Eight charged for illegal recruitment

CEBU, Philippines - The officials and staff of an international company engaged in the processing of documents for students who wish to study in the United Kingdom were indicted for syndicated estafa and illegal recruitment.

The Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office has elevated the criminal complaint against the officials of staff of International Students Advisors Inc. (ISA) before the court after finding probable cause.

Assistant city prosecutor Dixon Fuentes has recommended no bail for Philip Leonardo, chairman and owner of the company; Bernalyn Leonardo, president; Ronald Alan Quismorio, secretary; Peter Sy, marketing manager; and board members Edgar Evasco and Michael Evasco; and accountants Arlene Palmero and Joyce Carreon in the illegal recruitment case.

The prosecutor, however, recommended P40,000 bail each for the crime of estafa.

The case stemmed from a complaint filed by Renee Rose Cubillan, resident of San Nicolas St., Surigao City.

Cubillan said she was recruited by the ISA on January 29, 2011 to study and work at the same time in UK. According to the complainant, she knew of the company through her friend.

She said she was enticed by the alternative employment scheme offered by the company dubbed as “Earn While You Learn” in the United Kingdom.

Cubillan said she was required to pay P300,000 to cover for the processing fee of her travel documents, including visa. The complainant said she was able to pay the required payment but the accused failed to fulfill their promise to deploy her abroad.

“Months had lapsed since then; yet ISA failed to deploy me to the United Kingdom. Thus, on November 23, 2011, I decided to go to Cebu to personally follow-up my application at ISA’s Cebu branch office,” the complaint affidavit reads.

However, upon her arrival in Cebu Cubillan was surprised to find out that the ISA was already closed.

“Unfortunately, I discovered that ISA-Cebu branch office had already closed. A notice was posted outside the office containing the names and contact numbers of persons to get in touch with regarding any queries and/or concerns. Unfortunately, the numbers posted were either inaccessible or unattended,” the complainant added. (FREEMAN)