Police arrest illegal recruiters

CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna – Police believed that they dismantled a big-time illegal recruitment syndicate after the arrest of a leader and her three associates during an entrapment operation in Bacoor, Cavite, last Thursday afternoon.

Senior Superintendent Christopher Laxa, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group 4A chief, said his men have filed criminal charges for estafa and large scale illegal recruitment against the arrested suspects – Elisa Gabri­no, owner of Phil Malay Employment Agency and her three cohorts, Shower Nario, 32, Elsebio Samonte, and Vivienne Joyce Villasanta.

The suspects were nabbed by the CIDG team led by Senior Inspector Christopher Guste, Special Operation Group at the compound of Phil-Malay Employment Agency located at unit C, Barangay Maliksi 11, Bacoor, Cavite at around 1:30 p.m.

The operation stemmed from the 50 complainants led by Leah Agoncillo, 29, of Barangay Quiling, Talisay, Batangas.

Police Superintendent Fla­viano Baltazar, deputy regional director of CIDG 4A said Gabrino was positive in ultra-violent powder after she received the marked money with a marking “VAM” from one of the complainants.

Gabrino admitted that her agency is not licensed or registered with the Philippine Oversea Employment Agency (POEA) and not also authorized to recruit applicants for overseas employment.

Most of the victims had already paid their applicants fees amounting to P50,000 up to P100,000 in exchange for non-existent jobs as factory workers in Malaysia, Baltazar said.