Stiffer penalties now await illegal recruiters

Illegal recruiters can now face up to 20 years in prison following the amendments in some provisions of the Republic Act 8042 or the Migrant Workers Act, the Deparment of Labor and Employment (DOLE) announced Friday.

Aside from increasing the jail term from 12 to 20 years, the amendments also increased the civil liability of the illegal recruiter from P500,000 to P2 million, the DOLE also said.

“The express provisions of Republic Act 10022 (amended RA 8042) articulating the new penalties for acts of  illegal recruitment provides specific sanctions for such violations which are stiffer, both in civil and criminal liabilities aspect,” said acting DOLE secretary Danilo Cruz.

“Illegal recruitment violation carries the penalty of imprisonment of up to twenty years and civil liability of up to P2 million in fines," he added.

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), which regulates overseas recruitment activities, is tasked to enforce the anti-illegal recruitment provisions.

The stiffer penalties are intended to curb illegal activities relating to recruitment and placement of workers, said Cruz, who described illegal recruitment as a “perennial problem” in the country.

"We need to sow fear in the hearts of violators that they face heavy penalties for their illegal activities," Cruz said.
 
Among the persistent illegal recruitment violations were cases of misrepresentation, violation of employment contracts, violation of contractual obligation to employees, excessive collection of processing fees and documentation expenses, and unauthorized operation of recruitment and placement agency. — KBK, GMA News