Incentive program for victims of illegal recruitment

Administrator Rosalinda Dimapilis Baldoz is encouraging victims of illegal recruitment to avail of the POEA’s incentive program in filing cases against their recruiters as she observed that most illegal recruitment cases do not prosper in courts because of desistance of the complainants.

Baldoz said many illegal recruitment cases are dismissed due to complainants’ disinterest to pursue the case or their inability to pay the required docket fees. Most often, after filing the cases, victims would not continue participating in court proceedings, accepting instead measly sum of settlement money.

The POEA’s incentive program hopes to perk up complainants’ interest in illegal recruitment cases by providing assistance to victims and witnesses through the payment of docket fees and other court related expenses.

As a bonus, victims and witnesses availing of the program shall be given priority for overseas employment at no cost, Baldoz said.

“It is very disappointing to see illegal recruitment cases we have helped build up being dismissed and archived because the complainants lost interest or accepted settlement money to drop the case,” said Baldoz.

Baldoz cited a case filed in Manila which was already in the pre trial stage when one of the accused offered the complainant P70,000 as settlement money. The victim readily accepted the money because she paid the accused P30,000 only.

POEA