Senator Raffy Tulfo is seeking an investigation over the reported multi-million illegal recruitment schemes targeting Filipinos wanting to work in Italy.
Tulfo has filed Senate Resolution (SR) No. 816 following reports that hundreds of victims were charged exorbitant placement and consultancy fees for jobs.
Applicants then discovered that the jobs did not even exist.
The group Alpha Assistenza SRL headed by Filipino co-CEOs Krizelle Respicio and Frederick Dutaro were reportedly leading the scam job offers.
Tulfo said that according to the OFW victims, they were lured into believing that they would get jobs in Italy after paying Alpha Assistenza at least 2500 euros (Php 120,000.00), while some of them admitted to paying a total of 5780 euros (Php 347, 140.00).
“Alpha Assistenza SRL had no legal personality whatsoever to process the work visa applications of Filipinos seeking jobs in Italy,” Tulfo said in a statement.
The lawmaker said that Alpha Assistenza’s scheme allegedly involved the use of bogus work permits (nulla osta) which the OFWs only discovered as fake when these were presented at the visa processing center.
68 complainants 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.
Tulfo also wants to look into some allegations of victims about supposed “non-action” by the Philippine consulate in Milan.
