UPDATE: Following the release of earlier reports linking the case to BLS International, the company issued the following statement distancing itself from BLS Philippines Visa Application Centres (PVAC):

“BLS International Services Ltd. wishes to categorically state that BLS Philippines Visa Application Centres (PVAC) is not a part of BLS International Group Companies. For absolute clarity, BLS International Services Ltd. processes visa applications in Philippines through its 100% owned subsidiary, BLS Worldwide Services Inc. Philippines. Recent media coverage or references to BLS Philippines Visa Application Centres are unrelated to BLS International Services Ltd., & its Group companies including BLS Worldwide Services Inc. Philippines, or our operations and service standards. We remain firmly committed to upholding the highest standards of professionalism and service excellence across all our global operations.”

Charges were filed against the director of BLS Philippines Visa Applications Centers (PVAC) along with five others by two overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) for conspiring to commit qualified trafficking in persons and syndicated illegal recruitment before the Regional Trial Court of Pasay City.

Based on the complaint, the accused were identified as BLS-PVAC director Jagmohan Singh Tamber, Marie Antonette Lumanlan Ng, John Paull Aguilar Sia, Jayson Panginen Andasan, Ma. Teresa Clavaton, and Shagopta Bashir Punzalan.

However, only accused Tamber and Andasan have been arrested and placed under the jurisdiction of the court, while the other accused remain at large.

In a four-page resolution issued last 3 November, Pasay City RTC Branch 112 Presiding Judge Geoffrey Llarena denied the motion of Tamber and Andasan to post bail in the syndicated illegal recruitment case.

On the other hand, the court has allowed Tamber and Andasan to post bail in the human trafficking case.

“At this juncture, and without prejudging the merits of the case, the evidence presented thus far support a strong interference of guilt in Criminal Case No. R-PSY-25-01254-CR (Syndicated Illegal Recruitment) but not in Criminal Case No. R-PSY-25-01253-CR (Qualified Trafficking in Persons),” the resolution read.

The court directed Tamber and Andasan to post bail in the amount of P250,000 for the human trafficking case.

The criminal charges stemmed from the complaint filed by OFWs identified as Mary Joy Lozada and Cristine Ocampo.

In the syndicated illegal recruitment case, the complainants alleged that the accused offered them employment as domestic helpers in Hong Kong through fraud “for the purpose of subjecting them to prostitution and sexual exploitation.”

In the qualified trafficking in persons case, the complainants alleged that the accused recruited them to work as domestic helpers in Hong Kong by claiming that they have the authority to deploy Filipino workers abroad under Tamber International Placement Agency.

But the complainants said they found out that the agency has failed to secure the required license to recruit workers for overseas employment from the Department of Migrant Workers.

The charges against the accused carry the penalty of life imprisonment.

In their separate motions to post bail, both Tamber and Andasan argued that the evidence of guilt against them is not strong, which warrants their temporary liberty.

During the summary hearing on the accuseds’ motion to post bail, the prosecution presented Lozada and a representative of the DMW as witnesses.

From the testimonies of witnesses, the court said it is convinced “that the prosecution has clearly and sufficiently established strong evidence of guilt against both accused in the syndicated illegal recruitment case.”

It gave weight to the certification issued by the DMW stating that Tamber International Placement Agency and the accused individuals are not licensed to recruit workers for overseas employment.

The trial court said the evidence presented in the qualified trafficking in persons case “failed to convincingly establish the actual participation of Tamber and Andasan.”