DUMAGUETE CITY – The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has rescued four victims of illegal recruitment who were about to leave for an unknown location in Manila while their alleged recruiter was intercepted by NBI agents in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental.
NBI Special Investigator III William de Arca, Jr. disclosed late Thursday that the four were en route to Bacolod from Dumaguete on board a Ceres bus after they were enticed by the alleged recruiter in a meeting held at Robinsons Place shopping mall in Dumaguete City on Tuesday.
That same evening, the alleged recruiter had their plane tickets ready for their flight the following day, Wednesday, said de Arca.
One of the recruits identified as Nely Panoy, who hails from Lazi, Siquijor, was already suspicious about the personality of the alleged recruiter, identified as Rovi Siason Bobila, alias Amor, but two of their companions believed the promises of Amor.
Instead of backing out, Panoy who had been to Qatar for seven years and another companion from Sibulan, Rosemarie Zuniega, pretended to be innocent about it while secretly reporting the matter to NBI-Dumaguete.
NBI Dumaguete district head, lawyer Ermie Monsanto, CPA, immediately sent a memorandum to NBI-Bacolod to intercept the four recruits along with the alleged recruiter who were on board a Ceres bus. While on board, Panoy secretly texted NBI Bacolod as to their whereabouts and upon arrival, they were confronted by NBI agents inside Robinsons mall.
According to Panoy, she tipped off the NBI because she did not want her co-applicants to be victimized, especially the two others who were with them, Shirley Cris Enguito and Micha Carino.
She said she became suspicious when told by the alleged recruiter that as soon as they arrived in Manila, they would be brought to Bulacan, where they would not be allowed to use cellphones because there was no signal there.
When asked about her license and identification papers, the recruiter could not present them.
She is worried because three of their co-applicants had already flown to Manila.
The alleged recruiter claimed she was merely helping them to find a better recruitment agency while waiting for their application at I-Recruit. In fact, she said, she was also applying as secretary in Qatar and is in the process of complying with the requirements.
She denied being the recruiter of the four women.
The suspect further claimed she was scheduled to meet a friend in Dumaguete on Tuesday to discuss the ticketing business as partners, that’s why the tickets of the four were readily available.
However, she admitted having introduced the four to Havillah International Manpower Services Inc. through the general manager, Arcelie Ballesca, with an address at Unit F, 2117 Volta Street, San Isidro, Makati City.
NBI Dumaguete Special Investigator Ma. Contessa-Lastimoso is filing a complaint for violation of Republic Act 10022 otherwise known as an Act Amending Republic Act No. 8042, the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995 and for violation of Republic Act 10364 or the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012 which is non-bailable.
The four recruits are from Lazi, Siquijor, Siaton, Sibulan and Poblacion 1 in Dumaguete.
This is the second case of illegal recruitment, and human trafficking case filed by NBI Dumaguete, the first being last January 24. (Juancho Gallarde/PNA)
