Jinggoy Estrada calls on DMW to scrutinize ‘dummy’ Filipino owners of recruitment agencies

Sen. Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada (Voltaire F. Domingo/Senate PRIB)

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) should look into “dummy” Filipino owners of recruitment agencies, Senator Jinggoy Estrada said.

“Let’s just request the DMW to scrutinize the recruitment agencies, whether the proprietors of these recruitment agencies have the financial capability to run its operations,” Estrada said in a hearing on Wednesday.

Under the country’s Labor Code, only Filipino citizens are permitted to secure licenses to operate recruitment agencies with a minimum capital of P5 million.

According to the DMW, recruitment agencies’ licenses will be revoked and incorporators will be on a derogatory list if they commit various violations.

Estrada raised his concern on recruitment agencies after Jullebee Ranara, a household helper in Kuwait, was killed by the 17-year-old son of her employer.

Based on an initial probe conducted by the DMW, Ranara’s local and foreign recruitment agencies failed to comply with the compulsory monitoring requirements of deployed workers.

JMS