Illegal recruiter nabbed

 CANDON CITY, Ilocos Sur – For her failure to send abroad 10 applicants since April last year, a 65-year old grandmother was arrested in an entrapment operation here yesterday by joint operatives of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG). 

Suspect Rosela Agosto, a resident of Barangay Darapidap here, was caught in the act while collecting placement fee inside her house from applicant Rogelio Jadormio, according to Ilocos CIDG director Senior Superintendent Marvin Bolabola. 

Bolabola told The STAR that aside from Jadormio, 10 other victims trooped to their office and filed complaints of illegal recruitment against Agosto, who allegedly collected hundreds of thousands of pesos of placement fees from them. 

Bolabola said Agosto promised to give her recruits jobs in Korea, such as domestic helpers, laborers and welders, by pretending as representative of a recruitment agency based in Manila.

“She told her applicants that she was connected with a recruitment agency in Manila and collected placement fees ranging from P80,000 to P160,000, through installment payments. However, when we verified her authority with POEA, it was found out that she has no record to recruit,” Bolabola said. 

Lawyer Romy Jaramilla, POEA official, confirmed that Agosto was not authorized to recruit applicants for any job abroad. 

The arresting team, led by Inspector Romeo Acosta, brought Agosto for inquest at the Candon prosecutor’s office for the formal filing of charges of estafa and large scale illegal recruitment, a non-bailable offense.