No bail for "large scale illegal recruiter"

CEBU, Philippines - An alleged large scale illegal recruiter has been denied temporary liberty after the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office recommended no bail against William Medicielo who was charged for his failure to deploy six complainants abroad.

 Reviewing Prosecutor Ernesto Narido Jr. elevated the case to the courts after Medicielo not only failed to send the complainants abroad but also did not refund the money they paid despite demands.

There were initially three respondents of the case namely: Medicielo, Richard Perez and Gretchen Lauron.

However, Prosecutor Alex Gabud dismissed the complaint filed against Perez and Lauron for lack of evidence.

 In his resolution, Gabud said the complainants failed to present evidence to prove Perez and Lauron’s involvement in the case.

 Originally, there were eight complainants in the case including Rochelle Mati Acenas-Wong, Ruchelle Acenas, Kimmy Lisen, Merry Joy Zaldivar, Juluis Furog, Jaypee Panilagan, and spouses Royce and Chona Hapitan but Gabud dismissed the complaint filed by Panilagan and the Hapitan couple for insufficiency of evidence.

 “The charges filed by Panilagan, Royce and Chona cannot be considered in this investigation since their allegations are not substantiated by evidence particularly the receipts of the amount they allegedly gave to the respondents,” resolution reads.

 Narido, upon review of Gabud’s resolution, affirmed the findings to dismiss the complaint filed against Lauron and Perez and to elevate the case against Medicielo.

 He likewise affirmed to dismiss the complaint filed by the couple saying it was their son, Clarison, who was recruited by Medicielo and not them.

 He however reversed Gabud’s ruling on the dismissal of the complaint filed by Panilagan saying that though Panilagan failed to submit receipts as evidence to prove his payments to Medicielo it is “not fatal to the case of the prosecution for as long as it is clearly established through witnesses’ respective testimonies.”

 In the complaint-affidavits of Rochelle, Ruchelle, Lisen, Zaldivar, Panilagan and Furog, they stated that they were recruited to work abroad by the respondents.

 In consideration thereof, respondents demanded Rochelle to pay P175,000; Ruchelle for P25,000; Lisen for P60,000; Zaldivar for P40,000; Furog for P15,000 and Panilagan for P40,000 in the total of P355,000.

 Complainants said it was Medicielo who signed and issued the receipts as proof of their payments.

 They said that despite their payments, the respondents failed to deploy them to their supposed destination without valid reason and when asked to refund, the respondents allegedly refused to give any.

 The complainants said that based on the certification issued by the Philippines Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), they found out that Medicielo and Perez were not connected of Horus Manpower and Recruitment Resource Inc. and it was only Lauron who was connected to the said agency.

The complaint was resolved based on the allegations of the complainants after respondents failed to submit controverting evidence despite demands. — (FREEMAN)