A 24-year-old suspected illegal recruiter who had just been released by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) found himself back inside a Manila Police District (MPD) jail after 70 people, whom he allegedly recruited for jobs in Japan, filed complaints against him.
Senior Police Officer 3 Amador Jareno Jr. said Erick Abueme was arrested as he was waiting for a taxi outside the NBI head office along Taft Avenue in Manila.
Three other suspects who remain at large are Joel Tan, Farah Baldomero, and Teodoro Balbuena.
Jareno said so far 70 people have gone to their office and lodged complaints against him. He expects the number of victims to rise once more people learn about it. One of the victims is Marites Samson, 29.
Most of the victims were from Muntinlupa City, and the provinces of La Union, Cavite and Batangas.
Samson said she learned that the company Japanese Jobs and Training Services (JJTS), where Abueme works as a manager, was reportedly looking for farm workers to be sent to Japan.
The company asked the complainants to pay P7,000 since the employer would be the one who would shoulder the placement fee and plane ticket.
The complainants found that the recruitment agency had been shut down after they had paid in full and were promised a two-year contract.
When the complainants found that Abueme was arrested by the NBI, they asked the help of Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, who ordered the MPD to assist them.
At around 7 p.m. on Oct. 26, the complainants, accompanied by two policemen, and were about to enter the NBI compound when they spotted the suspect.
The NBI said they arrested Abueme after three people filed estafa charges against him. He was later released after he returned their money. The three victims, in turn, filed an affidavit of desistance. – Evelyn Macairan