Senator Raffy Tulfo is seeking a Senate investigation into the reported multi-million illegal recruitment schemes targeting Filipinos who plan to work in Italy.
Tulfo, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Migrant Workers, filed Senate Resolution (SR) No. 816 following reports that hundreds of victims were charged exorbitant placement and consultancy fees for jobs that turned out to be non-existent.
Reportedly, the immigration consultancy firm victimizing aspiring OFWs is identified as Alpha Assistenza SRL headed by Filipino co-CEOs Krizelle Respicio and Frederick Dutaro.
The legislator said that according to the OFW victims, they were lured into believing that they will get jobs in Italy after paying Alpha Assistenza at least 2500 euros (P120,000), while some of them admitted to paying a total of 5780 euros (P347,140).
Alpha Assistenza SRL had no legal personality whatsoever to process the work visa applications of Filipinos seeking jobs in Italy.
“Alpha Assistenza’s scheme allegedly involved the use of bogus work permits (nulla osta) which the OFWs discovered as fake when these were presented at the visa processing center.
The lawmaker noted that Alpha Assistenza’s scheme allegedly involved the use of bogus work permits (nulla osta) which the OFWs discovered as fake when these were presented at the visa processing center.
68 people have already filed formal complaints with the Department of Justice in Manila.
68 people have already filed formal complaints with the Department of Justice in Manila while the Philippine embassy in Italy has alerted the Public Prosecutors Office in Rome, the SUI, the Questura and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the alleged large-scale fraud.
The senator likewise underscored that some allegations of victims about supposed “non-action” by the Philippine consulate in Milan should also be investigated.
In filing SR No. 816, he stressed the need to “reviewing existing laws and policies on illegal recruitment and adopting other legislative measures to curb the proliferation of such vicious acts.”
