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.
The immigration consultancy firm victimizing aspiring OFWs is reportedly identified as Alpha Assistenza SRL headed by Filipino co-CEOs Krizelle Respicio and Frederick Dutaro.
Tulfo said quoting OFW victims that they were lured into believing that they will 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.
The senator noted 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.
Sixty-eight 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, the SUI, the Questura, and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the alleged large-scale fraud.
Tulfo 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, Tulfo stressed the need to “review existing laws and policies on illegal recruitment and adopting other legislative measures to curb the proliferation of such vicious acts.” (Marlon Luistro)
