A woman accused of orchestrating a fraudulent overseas job scheme targeting Filipinos bound for New Zealand is now in police custody in Iloilo City, facing more than a dozen criminal counts.
Julie Pearl Robejes, alleged operator of Paragon Visa Consultancy, was taken into custody on the night of August 13, 2026, by officers from La Paz Police Station 2. She was booked and temporarily held at the station following the arrest.
The charges stem from complaints filed in 2025, when Robejes and her staff allegedly enlisted jobseekers with promises of work across various skills and professions in New Zealand. Applicants were reportedly asked to pay processing fees ranging from P100,000 to P300,000. Those unable to shoulder the sum were said to have been referred to loan agents to raise money for their recruitment expenses.
The promised jobs failed to materialize for several complainants once they reached New Zealand, according to the accusations. Some found no employment waiting at all, while others were placed in positions different from what they had originally been offered.
Complainants also learned that authorities in New Zealand had raided Robejes’ home in Auckland over the alleged absence of a license required to conduct recruitment. In the aftermath, some returned to the Philippines while others stayed on and worked temporarily.
The Department of Migrant Workers assisted the complainants in bringing and pursuing the cases. A total of 13 counts were lodged for Syndicated Illegal Recruitment and Estafa—seven through DMW Regional Office VI and six through the Migrant Workers Protection Bureau.
Robejes and two of her employees had been the subject of an arrest warrant issued March 23, 2026, by Regional Trial Court Branch 27 in Iloilo City, in the case docketed as Criminal Case No. 26-96939, People of the Philippines vs. Robejes, et al.
On August 16, 2026, Robejes was rushed to St. Paul’s Hospital in Iloilo City after a medical emergency involving persistent stomach pain. She remains at the PS2 Female Custodial Facility pending the disposition of her case and turnover to the court.
The DMW Migrant Workers Protection Bureau has urged others who may have been victimized to reach out through https://www.facebook.com/dmwairtip for free legal aid, or to report to the DMW or the nearest police station.
