2 women ask DOJ to file illegal recruitment, estafa vs Italian nationals, Filipino partners
The Department of Justice (DOJ), through its Sto. Tomas City prosecutor’s office in Batangas, has been asked to file criminal cases for alleged illegal recruitment and estafa against several Italian nationals and their Filipino partners.
In their joint complaint affidavit, Samantha V. Corpuz and Fatima H. De Vera alleged that their “recruiters” offered them jobs as caregivers in Canada or the United Arab Emirates with a monthly salary of P120,000 to P140,000.
But Corpuz and De Vera alleged that after they paid P120,000 each for the processing of their documents and other requirements, their recruiters failed to send them for overseas job and the fees they paid were not refunded to them.
In their affidavit, named as respondents were Italian nationals Adel En Nouri, Mohammed En Nouri, Yuness En Nouri and Narwani Ricky Ravin. The Filipino respondents were identified as Emilie Co Quilop, Marie Antonette Lumanlan Ng, Brian James de Jesus So and Emmanuel Magana Silva.
The complainants said that the respondents represented themselves as authorized recruiters of Tamber International Placement Agency.
Manila Bulletin obtained copies of the joint complaint affidavit signed by Corpus and De Vera, and the investigative data form of the Sto. Tomas City prosecutor’s office signed by Assistant City Prosecutor Ronaldo A. Robenta and dated Feb. 25, 2026.
No one among the respondents could be contacted for comment as of posting time.
The complainants alleged that the respondents committed large scale illegal recruitment under Republic Act (RA) 8042, the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995, as amended, and estafa under the Revised Penal Code (RPC).
They said they filed the complaint after having verified from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) that “respondents were not licensed or authorized to recruit or deploy workers for overseas employment.”
They recounted that in November 2024 they were enticed by the respondents for employment abroad.
The recruiters, the complainants alleged, “offered us employment in Canada or the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as Healthcare Assistants with a promised monthly salary equivalent to approximately P120,000.00 to P140,000.00, with employer support for accommodation and other benefits.”
“Respondents assured us that deployment would take place within one (1) to two (2) months once documentation and employer approval were completed,” they added.
Relying on the good faith and assurances of the respondents, the complainants said that on Jan. 20, 2025 “we each paid P120,000, or an aggregate sum of P240,000, directly to the respondents.”
The complainants said that they repeatedly followed up their applications but the respondents gave “inconsistent explanations.”
“When we attempted to personally verify their operations and demand updates, respondents became evasive and difficult to contact,” they said.
Thus, they said they conducted a verification with the DMW and found that Tamber International Placement Agency was neither licensed nor authorized to recruit Filipinos for overseas work.
It was not known immediately if the complaints have been evaluated by the prosecutors who would decide whether to dismiss them outright or proceed for preliminary investigation.