Two suspected illegal recruiters accused of dangling caregiver jobs in Ireland with promised monthly pay of more than P200,000 were arrested on August 28 in Santiago City, Isabela. Emelita Melo and Joseph Arconcil, said to be staff of Learghusa Immigration and Consultancy Services (also referred to as Leisaphil Immigration and Consultancy Services), had offered the posts with visa help and guaranteed employment, luring would-be workers with an advertised salary of €3,200 a month.
Investigators traced the scheme to a complaint about deceptive caregiver job offers made through an immigration consultancy that carried no Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) license or authority to recruit for overseas work.
The two were caught in a joint operation by the DMW Region 2, the Migrant Workers Protection Bureau (MWPB) Central Office, and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Isabela Provincial Field Unit. DMW Region 2 Regional Director Atty. Rogelio T. Benitez and CIDG Isabela Provincial Field Unit Chief PLTCOL Rex G. Pascua led the surveillance and validation work, with support from MWPB personnel, that resulted in the arrests.
Benitez warned that a consultancy label cannot be used as cover for recruiting workers for jobs abroad. “Hindi maaaring gamitin ang pagiging ‘immigration consultancy’ para magsagawa ng recruitment para sa isang overseas job. Kailangan ay awtorisado sila o may lisensya mula sa DMW,” he said.
He also called on Filipinos eyeing overseas work to check a recruiter’s standing before applying or paying anything. “Pinaaalalahanan po natin ang mga naghahanap ng trabaho abroad na beripikahin muna ang lisensya at awtorisasyon ng recruitment entity upang hindi mabiktima ng illegal recruitment at mga pekeng alok ng trabaho,” he added.
Anyone who believes they were victimized by Melo or Arconcil can reach the DMW Regional Office 2 at the DSC Building, 15 Caritan Centro, Tuguegarao City, Cagayan, by emailing dmw.tuguegarao@dmw.gov.ph, or by phone at (078) 825-0681, (078) 825-0677, and (078) 825-0685. Those in Metro Manila may seek free legal help from MWPB-AIRTIP through its Facebook page, dmwairtip, or at airtipinfo@dmw.gov.ph.
As of this writing, Melo and Arconcil are held at the CIDG Provincial Office in Ilagan City while charges are prepared ahead of inquest proceedings before the Office of the City Prosecutor in Santiago City.
