DFA blames recruiters for apostille queue
Department of Foreign Affairs building. (File photo from the Philippine Daily Inquirer)
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has blamed labor recruiters for the hundreds of people camped outside its Aseana Business Park consular office in Parañaque City for documents authentication services.
The DFA said its investigation found that several recruitment agencies misled applicant overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) about the policy allowing walk-ins for passport and apostille services. The department said the behavior of certain agencies was highly irresponsible and malicious. It identified Silver Skilled Recruitment Inc., First Select International Manpower Services Inc., and J.A.S. Empire International Promotion Corp. among the guilty agencies.
The DFA also said it had filed complaints against recruitment agencies Canferz Payment and Ticketing Center and Valesco-SMS Inc. for putting appointment slots meant for OFWs for sale on social media.
READ: Limited DFA slots force applicants to line up at night
DFA Office of Consular Affairs Deputy Assistant Secretary Christian De Jesus said the DFA consular offices nationwide process an average 14,855 passport applications daily while the Aseana office handles 1,400 apostille applications. —Dona Z. Pazzibugan
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