Two suspected illegal recruiters were arrested during an entrapment operation conducted by the National Bureau (NBI) in Cavite.
NBI Director Jaime B. Santiago identified them as Girish Fuego and Glenmore Banagan who have been charged with violations of Section 5 of Republic Act (RA) 8042, the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995, as amended, and with estafa under Article 315 paragraph 2(a) of the Revised Penal Code (RPC), as amended.
Santiago said the suspects were arrested last Feb. 27 during an entrapment operation conducted by the operatives of the NBI’s Cavite North District Office (NBI-CAVIDO North).
In a statement, the NBI said "the case stemmed from the complaint of seven individuals against Subjects Girish Fuego and Glenmore Banagan."
It said the victims have been staying at the house of Fuego in Nueva Estancia Subdivision in General Trias City in Cavite while awaiting to be deployed.
It also said the victims told the NBI agents they were taken by Banagan allegedly for visa application and issuance of an Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC),
The victims also said that Fuego claimed to be a recruitment agent of CPL Masters Recruitment, Inc. while Banagan had introduced himself as a representative of a foreign recruitment agency, it added.
“After more than a year of waiting, applicants/victims sought the assistance of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW),” the NBI said.
“Through DMW’s certifications, they found that Fuego and Banagan are not licensed nor authorized by DMW to recruit workers for overseas employment, and the Subjects have no record of employment with Placewell International Services Corporation and CPL Masters Recruitment Agency, Inc,” it added.
"One of the complainants stated that he received a call from Subject Fuego who introduced herself as a Recruitment Agent of CPL Masters Recruitment, Inc. and that she is recruiting skilled workers for deployment to Austria, and Fuego added that qualified recruits would receive around P100,000.00 monthly salary,” the bureau said.
It said that the complainant accepted the offer and paid Fuego a total of P166,600 allegedly for medical, processing fee, working visa, travel insurance, placement fee, and plane tickets.