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Monday, April 04, 2005
5 sued for estafa, illegal recruitment
By Raquel C. Bagnol
THE City Prosecutor's Office (CPO) approved the filing of multiple criminal charges against five persons who allegedly recruited workers for jobs abroad and collecting money totaling P1,643,127 without necessary permits from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) in September 2003.
Facing charges for three counts of estafa and three counts of large scale illegal recruitment or violation of Republic Act 8042 before the Regional Trial Court (RTC) are Jose Javier, Gilda Javier, Victoria Amador, Roberto Cancio, all of General Santos City and holding positions of president, vice president, finance officer, marketing officer respectively of Tower Placement Int'l (Asia) Inc. with offices at Legaspi Village, Makati, and Andrea Consunji, of Matina, Davao City who was the representative/consultant of the group.
Assistant city prosecutor Marian A.V. Mastura-Mamukid recommended the filing of charges against the respondents after finding probable cause that they may be guilty of the offense.
The complaint was filed by Jonathan Porras of Matina, Davao City; Anna Leah Lim of Tagum City; Cheryl Brabat of Digos, Davao del Sur and Mark Madera of General Santos City.
In separate affidavits, the complainants alleged that sometime in 2003, the respondents recruited them to work in California, USA as caregivers with a monthly salary of US$800 to US$1,000.
The complainants added from March to September 2003 they attended various seminars and orientations and paid out money to the respondents for processing fees.
Madera said he paid a total of P331,500 to the respondents, Porras paid P568,243, Lim paid P372,072 and Brabat paid P371,312 in installment basis.
The complainants said that after a lapse of one year, they were still not dispatched so they confronted the respondents who allegedly offered several alibis.
Upon verification at the regional office of Philippine Overseas Employment Adminsitration (POEA), the complainants found that the permit of the agency to hire workers was recalled in August 2002 for derogatory records based on the certification issued by Felicitas Bay, POEA licensing branch 11 director.
Mamukid recommended a bailbond of P24,000 each for the provisional liberty of the respondents.
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (April 4, 2005 issue)
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