POEA padlocks agency linked to illegal recruitment

An agency that was involved in illegal recruitment has been padlocked, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration said over the weekend.

Padlocked was Bright 3 Manpower Agency at Room 246, Cityland 8, 98 Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City, for unauthorized recruitment of workers to Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates.

"During the implementation of the closure order, the  POEA agents discovered that Bright 3 Manpower Agency was accepting applicants for jobs such as salesman, saleslady, laundry man/woman, housekeepers, janitors, waiters/waitresses and construction workers for Dubai, and service crew for Malaysia," POEA Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac said.

Yet, the company was reported recruiting applicants for overseas jobs without proper authorization from the POEA and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

Cacdac said the agency's operations manager, one Rosalinda Natama, admitted recruiting workers for overseas employment.

"Natama also confessed that Bright 3 was recruiting workers for local employment even without the appropriate license from the DOLE," he said.

Criminal complaints

Cacdac said the POEA will file criminal complaints for illegal recruitment against Natama and employees Lorelyn Corona, Janette Togado, and Maribie Zafra.

Also, the names of the four will be included in the POEA List of Persons with Derogatory Record.

Meanwhile, the POEA will also endorse the case to DOLE Metro Manila, and to the city of Makati for possible revocation of  license to operate or business permit. — Joel Locsin /LBG, GMA News