BACOLOD City, Philippines – About P50 million were reportedly swindled from 50 nursing graduates in Negros Occidental by a Bacolod-based recruitment company that promised them employment in the United Kingdom.
Lawyer Mamerto Cortez, National Bureau of Investigation head in Negros Occidental, told reporters yesterday that five complainants came to his office yesterday to inform him that about 50 of them have been recruited in October last year by Jocelyn Dableo-Lantron, who owns the Global Placement Provider Services.
Global Placement is located at the third floor of St. Francis Building along Araneta St. in Bacolod City.
The complainants, who are all nursing graduates, were lured by Lantron into paying her company P100,000 each in exchange for student visas to finish their studies in the United Kingdom and work there, Cortez said.
He said the NBI will file charges for large-scale estafa and large-scale illegal recruitment against Lantron and her company.
The company also faces closure, he said.
The NBI will also verify with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration if Lantron has authority to recruit in the Philippines, and with the British embassy, if she has authority to process student visas for their country.
Moreover, the mother of a nursing graduate who already paid P100,000 to Global Placement yesterday said they filed a complaint against Lantron and her firm before the NBI after they received information that Global Placement has opened its offices in Cebu and Davao.
The mother said the victims of the firm here have suffered so much because large amount of money was involved. There were those who were from Hong Kong who were not able to go back from their work, while there were those had suffered marital conflict because they could no longer pay for the money they borrowed just to raise the P100,000.
She said that they have been in regular communication with Lantron through Skype website because she is now in the UK but lately, she has not communicated with them anymore.
The mother said that under the contract they signed with Global Placement, they could no longer take their money back whatever happens.
Cortez, however, said the victims could have their money back by going after the assets of Global Placement, through legal procedures.