Padilla bill tightens screw vs illegal recruitment syndicates
TO protect overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from illegal recruitment and human trafficking, Senator Robinhood “Robin” C. Padilla has filed Senate Bill (SB) 2216, aiming to tighten the screws against illegal recruitment syndicates.
Padilla’s bill seeks to amend Art. 38 (b) of Presidential Decree (PD) 442 (Labor Code of the Philippines) and Section 6 of RA 8042, the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995.
In his bill, Padilla sought to define illegal recruitment committed by a syndicate if two – instead of the current three – persons conspire to carry out the crime.
“The current definition of illegal recruitment fails to capture the severity of the crime when committed by syndicates and on a large scale. The proposed amendments expand the definition to include illegal recruitment committed by a group of two or more persons conspiring and/or confederating with one another in carrying out any unlawful or illegal transaction, enterprise or scheme, instead of the original stringent three-person requirement,” he said in his bill.
Should the bill become law, he said, it would represent a significant step towards safer, fairer, and more ethical recruitment practices by protecting Filipino workers against illegal recruitment.
Padilla hopes the passage of the bill will “help strengthen the protection of Filipino workers, prevent economic sabotage, and promote the country’s economic development.”
“It affirms our unwavering commitment to safeguard the rights and welfare of our workers, making our legal frameworks adapt and respond to the changing landscape of labor migration,” he said.
