Two suspected illegal recruiters were arrested by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) during an entrapment operation in Makati City last May 24.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, May 31, the NBI identified those arrested as Samuel Gil Paez and Mary Rose Magat, who both posed as authorized representatives of the Wallstreet Overseas Manpower in Makati City.
Paez and Magat have been presented for summary investigation (inquest) before the Department of Justice (DOJ) on charges of large-scale illegal recruitment and estafa, the NBI said.
It said the operation was conducted by agents of the NBI’s Anti-Human Trafficking Division (NBI-AHTRAD). “The operation resulted in the arrest of Subjects Mary Rose Magat, who introduced herself as the Secretary of Wallstreet, and Samuel Gil Paez, who received the P12,500 entrapment money allegedly for training fee.”
It said that the NBI acted on a complaint filed by one of the victims. “He (victim) was offered to work in Dubai as cleaner with supposed monthly salary amounting to 1,500AED. Subject Paez demanded P32,000 as processing fee and P12,500 as training fee. On March 22, 2022, complainant again went to Wallstreet and gave the money to Subject Paez ....”
Paez and Magat were “processing applications of workers for overseas employment without license/authority from Wallstreet and POEA (Philippine Overseas Employment Administration),” the NBI said.
“Several dates of supposed departure were given by Subjects to complainant but the former still failed to deploy the complainant. Felt being duped by Subjects, complainant decided to file their complaints with the NBI-AHTRAD,” it said.
Further investigation showed that may more persons have been victimized and the NBI has started collating all the information.