WILLING VICTIMS?
Ilonggo victims up; NBI, POEA lead case vs recruiters

By Florence F. Hibionada

Faces of illegal recruitment has now taken off in many forms with various modus operandi long discovered by government yet warnings not heeded by apparently 'willing victims.'

As such, the drive against illegal recruitment was strengthened anew with the campaign now focused on the countryside. In Iloilo, officials of the Commission on Filipino Overseas working under the Office of the President were in town making rounds and met with local reporters to echo Malacañang's message -- "do not allow yourselves to be victims of illegal recruitment. Heed the government's call and if you have to, seek foreign employment legally so the government can protect you best."

With figures unclear on the actual scenario, most cases of illegal recruitment are believed to be left unreported and others in time, not pursued.

Records available in the Philippine Overseas Employment Office (POEA) here showed 24 active cases handled by the region's legal department. The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on the other hand, are pursuing eight illegal recruitmment cases with the Ilonggo suspects acting with several accomplices, some reported to be Manila-based.

Summed up report of the NBI identified the accused as Rosario Calunsod in a case filed by Edgar Seron and others, Mary Ann Delapaz and other unnamed associates in a case filed by Joseph Mar Adrias and others, Jose Fuerte and company in complaint filed by Siony Torrefrancia, Dolly Grace Armada with complainant Mario Bactung, Eva Checa and associates as complained against by Hermie Mascariñas and several other recruits, Moreno Federico and associates in a complaint lodged to the bureau by Jonathan Villadore and other victims and Jean Aguillon and associates in a case filed by Rodelyn Estaiga and several other victims.

Case updates were not disclosed with sources telling The News Today efforts are still underway to reach more victims and identify more suspects. Most of the modus operandi employed make use of the "tourist" or visitor's visa arrangement for the victims. Such has since been included in POEA's top ten "dont's" to avoid illegal recruitment.

The "tourist worker scheme" lets the applicants leave the Philippines as tourists but are actually leaving for employment abroad. In this modus operandi, government help is usually secured when the willing victims are either discovered and jailed or worse, hurt or even killed in the process of said illegal employment. Recently, some 57 Filipinos were detained in Thailand, eight of whom were Ilonggo professionals. The government worked for the group's deportation instead of having them face Thailand court. Research made by The News Today disclosed similar scheme that got victims in Italy, United States and Canada. Yet the illegal activity is believed to exist in other Europrean countries and those where the Philippines are in a "visa-free" arrangement.

Other modus operandi include the "escort services" where workers are "escorted" at the airports and seaports and allow to leave even without required travel documents. There is also the "blind ads" modus where advertisements for overseas employment publshed in the dailies do not indicate the name of the recruiter but provides a postal office box instead to which the applicants are to submit their application and eventually, payment for application fees.

There is also the "by correspondence" modus operandi where applicants are encouraged to submit requirements through mail with a "small fee." This one attracts the applicants thinking it will not do harm to apply since the amount requested for payment is not that big and usually ranging from P500 to P1,500. Placement fees on the other hand could be in the range of P50,000 to P100,000 or even more.

Another government-identified modus operandi is the "backdoor exit" where workers leave through the southern ports of exit and immigration control lax. "Assumed identity" is also a favorite ploy where workers leave under another name or obtain passports through fake birth certificates and other documents. Sadly, minors are usually the deployed through this scheme with parents of these victims in the know of the illegality.

The other schemes, "direct hiring", "tie-up or kabit system" - licensed agency ties-up with illegal recruiters and sends workers but actually end up working for another employer - "visa assistance or immigration consultancy scheme", "mail-order brides," and the "camouflaged participants, representatives in seminars and sports events."