(Photo: Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA)/Facebook)
MANILA — The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has relieved two officials pending investigation of their alleged involvement in illegal recruitment activities.
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) officer-in-charge Undersecretary Dominador Say said the action taken against the officials, who were not identified, is part of a major revamp among the agency’s officials and personnel allegedly involved in illegal activities.
“Pending the final determination as based on investigation result, hindi pa natin masasabi kung saan sila involved (we still cannot say where they are involved), but what we can say at the moment is ‘yung mga taong humahawak ng sensitive positions (those who are holding sensitive positions), ‘yung mga easy prey to temptations ‘yun ang aalisin (those who are easy prey to temptations will be removed) plus other reports we have been receiving na consistent naman hindi lang once o twice na nasa natatanggap naming report ,(those who are consistently being reported to us)” he said in an press briefing on Tuesday.
Say added that also being investigated are presidential appointees in the agency.
“‘Yung mga taong involved sa reports na ‘yun ang feedback sila ang mauunang alisin sa pwesto (Those included in the reports or feedback, they will be relieved from the posts,), again this is pending investigation, aalisin muna para hindi lang sila ma-involved further, (they will be relieved for the meantime so they won’t be involved further) alisin lang muna sa pwesto nila at ililipat para pagkatapos (ng) final investigation (They will be relived and transferred so that after the final investigation), if circumstances warrant we will let the Secretary (Silvestre Bello III) decide kung ire-recommend for their termination kasi karamihan sa mga ito (ay) presidential appointees (if he will recommend their termination because many of them are presidential appointees),” he said.
“To be accurate all are under investigation regardless kung career or presidential appointee , everybody, it’s a total revamp, up and down, side to side revamp,” Say added.
On the other hand, POEA officer-in-charge Bernard Olalia said that also included in the revamp are 40 guards and 40 janitors.
“Malungkot man aminin pero may mga report kasi tayo na nagagamit ang mga security guards and janitors sa mga illegal activities, either ginagawa silang bagman o runner, eto ang napakasakit kasi ‘yung mga security guards na dapat merong trabaho e nagagamit ng mga tiwaling opisyal kaya bingyan din natin ng pagkakataon na imbestigahan din ito, kung dapat palitan papalitan po natin, (Sad as it seems, we have reports indicating that our security guards and janitors are also involved in illegal activities. Either they are being used as bagman or runner. Our security guards who have their own duties are being used by corrupt officials so we have to subject them to investigation. If they need to be replaced, we will replace them.)” he said.
Say added that at least four licensed recruitment agencies, which are also supposedly involved in the illegal activities, are likewise being investigated.
“Pina-imbentaryo na natin ‘yung mga cases na pending sa POEA (We have conducted and inventory of the pending cases at the POEA) regarding violations involving recruitment agencies, hinihiwalay natin cases involving illegal recruitment (we have separated the cases involving illegal recruitment), siguro may four cases pa na involved d’yan (probably there are four cases involved) and we will be releasing later on decisions involving suspension and/or cancellation of licenses of these recruitment agencies involved in illegal recruitment,” he said.
Earlier, the DOLE ordered the temporary suspension of the processing of Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) at the POEA in connection with the supposed illegal recruitment activities.
To note, the OEC processing has been suspended from November 13 to December 1.
The POEA estimates that some 75,000 new and returning OFWs would be affected by the temporary suspension. (PNA)