Illegal recruiters
AFTER years of victimizing jobseekers, including young girls, the country’s highly-enterprising illegal recruiters may have already perfected the “art of illegal recruitment.”
In fact, illegal recruitment is acknowledged to be one of the principal reasons why some of our migrant Filipino workers abroad still find themselves in trouble.
Others end up in overcrowded jails and other detention facilities after running away from their “abusive and cruel” foreign employers, drawing the ire of Pinoys here.
In the view of various quarters, concerned government authorities, with President Marcos in Malacanang, will have to hit hard at illegal recruiters and human smugglers.
Democracy flourishes when these sweet-talking illegal recruiters, human traffickers and their cohorts in government uniform are arrested, jailed and charged in court.
That’s why we commend Secretary Susan Ople of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) for leading the closure of a travel consultancy firm for illegal recruitment.
A daughter of the late Labor and Employment Secretary Blas Fajardo Ople, the DMW top honcho identified the agency as “OVM Visa Assistance and Travel Consultancy.”
Secretary Ople said the Barangay Pasong Tamo, Quezon City-based firm was offering jobs in Poland and Malta although it is not listed as a licensed recruitment agency.
Reports said the agency was recruiting hotel workers, cleaners, waiters and waitresses, who were required to pay P460,000 as processing fee, with P40,000 as downpayment.
“We will not stop no matter how many we close, no matter how many we charge, the DMW has zero tolerance when it comes to illegal recruitment and human trafficking,” she said.
In the view of well-meaning Filipinos, including overseas jobseekers, it takes a large dose of political will to send illegal recruiters and human smugglers to jail.
And sending to prison these “economic saboteurs” will be good for the Filipino people and the Philippines.
