By RUBY P. SILUBRICO
ILOILO City — An alleged notorious illegal recruiter was arrested in an entrapment operation in a mall on Diversion Road, Mandurriao district here.
National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) operatives collared Remia Deguma, 45, of Barangay San Antonio, Molo district.
Deguma carries another name: Remy Roberto.
She is facing a string of criminal charges, including large-scale estafa and illegal recruitment, NBI special investigator John Katipunan said.
Katipunan said they have been searching for the suspect for a long time; many people complaining against Deguma have reported to their office.
They finally caught up with her at about 5 p.m. on Tuesday inside a restaurant in the mall.
Deguma would introduce herself as a recruiter and marketing manager of Strong Demand Business People Outsourcing in Iloilo.
The business institution she claims she belongs to is inexistent, Katipunan said.
Deguma would also claim she is connected with Island Walk Services based in Manila.
Prior to her arrest, she introduced herself to her victims as an Iloilo city government employee looking for tour guides for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit next year.
She was asking from her victims P1,000 to P4,000 as “processing fee” to qualify as tour guides.
“She roams around Western Visayas, but most of her victims came from the 4th District,” Katipunan said.
Forty people claiming to be her victims have sought help from the NBI, he said.
During the entrapment, NBI operatives accosted Deguma after two APEC officials pretending as applicants handed her the processing fee.
The suspect is now with NBI.
Deguma is facing charges for violation of the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act and Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, and large-scale estafa.
Large-scale estafa is a non-bailable offense./PN
