Criminal charges have been filed against two officers of Alpha Assistenza SRL who allegedly defrauded Filipinos into paying 3,000 euros (roughly P180,000) each for non-existent jobs in Italy, according to the Philippine Consulate General (PCG) in Milan.
The PCG announced on Sunday that the Office of the Public Prosecutor of Milan has filed charges of “aggravated fraud” against Diane Kristine Respicio and John Dutaro, the chief executive officers of the immigration consultancy firm.
The first 11 complaints were filed by Bruno De Blasi, an Italian lawyer hired by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to represent the 100 Filipino complainants based in Italy, said the consulate in a statement.
The victims have collectively filed a class suit against Respicio, Dutaro, and others allegedly involved in defrauding 269 Filipinos, most of whom are their relatives in the Philippines, seeking work in Italy under the “decreto flussi” program, as stated by the consulate.
Prior to this, the consulate had received information that some immigration firms were demanding 500 euros (P30,000) as a reservation fee and up to 5,000 euros (P300,000) as a processing fee for the 452,000 job openings under the decreto flussi program that Italy will allocate for Filipinos and other foreign workers in the next three years.
The Consulate General informed that De Blasi will be lodging additional complaints in the coming days before the Office of the Public Prosecutor, which will then review the complaints and decide whether to proceed with a trial.
“The filing of the complaints comes less than two weeks after the Consulate engaged De Blasi as the legal representative of the 100 Filipinos who wished to take Respicio, Dutaro, and others to court for allegedly failing to deliver the promised jobs for which they had each paid up to 3,000 euros (P180,000),” stated the PCG.
The hiring of a lawyer to represent the complainants was one of the recommendations made by the PCG when it initiated an investigation into the alleged fraudulent transactions involving Alpha Assistenza.
Furthermore, the PCG revealed that the hiring of a lawyer to represent the complainants against Alpha Assistenza in Italy was among the recommendations put forth by Consul General Elmer Cato to the DFA as early as August 31 to address the issue.
Cato made the recommendation a few days after the PCG launched an investigation into the complaints filed by nine individuals against Respicio.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo approved Cato’s recommendation upon endorsement by Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Jose Eduardo de Vega, in order to provide assistance to the complainants using the DFA’s legal assistance fund.
It is crucial to address cases of fraud like these to protect individuals seeking employment opportunities abroad. The PCG’s swift action in filing criminal charges against the officers of Alpha Assistenza SRL demonstrates their commitment to ensuring the safety and welfare of Filipino workers.
As the legal proceedings progress, it is hoped that justice will be served, and those responsible for deceiving and defrauding innocent individuals will be held accountable under the law.
Source: The Manila Times
