BY RUBY P. SILUBRICO
ILOILO City – A man long wanted for alleged illegal recruitment was arrested in Brgy. Baldoza, La Paz district here.
Sixty-year-old Edwin Madrona tried but failed to escape from his house when La Paz police station cops served his arrest warrant around 7:15 a.m. yesterday.
Aside from illegal recruitment, Madrona was also charged with economic sabotage and five counts of estafa.
The arrest warrant was issued by Judge Fe Gayanilo of the Regional Trial Court (RTC).
Although Madrona’s estafa charges were bailable (P84,000 for each count), he was denied bail for his illegal recruitment case. He would thus remain in detention at the La Paz police lockup cell.
Madrona is a suspected a member of a large group engaged in the business of illegal recruitment and operating not only in Iloilo but also in Metro Manila and other areas of the country.
Here, the group’s operation reportedly started in November 2012.
Applicants for promised overseas jobs (hotels in Malaysia) were asked processing and placement fees. But after the payments were given, the group disappeared.
Several duped applicants here filed charges against the group.
Madrona’s other companions were reportedly hiding in Manila.
Madrona, however, insisted on his innocence. He told the police he was merely being implicated because some of the group members were his friends./PN
