Alleged fake manpower agency in Pasay busted; 7 employees arrested

Authorities arrested seven employees as they conducted an operation at an alleged fake manpower agency in Pasay City.

The said agency allegedly uses the name of Best Manpower, Inc., a legitimate manpower agency, according to a report by Nico Waje on GMA News' Unang Balita on Wednesday.

Arrested were Rosalie Verceles and her employees.

Police said the alleged fake agency advertises job openings on social media acting as Best Manpower, then reportedly collects placement fees and medical examination fees. However, allegedly no jobs are actually provided.

"Doon sa mga page sa social media acting as the Best Manpower Incorporated, 'yun po ang complainant natin. 'Pag nag-message sa kanila, nire-refer nila dito sa office nila sa Taft Avenue," Police Major Franklin Lacana, team leader of the Philippine National Police Southern District Anti-Cybercrime Team, said.

(They place advertisements on social media acting as the Best Manpower Incorporated, who is our complainant. When you message them, they will refer you to their office on Taft Avenue.)

"Pagdating po doon, hihingan ka nila ng placement fee na P300 and then medical [examination fee] na nasa P1,150. Then akala mo naman, you're expecting na magkakaroon ka ng trabaho but then wala. Wala kang mapupuntahang trabaho and then 'yung nangyayari sa iba, pabalik-balik pa," he added.

(When you get there, they will ask you to pay for placement fee in the amount of P300, then medical [examination fee] of P1,150. Then you would be expecting that you will have a job, but there would be none. No job will be offered. Some people have to repeatedly go back [to their office].)

Such was the case of "James" (not his real name). He said he saw the advertisement of the alleged fake manpower agency on social media.

He sent a message to them, applied, then was told he will not have to pay for anything.

However, when he went to the office, he was asked to pay for the medical examination fee, placement fee, and deployment fee. 

James gave almost P2,000 to the alleged fake agency but up to now has not been offered the packer job he applied for and was promised.

Best Manpower Inc. on the other hand made its own move after it was made aware of the alleged fake agency using their name.

"May nag-complain lang po sa amin na isang applicant na nag-message sa amin, tinatanong kung may branch kami sa Pasay," Best Manpower Inc. representative "Jennifer" (not her real name) said.

(We received a complaint from an applicant who asked if we had a branch in Pasay.)

"Tapos nung na-find out namin, chine-check namin sa Facebook, ginagamit po nila 'yung mga job posting hiring namin, na ginagamit nila pati email ng company namin," she added.

(Then when we found out, we checked it on Facebook and saw that they were using our job posting hiring, and even our company email.)

Jennifer said their own employees applied at the alleged fake agency.

"'Yung mga employees namin, nagbayad sila ng P300 sa application form para makapasok sila sa loob. After nu'n papasok ka sa kabila para naman sa medical [examination]. Hindi na sila nagbayad. Sabi nila bababa sila kasi magwi-withdraw. Gusto pa silang samahan sa baba," she added.

(Our employees paid P300 for the application form so they can be allowed inside. After that, they had to go to the other side for the medical [examination]. They did not pay for it. They said they would go downstairs first to withdraw [from the bank]. The [alleged fake agency] people wanted to accompany them in doing so.)

Best Manpower Inc. said applicants approaching their company need not pay for placement or employment fees; they will only have to pay for their medical examinations.

Verceles, on the other hand, insisted that their company is legitimate.

"Hindi ko pa accepted na may nanggagaya po sa kanila kasi RLD po ang ginagamit namin na manpower," she said.

(I could not accept the allegation that we were imitating them because we are using the name RLD.)

"Nagulat na lang ako ba't kanina dumating sila, sir, dinakip kami. Bakit ganu'n na lang na ginagaya daw namin ang isang company na agency? Wala akong alam talaga, sir," Verceles said.

(I was surprised when the police came and arrested us. Why did they say we were using the identity of another company that is an agency? I do not know anything about that.)

However, she admitted that their permit from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is still in process.

"Sa DOLE inaayos pa lang dahil magto-two months pa lang kami," Verceles said.

(Our permit is still in process because we have only been in operation for almost two months.)

One of the arrested employees said she had no idea about the company allegedly being fake.

Other employees did not give a statement to media.

The arrested suspects will face charges of syndicated estafa, computer-related identity theft, and illegal recruitment, police said. —KG, GMA News