SEN. JV Ejercito, on Monday, deplored the difficulties in tracking and prosecuting online illegal recruitment syndicates targeting Filipinos seeking work overseas.
Ejercito said online platforms have become a primary tool for syndicates preying on aspiring OFWs, and that such scams are now “very difficult to detect.”
Sen. Raffy Tulfo, Committee on Migrant Workers chairman, led the hearing on several bills promoting the welfare of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
Ejercito asked Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac how existing laws could be strengthened against bogus online job offers proliferating on platforms, such as Facebook and TikTok.
"Maybe that's all we can ask so that this can help us formally or amend some laws so that we can strengthen to dismantle recruitment agencies targeting our OFWs,” Ejercito said in English and Filipino.
Cacdac said his department has coordinated with digital platforms such as Meta (Facebook) Philippines and TikTok in removing illegal recruitment content.
He said concerned authorities still face challenges in identifying and going after the operators behind illegal job offers.
“The bigger scourge, I believe, is those who are not licensed by the DMW,” Cacdac said.
He said many fake or “dummy” recruitment pages impersonate legitimate agencies, while others are not registered at all.
Ejercito asked the DMW about the “common gaps” encountered by authorities in building cases against illegal recruiters.
Cacdac said the problem involves “extra-territorial jurisdiction” because some syndicates are based abroad.
