Police arrest “illegal recruiter” in Colon entrapment operation

CEBU, Philippines - A former employee of a placement agency has been arrested in an entrapment operation after he allegedly asked money from three applicants for overseas employment.

Sulpicio Quiño, 62, a native of Surigao City, was arrested past 11 a.m. yesterday in Colon Street, Barangay Parian, Cebu City after he took the P5,000 cash from three applicants of Placewell International Placement Agency.

Inspector Gualberto Oroc, team leader of the Parian Police Station, said that Stalion Lopez of Barangay Tisa, Gregg Dela Torre of Talisay City and Jib Auxtero of Barangay Guadalupe complained of Quiño's activity.

Quiño was reportedly a former technical evaluator of the placement agency.

Oroc said the victims alleged that they were contacted by Quiño via phone call and sometimes through text messages asking for money.

"Nangayo og kwarta kuno nila kay naa nagtrabaho sa agency.

Gitagaan nila, naningil sa kuwang," he said.

Quiño allegedly promised the three of employment in Qatar in exchange for a certain amount of money.

On May 11, 2014 the victims were able to give the suspect an initial amount of P6,500. After that, Quiño allegedly asked for succeeding payments. The victims said they were able to give the suspect over P20,000 aside from the P5,000 that was given to him during the entrapment operation.

Quiño allegedly asked them to meet him in a restaurant in Colon for the transaction.

The victims gave the police information about the meet-up which led to the planning of an entrapment operation for the arrest of the suspect.

Around 11:30 yesterday morning, Oroc and his men were already positioned inside the restaurant while Stalion and Dela Torre met with Quiño.

Lopez said the suspect told him he does not want any scandal and he does not want to be entrapped.

But minutes later he took the P5,000 bill from the victims so he was immediately arrested by Parian police officers.

In an interview, Lopez said there were originally four of them but the other one backed out because of Quiño.

 "Upat mi kabook mo-apply, ang usa ni-back-out kay grabi ka mangayo og kwarta," Lopez told Quiño at the Parian Police Station.

Lopez said Quiño told them they had to pay 90 percent of the placement fee as instructed by the agency's owner.

But apparently, Quiño was no longer connected with the said agency at that time.

In fact, Racquel Angcay, Placewell's officer-in-charge, said Quiño is not connected with the company and only worked as a technical evaluator.

Angcay said Quiño was not hired because he could not produce a single document for his employment, not even an NBI clearance.

 She said it just happened that there was an employer that time when the suspect was around so they asked him to evaluate who among the applicants fits the job. Two months after, he was terminated.

She said she is waiting for the decision of their head office if they are going to file charges against the suspect.

On the other hand, Lopez and Dela Torre said they will be filing a case against the suspect for estafa and illegal recruitment.

Quiño for his part denied the allegations and said he is not an illegal recruiter.

He said it was Lopez who told him that if he will let them pass the evaluation, he will give Quiño a reward.

Quiño said he did not ask for money from Lopez and it was the latter who offered it to him.

"Last month naay employer, nag-interview nako nila sa opisina, dili sila qualified pero nanghangyo sila nga palutsa lang mi kay tagaan ka namo og pahalipay," he said.

He confirmed that he gave favorable results to the three because they promised a reward to him.

"Gipapasar nako sila para makalusot tungod anang pahalipay, wala ko mangayo sa ila, sila maoy nag-offer nako," he added. (FREEMAN)