Gov’t urged to arrest Cebu City politician
DOJ building in Padre Faura Street in Ermita, Manila —Inquirer file photo
MANILA, Philippines — Overseas Filipino workers’ (OFWs) group Migrante International on Sunday urged authorities to arrest a former Cebu City councilor who is eyeing a political comeback in the 2025 elections, after the Department of Justice (DOJ) denied her motion for reconsideration related to her indictment for large-scale illegal recruitment.
In a resolution issued on May 5, Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Amanda Felipe said there was prima facie evidence with reasonable certainty of conviction against Prisca Niña Mabatid and her five alleged cohorts for syndicated illegal recruitment and estafa.
The DOJ ruled that the motion raised no new matters that could justify a reversal of the earlier findings.
“When the respondents offered their services to deploy the complainants to Canada through its study visa program, they made it appear that they will also provide them with work upon arrival in Canada to help them pay for their tuition fees and cost of living there,” the seven-page resolution read.
READ: The imperative to combat illegal recruitment
“The promising or advertising for employment abroad, whether for profit or not, when undertaken by a nonlicensee or nonholder of authority, is considered illegal recruitment,” it said.
Cases dating to 2017
The case stemmed from the complaint of 11 individuals assisted by Migrante, accusing Mabatid of illegally recruiting OFWs through visa consultancy companies Pinoy Care Visa Center and Opportunities Abroad Visa Processing Services.
Citing the victims’ accounts, Migrante said the complainants were told by the companies to apply between 2017 and early 2023 for student visas to Canada, with the promise of a three-month processing time and guaranteed jobs to help pay for tuition and living expenses.
They were allegedly asked to pay more than P100,000 each, or avail themselves of a discounted P94,000 fee within a limited three-to-five-day promotion period.
Migrante said the victims were told that payment was required before processing their application.
“After they paid, they were asked to sign a memorandum of agreement indicating that the fees collected from them are nonrefundable. They were also given a list of requirements they were not told about beforehand, and [that] are difficult to fulfill,” the group said.
It added that staff members of Mabatid’s companies allegedly stopped responding to the victims’ inquiries, or became hostile when asked for refunds.
Defense of accused
In a resolution dated Nov. 11, 2024, the DOJ recommended the indictment of Mabatid for four counts of syndicated illegal recruitment under Section 6 of Republic Act No. 8042, as amended, and four counts of estafa under Article 315 (2)(a) of the Revised Penal Code.
Her five co-accused were also charged with the same crimes, but on varying counts.
In their motion for reconsideration filed in December 2024, the respondents maintained that there was no prima facie evidence with reasonable certainty of conviction for syndicated illegal recruitment and estafa, contrary to the DOJ’s findings.
They argued that they were not engaged in the recruitment of workers for overseas employment, and that the two companies were not recruitment agencies but visa assistance providers, similar to travel agencies.
They further contended that they did not offer jobs abroad, as the complainants applied for student visas, and that any assurance of work came not from them but from a Canadian government policy allowing foreign students to work while studying.
But after a careful review of the arguments, the prosecution denied the motion for reconsideration “on the ground that no new matter was raised therein that would support a different outcome of the preliminary investigation” of the case. /cb
