Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) administrator Rosalinda Baldoz on January 5 disclosed that Assistant City Prosecutor Carlos M. Flores of Makati City recommended the filing of criminal cases for illegal recruitment and Estafa against Elvira de los Santos and Engr. Carmencita Pacquingan, Marketing Representative and General Manager, respectively of MKS Consultancy.

Citing a report submitted by the Anti-illegal Recruitment Branch (AIRB) of the POEA, Administrator Baldoz said that MKS Consultancy was closed pursuant to a Closure order issued by the Administration after surveillance operations conducted by complainant John Rio A. Bautista, then Chief of the Operations and Surveillance Division of the AIRB and his operatives revealed that the above-named respondents actively recruited workers for overseas employment at their office located at Salcedo Village, Makati City, without the necessary recruitment license or authority.

“For the year 2003, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration through its Anti-Illegal Recruitment Branch facilitated the arrest of twelve (12) suspects of illegal recruitment by virtue of warrantless arrest and the filing of 390 anti-illegal recruitment cases involving 1,479 victims for preliminary investigation. POEA has also conducted 449 surveillance operations during the 11-month period ending in November and ordered the closure of twenty-nine (29) erring recruitment agencies,” Administrator Baldoz added.