PESO head faces illegal recruitment, estafa raps

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines — The manager of the Public Employment Service Office of Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu and two others who allegedly operated a language skills training center are now facing charges of illegal recruitment and estafa.

This developed following months of investigation by independent government agencies after hundreds of job seekers in Negros Oriental complained that they were allegedly deceived by the respondents who promised them employment in Korea sometime in late 2013.

Jess Cañete, special investigator of the Commission on Human Rights-Negros Oriental, said the respondents are Grace Jamio, Lapu-Lapu City PESO chief, and Arturo Aliazon and Buenaventura Igot.

The complainants, Nino Bartoces, Venerando Panday, Jay Anthony Germodo and Dexie Soreno, filed two separate cases against Jamio, Aliazon and Igot, with the assistance of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration and in part by the CHR's independent investigation, said Cañete.

Following a preliminary investigation held recently on the complaints filed against the respondents, the city prosecutor's office recommended the filing of illegal recruitment in large scale and four counts of estafa against the respondents.

The case stemmed from complaints by at least 400 people who, early this year, sought the help of the CHR after they discovered that there were no jobs for them in Korea as promised earlier allegedly by Jamio.

The complainants also revealed that they had paid more than P8,000 each to enroll in a Korean language skills training center operated by Aliazon and Igot, and allegedly endorsed by Jamio, as a hiring pre-requisite.

After the grievances had surfaced, the POEA-Manila office conducted its own investigation and met with the complainants in Negros Oriental to gather enough information involving Jamio and the two others.

Cañete, on the other hand, also carried out his own investigation and talked to many of the supposed victims whom he had advised earlier to file a case against the respondents.

Early on in the separate investigations, it was discovered that Jamio had no business in Dumaguete City or elsewhere in Negros Oriental considering that it was not part of her jurisdiction as Lapu-lapu City PESO chief, said Cañete.

While Jamio came to Dumaguete to assist the POEA in the launching of the latter's e-registration program, she had no legal authority to conduct any form of recruitment in Dumaguete, Cañete said.

Jamio and the two other respondents have yet to issue their statements regarding the filing of charges against them.

Meanwhile, Ramon Benedicto, the PESO-Negros Oriental chief, may not be legally charged for "endorsing" the recruitment of Jamio and company but he is not yet off the hook, said Cañete.

Cañete said he recommended to Governor Roel Degamo that Benedicto be administratively investigated and charged accordingly if found guilty for negligence or some similar oversight being the provincial PESO manager. (FREEMAN)