THE Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) yesterday shut down the Philippine office of a Dubai-based consultancy firm after it was found to be engaged in illegal recruitment activities by offering fake jobs in Italy and Malta to aspiring overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
Aided by elements of the PNP, DMW Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Undersecretary Hans Leo Cacdac led the closure of the office of Legal Connect Travel Consultancy in Barangay Veterans, Quezon City.
“Legal Connect Travel Consultancy, which is also known as Legal Connect Travel Services, did not do anything legal. In truth, all their activities are illegal, illegal recruitment, illegal collection of fees, everything is illegal,” said Cacdac.
He said their action stemmed from the complaints of three victims of the company whose applications were either stalled or ignored by Legal Connect after the company collected exorbitant placement fees from them.
Cacdac said Legal Connect has been operating without a valid DMW license to recruit OFWs.
He said the firm still lures unsuspecting applicants with promises of agricultural jobs, fruit and vegetable pickers, dairy farm workers, and caregivers in Italy as well as hotel crew service jobs in Malta.
Cacdac said Legal Connect offered applicants monthly salaries ranging from P60,000 to P100,000.
However, the firm imposed “processing” fees ranging from P250,000 to P380,000, with an initial “placement” fee ranging from P80,000 to P100,000 to be collected immediately while the balance shall be paid in installments.
Cacdac said the processing time of the agency is “deceptively long” with applicants having to wait for six to eight months for jobs that never materialized.
He said the company’s officers and personnel shall be blacklisted from participating in the government’s overseas recruitment program.
He added that its officers and personnel may face serious charges of illegal recruitment committed by a syndicate, which is punishable by life imprisonment and fines ranging from P2,000,000 to P5,000,000.
The DMW also urged other victims of Legal Connect to report their cases to the agency.
