OFW accused of illegal recruitment

CEBU, Philippines - A man accused of illegal recruitment was arrested in an entrapment operation at a mall in Barangay Lahug last Sunday night.

Niño S. Gela, 39, an Overseas Filipino Worker, was arrested for allegedly demanding P3,400 from complainants Aris Viovicente and Reynante Valiente whom he reportedly promised employment abroad.

But Gela said he made no such promise.

Operatives of the Investigation and Detective Management Branch led by Chief Insp. George Ylanan, conducted the entrapment operation after the complainants sought their assistance.

Two P100 peso bills dusted with ultraviolet powder were recovered from the suspect’s possession.

The suspect, who is under the CDK International Manpower agency-Manila and an employee of a fashion and footwear company in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, however, denied the allegations of the complainants, who are his neighbors along Gorordo Ave.

Gela, who arrived from Riyadh last March 12 and is set to go back tomorrow, said he only endorsed the complainants to his agency, he did not promise them a job.

“Igo lang ko ming-ingon nila nga kung naa’y bakante sa akong gitrabaho-an, i-endorse ta mo. Tabangan ta mo. Wa ko mag-demand og any amount,” he said.

The day he was arrested, he was meeting with the complainants supposedly to get the P500 he asked to borrow from one of them.

Gela believes that Viovicente has ulterior motives for having him arrested. He suspects that it was maybe because Viovicente’s best friend was once his girlfriend.

“Gi-set up lang ko nila. Igo ra ko nagtabang nila, wala ko’y intensiyon na dautan. Ming-ingon na gud siya nga ‘okay, pahulmon ta ka ug kwarta’,” he added.

Charito Lajo, CDK International Manpower-Cebu branch officer-in-charge, said the suspect is not authorized or allowed to get money and recruit anybody for overseas employment.

Lajo went to IDMB office yesterday to get full details of the incident to have it reported to their management as the name of their agency was mentioned.

The complainants are determined to file charges against the suspect. (FREEMAN)