House inquiry sought into increase in bogus overseas work offers
MANILA, Philippines — A lawmaker at the House of Representatives is pushing for a legislative inquiry into reports of fake overseas job offers where Filipinos end up working for centers that operate online scams.
Rep. Camille Villar (Las Piñas) filed House Resolution 899 urging the committees on Labor and Employment and on Overseas Workers Affairs to look into the said incidents "with the objectives of crafting new or strengthening existing policies to protect the public."
The inquiry also aims to "[intensify] information dissemination campaign against fraudulent employment schemes and job postings, and aggressively pursuing syndicates preying on hapless jobseekers," read the resolution filed on March 30 but made public only on Tuesday.
Villar noted in her resolution the reports of Filipinos receiving offers from local placement agencies to work abroad, but who end up in dubious cryptocurrency scam groups.
The Bureau of Immigration said it recently rescued six victims of the said scheme. Lured by offers of a monthly salary of P40,000 or a supposed wage of $800 to $1,000, the victims were to leave the country as tourists.
BI has already issued a warning to the public against trafficking syndicates and has said it has removed two employees suspected to be linked to the crime.
The bureau has also resorted to conducting stricter interviews as it noted a rise in the number of young professionals — even "those with good travel records, [and who are] gainfully employed and are graduates of good schools” – being deceived by cryptocurrency scams abroad that advertise false promises of high salaries.
But Villar said "it should provide impetus to authorities to aggressively pursue a full-blown investigation to determine the extent of participation of other employees, unmask those behind the syndicates and prosecute them."
"[W]hile it is the duty of the government to provide decent jobs for its citizens to prevent them from leaving, it is also of equal importance that the government protect its citizens seeking employment abroad from scammers and syndicates," she added. — Kristine Joy Patag
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