Fiscal indicts woman for illegal recruitment

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office has found probable cause and indicted a woman arrested for illegal recruitment.

State Prosecutor Jose Nathaniel Andal held Himaya Tangcawan for trial for violation of Migrant Workers Act of 1995.

Tangcawan allegedly recruited Joy Alvarez for employment overseas and for requiring him to pay P80,000 as cash bond even though she was not licensed with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration.

Andal recommended P24,000 bail for Tangcawan’s temporary liberty.

Tangcawan, a resident of Cebu City, was arrested on December 3 by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation-7 led by Florante Gaoiran in an entrapment operation.

Gaoiran said that in the last week of November, Alvarez, together with his sister Cherry Ann, went to their office and sought for assistance for the possible arrest of Tangcawan.

The NBI agent said Tangcawan promised Alvarez with a job as a mess man steward in a cruise ship, but failed to fulfill so.

Tangcawan also promised to personally facilitate the processing of the travel documents of Alvarez for his work abroad. However, according to Alvarez, such promise was broken.

Based on the document, Alvarez has paid the accused a total amount of P109,000.

Cherry Ann, in an earlier interview, said they contacted the recruiter and asked for a refund of the amount they paid, but the latter gave alibis.

Tangcawan denied recruiting Alvarez, saying she merely referred and accompanied him to a placement agency.

The accused was freed from detention yesterday after posting bail before the court. — Mylen P. Manto/NSA (FREEMAN)