POEA looks into plaints against 2 PESO officials

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines — Lawyers of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) central office in Manila arrived in this city to look into the controversy involving Public Employment Services Office (PESO) of Region 7 officials, Grace Jamio of Lapu-Lapu City office in Cebu province and Ramon Benedicto of Negros Oriental.

This came after complaints were raised by job applicants who have completed a six-week training on Korean language only to find out later they were allegedly victims of “deception” by the PESO officials.

The two POEA lawyers, accompanied by POEA-7 regional director Evelia Durato, conducted the other day a close-door meeting with Commission on Human Rights-Negros Oriental special field investigator Jesus Cañete, and Love Joy Anino who represented the complaining job seekers.

The lawyers did not meet the complainants yet and opted instead for the close-door meeting first, where Cañete appraised the POEA officials on CHR’s procedure in attending to complaints, which the commission can act on moto propio without the presence of the complainants.

In expressing interest to the controversy, the POEA officials assured the CHR and the alleged victims, they were willing to extend any assistance in requesting for copies of the affidavits from the CHR before taking appropriate action.

Cañete said he was still waiting for the statement of Benedicto who was implicated in the counter-affidavit of Jamio, who also questioned the authority and jurisdiction of the CHR in taking cognizance of the complaints.

Jamio claimed in her letter-response that she came to Negros Oriental, for the language training of the job applicants, upon the invitation of Benedicto. However, hard copies of the communication between the two showed otherwise, in which Benedicto was merely responsive to Jamio’s advise, according to Cañete.

The CHR wanted all the applicants to stand by their complaints, upon learning one of them was allegedly influenced by somebody to remove his or her signature from the affidavits. It cautioned all of them to stick to the issue and to maintain objectivity, considering that some persons might intervene into the controversy.

On the P8,500 allegedly paid by each of the applicants to AB Learning Center, the POEA lawyers said there are now chances it will be reimbursed. (FREEMAN)