More charges against alleged illegal recruiters

CEBU, Philippines - Criminal cases continue to rain on Michelle Lopuz and Annaliza Laguna who were arrested last year on charges of illegal recruitment.

The Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office recently issued another indictment against the two after finding probable cause on the complaints filed by Maria Liza Pastorite and Arlene Ibon.

The complainants claimed that sometime in August 2008, the accused promised them a high-paying job as caregivers in the United Kingdom. They were reportedly made to pay P112,000 each as placement and processing fees of their travel documents.

However, despite having made the required payments, the accused failed to fulfill their promise to deploy them abroad. Pastorite said she was surprised to learn later that Lopuz was already arrested by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group 7 during an entrapment operation also on complaints of illegal recruitment.

Pastorite said she found out in the news that Lopuz and Laguna are not authorized by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration to recruit workers for abroad. This prompted her and Ibon to file the criminal complaint against Lopuz and Laguna.

The prosecutor’s office has recommended P24,000 bail for each of the accused. Earlier, the prosecutor’s office also indicted the two accused together with Cristy Nacua and Liezel Abellanosa for large scale-illegal recruitment for which they were not allowed post bail.

It was also because of the complaints for illegal recruitment filed by Rovemay Alisoso, Orina Escarro, Marie May Miñoza, Silvirio Toring Jr., Filepe Magallanes Jr., Vivian Ebuna, Elbert Villarin and Lorna Cabrera.

Like Ibon and Pastorite, they were also promised a high-paying job abroad in exchange of the processing and placement fees ranging from P115,000 to P210,000. The complainants helped hatch the entrapment operation that led to Lopuz’ arrest last year. — Fred P. Languido/JMO   (FREEMAN NEWS)