demanding processing and placement fees without being licensed or authorized by the POEA constitutes the offense of illegal recruitment in large scale.” – (FREEMAN)