The Senate will open on 30 January an investigation into the massive scam allegedly perpetrated by Italy-based Alpha Assistenza SRL owned by the couple Krizelle Respicio and Frederick Dutaro.

Senator Risa Hontiveros will preside over the probe that was touched off by the criminal complaints for estafa and illegal recruitment filed by those who paid Alpha Assistenza at least 2,500 euro each in exchange for the facilitation of their travel to Italy.

Aside from the job seekers in the Philippines who lost money, also complainants in a parallel case filed in Italy are Filipinos already in Milan who acted as sponsors of the job seekers.

Several complaints are pending in the Philippines, awaiting decisions by prosecutors on whether to file them in court or not.

In an interview on DAILY TRIBUNE’s digital show Usapang OFW, which broke the Alpha Assistenza story last year, Hontiveros said the Senate may summon Philippine Consul General to Milan Elmer Cato over victims’ allegations that he had sat on their complaints purportedly because of his alleged closeness to Respicio.