Hundreds of Filipinos whose dreams of landing jobs in Italy were dashed have sought the help of Daily Tribune's digital show, Usapang OFW, to prod authorities to prosecute for alleged illegal recruitment the immigration consultancy firm, Alpha Assistenza SRL.
Appearing on the 21 September episode of the show, the complainants, namely, Vanessa Antonio, Enrique Catilo and Apple Cabasis recounted via video conferencing their unpleasant experiences dealing with Alpha Assistenza, headed by its Filipino co-CEOs Krizelle Respicio and Frederick Dutaro.
The accounts of Antonio, Catilo and Cabasis touched off an avalanche of complaints from netizens in the comments section of Usapang OFW, detailing how they lost money and valuable time dealing with Alpha Assistenza.
Most said they were victims of cold-calling tactics, misrepresentations, and pretenses by Alpha Assistenza, whose Facebook page also identified Respicio as an "immigration consultant" and Dutaro as an "account director."
Tribune sources said complaints had been filed with Italian authorities against the company. In an earlier interview with Usapang OFW, Philippine Consul General to Milan Elmer Cato confirmed cases of Filipinos being recruited illegally into the country.
Some complainants, including Antonio, were reportedly lured to transact with Alpha Assistenza on the pretext that their relatives in Italy had talked to company agents. "I was an OFW in Taiwan working in a factory when my cousin told me that she could help me get a job in Italy," Antonio said.
"The recruiter promised they could send me to Italy in three months. I made an excuse to end my contract in Taiwan. My cousin paid the recruiter 2,500 euros (about P120,000)," she said.
Catilo and Cabasis said the consultancy firm, acting as a recruitment agency, was able to set their appearance for visa processing at Piasi Via, only for their applications to be rejected because their documents were found to be fake.
Cabasis said that she and another relative seeking work in Italy through the firm paid a total of 5,780 euros. She recounted how she discovered hundreds more had been "victimized" by Alpha Assistenza.
"On 21 June, we were scheduled for an appearance at the Piasi. I thought there would be only six of us. It turned out there were 20 more who were recruited by Alpha Assistenza," Cabasis said.
"We discovered that all of us had no appointment scheduled despite being told by the agency through our chat group that we had one," Cabasis said.
Over 400 Filipino "victims" were issued — allegedly through Alpha Assistenza — fake Nulla Osta, the equivalent of a work permit in Italy, Cabasis said.
Socorro Velasquez, who admitted she had worked as a "runner" for the agency in the Philippines in exchange for a chance to work in Italy herself, said she decided to help those "scammed" by the company.
She said her change of heart came after she learned Alpha Assistenza's operations were not above board.
Labor lawyer Tristan Turiano, a resource person during the show, advised the group to file a complaint with the Department of Migrant Workers.
"The first step should be for them to file an affidavit of complaint with the DMW. Bring all the pertinent evidence you have on hand, even screenshots of private or chat messages where they made promises," Turiano said.
The lawyer said Velasquez could be held liable for illegal recruitment, but "she can also serve as a witness." The money that the victims paid, though, is unlikely to be recovered, Turiano said.
"The sad reality is that even if we can file a complaint for illegal recruitment, more often than not, the money would be difficult to recover. There are rare instances when the complainants and the liable agencies were able to reach a compromise, but based on experience, the money is no longer recovered," the lawyer said.
Daily Tribune reached out to Alpha Assistenza but had not received a response at press time.
