Woman charged for estafa, illegal recruitment

CEBU, Philippines – The Office of the Cebu City Prosecutor has indicted a woman for allegedly recruiting without valid license from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).

Prosecutor Rogelio del Prado, Jr. held Ma. Juliet Brongcano, a resident of Barangay Lagang, Carcar City, Cebu for trial for violations of Republic Act 8042 or illegal recruitment and for estafa, under Article 315 paragraph 2(a) of the Revised Penal Code.

“After evaluating the allegations in the complaint, there is enough basis to establish the existence of probable cause that the offense had been committed by the respondent Ma. Juliet Brongcano only,” read the resolution.

Del Prado recommended P24,000 bail for illegal recruitment and P60,000 bail for estafa against Brongcano.

Delman Codilla, a resident of Barangay Tungkil, Minglanilla, Cebu, alleged she was recruited to work abroad by one Era Labra, who then referred her to Brongcano.

Brongcano reportedly promised Codilla for a work in Italy as a hospital staff.

Codilla deposited P50,000 as processing fee to the account of Brongcano’s alleged fellow employee Erlinda Cruz and paid P5,000 for medical fee and another P800 to Brongcano.

Brongcano and Cruz are allegedly employees of a recruitment firm in Cebu City, which is being managed by one Cindy Khor.

Codilla said she was told that she will be deployed within two months to Italy, but the respondents failed to do so.

Labra, Cruz, Khor and Brongcano were named respondents in the complaint filed by Codilla.

Del Prado, however, dismissed the complaints filed against Cruz, Khor and Labra, citing insufficiency of evidence.

“There is no sufficient proof of the participation of the other respondents. It was shown in the complaint that it was only respondent Brongcano who transacted with the complainant, hence she was the only one who misrepresented herself and promised for employment abroad,” read the resolution.

Although the money was deposited to the account of Cruz, it still does not establish the existence of conspiracy and of the other respondents, added the prosecutor. — Mylen P. Manto/NSA (FREEMAN)