2 ‘fake’ recruitment agencies closed, 4 nabbed in Manila

Headquarters of the National Capital Region Police Office — Photo from NCRPO/Facebook

MANILA, Philippines — Authorities shut down two allegedly “fake” recruitment agencies in Manila and arrested four individuals, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) announced.

The closures and arrests were the result of separate entrapment operations in Malate and Ermita on Friday morning, stemming from orders by the Department of Migrant Workers, the NCRPO detailed in a statement on Saturday.

“These establishments, posing as legitimate travel and employment agencies, had been operating as deceptive recruitment fronts,” the police claimed. “[They] had been preying on unsuspecting jobseekers with false promises of overseas employment.”

Operatives arrested four female office personnel, whom the NCRPO did not identify but said they were between the ages of 29 and 53.

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The arrested individuals were taken into NCRPO’s custody, awaiting charges for alleged violation of Republic Act 8042 or the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act as amended by RA 10022. /das