Authorities foil illegal recruitment of 15 in MabinayLegal recruiter tips off DOLE, police
By Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, August 4 (PIA) -- Authorities in Mabinay town intercepted the illegal recruitment of 15 adults in Brgy. Samac after a legal recruiter tipped off police and local officials of the presence of an illegal recruiter in the area.
Romualdo Señeres of the Visayan Forum Foundation, Inc. (VF), said Mabinay police were able to foil the departure of 15 recruits, mostly males and none of whom were minors, who were bound for Davao and Bukidnon to work in a Sacada farm.
Señeres said the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) here sought their assistance after a legal recruiter called them informing them of an illegal recruiter in Mabinay who recruited workers for a Sacada farm.
VF is a non-government organization that works to help combat human trafficking and other forms of exploitation.
Señeres said that on July 24, a legal recruiter contacted DOLE after she was not able to find potential recruits in Brgy. Samac because another recruiter, alleged to be operating illegally, offered better compensation for the workers.
“The illegal recruiter promised the 15 recruits an advance payment of their salary amounting to around P3,000,” Señeres disclosed in an interview.
The advance payment was scheduled to take place on July 26, with the recruits to leave for Davao and Bukidnon via Bacolod City on July 27.
The Mabinay police force, together with Brgy. Samac officials led by village chief and local Association of Barangay Captains president Ma. Rosario Ocay, immediately located the 15 recruits based on a list of names submitted to the barangay captain for barangay clearance.
Señeres said Brgy. Samac has earlier made it a policy for the barangay captain to personally meet residents seeking a barangay clearance.
“Through that list, we were able to locate all 15 recruits and we were able to convince them to stop from leaving for Davao and Bukidnon,” he said.
The illegal recruiter, however, was not found nor identified.
This is the second time local officials intercepted illegal recruitment activities in Mabinay town this year.
In June this year, police rescued a minor from Mabinay who departed for Bacolod City after being hired by an illegal recruiter who used the identification card of a legal recruiter.
Señeres noted that Mabinay has become vulnerable to illegal recruitment due to its proximity to Bacolod City. (RMN/PIA-7 Negros Oriental)