The Philippines’ Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has formed a fact-finding team that will augment the ongoing investigation into the alleged massive illegal recruitment of Filipinos for fake jobs in Italy, reports The Manila Bulletin. DMW officer-in-charge Hans Leo Cacdac said the high-level fact-finding team will focus their investigation on Milan-based Golden Power SRLS, which he said, is owned and staffed by Filipinos. “The information gathered by the fact-finding team will bolster the case build-up against Golden Power for their illegal recruitment activities,” said Cacdac.

The initial information was provided by overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were allegedly victimised by the recruitment firm. Based on the information relayed by the OFWs, they were promised work in Italy in exchange for paying placement fees ranging from €1,500 to as much as €4,000. Cacdac said the fact-finding team will also support an investigation being conducted by the Philippine Consulate General in Milan (PCG-Milan) on similar complaints raised against yet another Filipino-owned company in Milan, Alpha Assistenza. Citing initial information, Cacdac said the company charged processing fees ranging from €2,000 to €3,500 from their victims whose relatives in the Philippines were promised non-existent jobs in Italy.

Philippine agents in Manila of Alpha Assistenza are being investigated for possible large-scale and syndicated illegal recruitment charges. Initial reports on the modus operandi of the two illegal recruitment agencies show that they find their potential victims – OFWs based in Italy whom they offer non-existent jobs for their unemployed relatives in the Philippines. They would then convince the victims that they will help their unemployed relatives get work permits in Italy in exchange for expensive processing fees.