President Rodrigo Duterte has tasked the Department of Labor and Employment to form a “stronger” task force against illegal recruitment.
During his “Talk to the People” aired Tuesday, Duterte directed Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III to establish a new anti-illegal recruitment unit that will be coordinated by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) or the Philippine National Police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).
“So you fortify the anti-illegal task force. When someone reports about illegal recruitment, I want the police or NBI to follow up immediately,” Duterte said.
Duterte said he also wanted the creation of a unit or office at the NBI or PNP for anti-illegal recruitment efforts.
“Give them about two months of lectures and training about labor laws and about crime, how to conduct the law of arrest, search and seizure,” he said.
The President said he wants to kill the perpetrators behind illegal recruitment and that he wants to take the job in DOLE to address the matter.
“I want to kill these illegal recruiters. Because of them many people have already lost money, been brought to other places, imprisoned because they were illegally recruited, it’s not even their fault,” Duterte said.
Duterte also lamented how illegal recruiters, who have money, managed to get away with the crime due to the “fractured” government.
Duterte said it pains him to see overseas Filipino workers fall prey to illegal recruiters.
“So, it pains me. These illegal recruiters are shameless. They can escape liability because they have the money, they have earned so much money throughout these years that they can post bail, although it is non-bailable,” he added.
Duterte’s order came after Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III told him that his office’s efforts against illegal recruitment have borne fruit with the conviction of 32 individuals.
Duterte told Interior Secretary Eduardo Año to train personnel that will be part of the new task force.