Authorities have arrested a suspected illegal recruiter accused of deceiving four overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) by providing them with counterfeit overseas employment certificates (OECs) for supposed jobs abroad.
Migrant Workers Undersecretary Bernard Olalia said during a press briefing on Monday that the arrest was carried out through an entrapment operation after the affected OFWs approached authorities for assistance.
According to Olalia, the recruiter allegedly convinced the workers—who previously held valid OECs—to coordinate with what was presented as a legitimate overseas employer. However, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said the supposed employer was already blacklisted.
“Fine-fake yung kanyang OEC at pag dating po sa BI, siyempre ang Bureau of Immigration (BI) ay may matibay na ugnayan sa DMW, at pag nakita na fake ang OEC, offloaded ang ating OFW,” Olalia said.
The four OFWs, who were previously employed in Saudi Arabia, were reportedly promised jobs in Abu Dhabi and Lebanon with monthly salaries ranging from $400 to $450.
Following the complaint, the DMW coordinated with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to set up the entrapment operation that led to the suspect’s arrest.
The suspect is now facing charges of large-scale illegal recruitment, which is considered a non-bailable offense.
Olalia urged Filipinos to follow proper procedures when seeking overseas employment and warned against dealing with illegal recruiters.
“Dumaan tayo sa proseso at tutulong kami. Hahanap kami ng employer kung kayo man ay nahihirapang humanap ng employer,” he said.
