ZAMBOANGA CITY – The Department of Labor and Employment in Zamboanga (DOLE-9), will file cases against North West Man Power Services, a recruiting firm  in this city for human trafficking involving 64 workers from Tacloban City and  Samar in the Visayas region.
 
Assisting DOLE-9 in this move are the Waray Party List, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), Visayan Forum, City Fiscals Office Atty. Darlene Pajarito, DOLE Region 7 and 8, Siliman University Alumni Association through Atty. Dorothy Cajayon and the City Social Welfare and Development Office  regional office  in Zamboanga.
 
The affidavit of the victims was already taken by Fiscal Darlene Pajarito and they will represent the group of workers in the case.
 
Centi said the possible case to be filed are human trafficking, illegal recruitment and violation of labor laws since the North West Man Power Services located in Recodo in the west coast of the city has no authority to recruit.
 
DOLE-9  Assistant Regional Director Yahya Centi said 17 workers  will represent the 64 persons in their group in filing a case against their recruiter for human trafficking.
 
Centi  stressed that the office will  assist  the 17 workers in the case by authorizing DOLE-9 investigators to testify in court in order to strengthen the case.
 
DOLE Chief Labor Employment Officer Ian Lahi said the 64  workers were recruited in Tacloban City in Leyte months ago.
 
Their unnamed contact promised jobs in a canning factory in Zamboanga with a daily salary of P150 and P300 if they have overtime.
 
The job applicants were brought to Zamboanga City by land from Surigao while some used the Ozamis via Pagadian route to this city.
 
The 64 job applicants were endorsed to the manpower service company who housed them in boarding houses at Recodo barangay near the canning factory at barangay Talisayan.
 
They were later brought to the Aquatic Food Corporation located in Recodo where these victims worked.
 
A team from DOLE-9  backed by policemen raided the Aquatic Canning Factory and the North West Man Power Services last August 5 and  rescued the victims.