The Senate Committee on Migrant Workers has postponed the hearing scheduled for yesterday on the alleged recruitment scam involving Alpha Assistenza SRL, an immigration consultancy firm based in Milan, Italy.

There were no explanations for why the Senate panel hearing, chaired by Senator Raffy Tulfo, was rescheduled to Friday, 2 February.

However, sources privy to information said the Senate panel decided to move its hearing to give way to the Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation probe into the alleged use of government funds for the signature drive for the People’s Initiative.

The supposed joint hearing of the Senate Committee on Finance with the Senate Committees on Sustainable Development Goals, Innovation, and Future Thinking; on Peace Unification and Reconciliation; and on Local Government into the Government Procurement Reform Act was also moved to a later date.

The Tulfo-led panel was acting on the two separate resolutions by its chair and Senator Risa Hontiveros regarding the alleged recruitment scam of Alpha Assistenza SRL that reportedly duped over 300 Filipinos who paid exorbitant fees for relatives in the Philippines to secure what later turned out to be non-existent jobs in Italy.

To recall, victims of Alpha Assistenza SRL took their complaints to Daily Tribune’s Usapang OFW show in September last year complaining about the slow progress of their case.