The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), in coordination with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), shut down a church in Baras, Rizal, on Monday that engaged in alleged illegal recruitment of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) for supposed jobs in Japan, South Korea, and Papua New Guinea.
Chief of the NBI Cavite North District Office, Czar Eric Nuqui, revealed that victims were charged as much as P50,000 each for processing fees and documents under the pretense of "community work," with promises of employment abroad.
“May mga natanggap tayong impormasyon as we speak, may mga biktima na nakapunta sa ibang bansa at sila po’y walang trabaho na nadatnan,” Nuqui added.
However, many of those victims who left for overseas destinations found themselves without jobs upon arrival.
DMW Undersecretary Bernard P. Olalia said that the first victims of the recruiters were their fellow church parishioners.
"Ang una po nilang nabiktima ay mga kapuwa nila parishioners, yong mga miyembro mismo ang nagsumbong, at siyempre vinalidate natin.," said DMW Undersecretary Bernard P. Olalia, who explained that parishioners came forward with complaints, prompting a series of surveillance operations.
“Meron mga na-offload, dahil may mga nagrereklamo at kasalukuyan din sinisingil kahit walang authority, based on the confirmation from the complainants,” Olalia added.
Following an entrapment operation on Monday afternoon, April 28, authorities arrested Pastora Esclarmonde Estrada Basalio, who was recruiting workers without a license from the DMW.
The shut-down church named the Faithful Promise Foundation Philippines Inc., also known by other names including Faithful Promise of Jesus Christ the Greatest Master Phil. Inc., and Faithful Promise Church in the Philippines.
Assistant Secretary Jerome Alcantara said that recruiters were offering roles such as factory workers, tea pickers, clerks, accountants, and mechanical engineers, with salaries from PHP36,000 to PHP120,000 per month.
Alcantara emphasized that most illegal recruitments are targeted at basic labor and construction employment overseas.
Furthermore, the victims were given tourist visas and told to pretend to be missionaries.
While some victims have already been deployed, others have been offloaded, and others are awaiting deployment.
The DMW urged the other possible victims of the religious group to come forward and file complaints through the agency's official hotline +63 2 8721-0619, email [email protected], or on their Facebook page.
