Senator Christopher “Bong” Go has expressed concern over the issue of the recruitment scam that victimized hundreds of overseas Filipino workers in Italy during the public hearing conducted by the Senate Committee on Migrant Workers on Wednesday.

Go, one of the authors and co-sponsors of Republic Act 11641 that created the Department of Migrant Workers, stressed that the government must listen and protect the rights and welfare of Filipino migrant workers.

He added that the DMW, headed by OIC Hans Cacdac, should lead the efforts to assist the OFWs who were scammed by fraudulent recruitment agencies that promised them jobs but failed to deliver.

To recall, hundreds of Filipino job seekers fell victim to an illegal recruitment scheme orchestrated by Alpha Assistenza-SRL in Italy. These individuals were misled into paying significant amounts for job opportunities in Italy, only to discover afterward that the work permits issued by Alpha Assistenza SRL were fraudulent.

The revelation highlighted the agency’s lack of legal authority to process work visa applications for Filipinos, leaving many in financial and emotional distress.

The Philippine government has already promised legal aid to Filipinos who were scammed in Italy. At the same time, Italian lawyers will assist the victims in filing cases against the accused firms. The DMW also works with the Department of Justice to document and investigate the complaints.

He also empathized with the plight of the OFWs who had to leave their families behind to work abroad as he urged all the parties involved to cooperate with the investigation and seek the truth and justice for the perpetrators.