Woman nabbed for illegal recruitment

June 23, 2010 - A woman was arrested in her apartment in barangay Labangon, Cebu City for allegedly engaging in illegal recruitment.

Mariam Hasam, 51, was arrested Monday night in an entrapment operation. She transacted with a policeman who posed as an applicant.

According to police investigation, Hasam's husband was an Arabian national and shareholder of Royal Mont Hotel in Canada.

The woman told police that she only wanted to help her husband find workers for the hotel and this way help some people find work abroad.

Hasam told police that she did not know that she had to secure a permit from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) for her efforts.

Hasam said she did the direct recruiting and her husband would give final approval.

She said the hotel would shoulder the cost of the applicant's trip to Canada.

Working permits or working visas for the accepted applicants would be processed once they arrive in Canada, the woman said.

Hasam said she would require applicants to pay P5,000 for their medical examination.

She said she had already sent several people to Canada for work.

The police set up the entrapment after six persons reported to the police that the woman issued them dubious receipts after paying for their medical examinations.

One complainant said she and her husband learned about Hasam’s direct hiring from their neighbors.

She said they were offered jobs as chamber maids and room boys in the Royal Mont Hotel.

The complainant said they pawned their motorcycle for P10,000 when Hasam asked them to pay P5,000 so their applications would be processed right away.

The woman said they were surprised when after making payment, the woman only gave them a handwritten acknowledgment which served as a receipt.

The woman said Hasam also showed them a copy of their supposed contract which showed several errors.

Hasam was detained at the Punta Princesa police station while charges are being readied against her, said police. - Carine M. Asutilla, Cebu Daily News/Inquirer.net