Woman charged for offering non-existent jobs in Canada

MANILA, Philippines - The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has filed criminal charges before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office against a woman who allegedly duped six persons into paying almost P1 million in cash and in kind to cover recruitment fees for non-existent jobs in Canada.

Lawyer Dulce Ricafort of the NBI’s Special Task Force identified the suspect as Ma. Ruby Socorro de Guzman, also known as Ruby Socorro, Ruby Flores Canonaso, and Maria Rubylyn Socorro Guzman.

De Guzman was charged last March 2 with estafa, syndicated and large-scale illegal recruitment, and qualified theft before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office.

The NBI released the report over the weekend.

The complainants were identified as Yvette Natalie Chua, 27; Myra Agno, 30; Roger Gegante, 41; Anicia Edora, 33; Elvie Cais, 38; and Pacenciana Abalos, 30.

Records showed that between November 2008 and November 2009, De Guzman recruited the complainants, except Gegante, for jobs as caregivers in Canada. She recruited Gegante as a reflexologist in Canada.

De Guzman according to the complainants, received money as well as a laptop computer, two digital cameras, several pieces of jewelry, three Nokia cellular phones, a Chanel wristwatch and an Apple iPod to cover recruitment fees.

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) stated that De Guzman is neither licensed nor authorized to recruit workers for overseas employment.