MANILA, Philippines–Repatriated workers are consulting with Migrante International organization lawyers about the filing of a case against the inaction of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) officials on their illegal recruitment cases. According to Garry Martinez, chairperson of the largest organization of Filipino migrants, there are many illegal recruiters victimizing Filipinos right under the noses of POEA officials.
“Why can recruitment agencies such as these continue to play their evil deeds, right under the noses of POEA officials? Why are there so many illegal recruitment cases victimizing thousands of OFWs?” questioned Martinez.
Together with Migrante International, these repatriated workers from the Annasban company in Riyadh, and the construction workers from the Filipino-owned Ashley Alexis Company in Maldives trooped to POEA to file mass complaints against their respective agencies.
“Prosecute recruitment agencies engaged in illegal recruitment!” they claimed.
“Through these complaints, we are putting the POEA on notice that we shall be closely monitoring how they will respond to these cases. Time and again we have seen how POEA decisions have favored recruitment agencies more than OFWs,” Martinez said.
Martinez cited that the Annasban company is one of the companies seemed to be favored by the POEA.
Annasban company has gained notoriety among OFWs because of the series of complaints on gross violations in contracts it has received in the past. However despite these complaints, POEA has not yet given its sanctions.
“We will be setting up a POEA Watch. We shall make a count of how many recruitment agencies with various cases of illegal recruitment the POEA has allowed to go unpunished! The public will definitely hear about this,” Martinez expressed.
The repatriated workers have experienced gross violations in their employment contracts, poor working condition and non-payment of their wages.
They are presently seeking to also file administrative complaints against their agencies as part of the measures they intend to take in their pursuit of justice.
They are also fighting to bring their co-workers still stranded abroad home to the Philippines. –The Manila Times
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