THE Office of the Cebu City Prosecutor has indicted two women who allegedly duped five job applicants into non-existing jobs in China.
Prosecutor Ma. Johanna Desaparado-Calustre found evidence to charge Maria Isabel Bernadette Causon and Stephanie Cabyao with violation of Republic Act 8042, or the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act.
“The evidence presented in the case at bar indubitably establishes the acts of illegal recruitment committed by the respondents,” read Calustre’s three-page decision.
The case stemmed from the complaint filed by Jasmine Caballero, Lyri Niadas, Rea Liza Tagpuno, Mary Jane Bolina and Myrna Alenton, who accused the respondents of illegal recruitment.
Cabyao is the niece of Causon, president of GAD Consultancy, who recruited the complainants to work as English teachers in China.
The accused promised the applicants immediate deployment in China upon paying P37,000 as application fee; P20,000 processing fee; P10,000 training fee; P7,000 teacher’s bond and US $300 as payment for the “Registry of Security Bureau” in Fujian Province in China.
Replying to the charges, Cabyao said she was also a victim, being one of the applicants for the same position abroad.
She denied being an agent, recruiter, partner or cohort of GAD Consultancy. She said she had no participation in the applications of the complainants.
In the joint resolution, Calustre said the respondents misrepresented themselves of having the authority to recruit applicants for employment abroad.
The respondents “actively handled the recruitment and even accepted money from the complainants.”
The prosecutor said the respondents could be held liable for large scale-illegal recruitment.