Victims in the Philippines and Hong Kong await refunds amid crackdown on illegal recruiters
- Dozens of workers claim they have been deceived into paying extra fees, and are waiting to get thousands of pesos back
- The cases are linked to three suspects who are believed to have scammed workers after promising them jobs in Hong Kong
A Philippines crackdown on suspected illegal recruiters has netted three people who promised scores of domestic workers jobs in Hong Kong, leaving victims waiting for refunds worth thousands of pesos.
A pre-trial hearing of the case involving Arlene Tabunot, Aaron Coronado and Robert Coronado was held on Tuesday.
The suspects were caught by the main investigation arm of the Philippine National Police on November 26 in Quezon City, while they were giving instructions to workers who had been waiting for jobs in Hong Kong.
Eight people in the Philippines say they have been deceived and have formally reported the case to authorities – but the real number of victims may be much higher.
Separately, about 50 workers made complaints to the Philippines Overseas Labor Office in Hong Kong about an employment agency in the city, which locally based domestic helpers claimed had ties with Tabunot.
“Workers reported that she [Tabunot] came to Hong Kong, collected illegal fees and had local partners,” said Philippines labour attaché Jalilo Dela Torre.