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VICTIMS FORCED TO SELL LAND

Japanese, Pinay nabbed in Mandaluyong over illegal recruitment


Police arrested on Monday a Japanese national and a Filipina for alleged illegal recruitment activities that victimized some 360 individuals who were promised employment in Japan.

Shoichi Nakai and Mary Jane Ramirez Tan were arrested in an entrapment operation in Mandaluyong City after they accepted  marked money from the complainants inside the Ohayo Japanese Language Training Center.

At a news briefing on Tuesday, Chief Supt. Roel Obusan of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) said Tan recruited victims through Facebook, promising them high-paying jobs in farms, factories and hotels in Japan.

Obusan said they are still investigating when the alleged scam started, but said the first batch was recruited sometime in August or September.

In order to qualify for these jobs, the applicants were told to pay P30,000 each to process their travel requirements and for Nihongo training at Ohayo for 30 days.

Nakai, the supposed manager of Ohayo, allegedly oriented the applicants about their work in Japan, and about travel and other requirements. Job placements were allegedly promised upon completion of the training.

"It follows yung track ng overseas employment. Mmeron kang TESDA, tapos may seminar, merong availability ng employer abroad. Ito naman, parang medyo training rin," Obusan said.

"However, yung training niya is not confirmed (with TESDA). Yung mga nahuli natin nung nakaraan, tinuruan silang mag-extract ng gatas sa baka. Talagang farmhand yung nakaraan. Ito naman, yung kanyang guise is you have to learn yung language muna. Mas maganda ito kasi mas matagal. Bagong style na naman ito."

"Nagbenta kami ng lupa"

"During orientation, ang sabi niya sa 'min, niliwanag namin, klinaro namin sa kanya kung anong buwan kami makakaalis. Sabi niya by December makaalis na kayo, so by August pa lang, nag-provide na kami, nangutang, nagbenta ng lupa, kung saan na naghanap ng pera yung mga kasama namin," said complainant Dulce Teaño, who was promised work as a dairy farmer.

Angela David, another complainant, said there were at least 45 people per batch and that she and Teaño were part of the first batch.

David said they began to suspect something fishy when Ohayo reached the eighth batch of trainees and still failed to deploy anyone abroad.

When Tan allegedly asked them to pay an additional P30,000 for visa and other travel documents upon completing their training in January, David said they grew even more suspicious. They later found out through the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration that Ohayo had no authority to recruit and deploy workers abroad

Victims promptly filed complaints at CIDG and an entrapment operation was conducted on Monday after police operatives evaluated the information given to them.

Nakai and Tan will be charged with violation of Republic Act No. 8042 or Large Scale Illegal Recruitment and Article 315 or Large-Scale Estafa. —KBK/KVD, GMA News

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