Suspected illegal recruiter nabbed in Makati

A 47-year-old dismissed military man was arrested by operatives of the Presidential Task Force Against Illegal Recruitment (PTFAIR) following complaints of illegal recruitment among women in the provinces for non-existent jobs in the Middle East.

PTFAIR Director Reynaldo Jaylo said ex-MSgt. Roger Salazar had recruited at least 10 women in the Northern Luzon provinces for deployment to Lebabon.

Following the information, PTFAIR operatives led by Chief Inspector Hernando Tiongson swooped down on the suspect’s residence in Barangay Palanan, Makati City last night where they chanced on three women victims.

The women — Gerlie Valle, 22, of Burgos, Isabela; Rowena Marling, 28, of Angadanan, Isabela; and Dolor Infante, of Alicia, Isabela — were reportedly scheduled to leave today for Lebanon.

The raiders also recovered the passports and documents of seven other women who were also set to leave for Lebanon in the following weeks.

Jaylo said his office had received reports of women being stranded in Lebanon and who later ended up as prostitutes after finding out that there were no decent jobs waiting for them in that Middle East country.

Jaylo said the suspect had been recruiting women job applicants in the province and charging them with fees ranging from at least P5,000.

The suspect had been charged with illegal recruitment while his Mind Recruitment Agency is now being verified whether it is lawfully registered.

President Arroyo had recently appointed Jaylo to head the task force that will go after illegal recruiters.

Jaylo is the former chief of Task Force Hunter of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency under Secretary Anselmo Avenido. – Nestor Etolle