Photo courtesy of PNP
A woman accused of collecting money from jobseekers for purported factory jobs abroad was arrested in Antipolo City after authorities tracked her down over outstanding warrants, police said.
The suspect, ranked as the No. 10 regional most wanted person in Cagayan Valley, was located in Barangay Bagong Nayon 1 on Sept. 2 during an operation involving the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and other police units.
Her arrest stemmed from large-scale illegal recruitment and estafa cases pending before a court in Aparri, Cagayan.
Police records showed that the illegal recruitment charge carried no recommended bail, while bail for the estafa case was set at Php 18,000.
Investigators alleged that from June to November 2025, the woman and three other individuals approached prospective workers with offers of factory employment in Europe, including Poland, where they were supposedly promised monthly salaries of Php 120,000.
The complainants allegedly communicated with the group through social media, messaging platforms and group chats before turning over a combined Php 220,000 for various processing, placement and reservation expenses.
PNP chief Jose Melencio Nartatez urged Filipinos seeking employment overseas to confirm the legitimacy of recruiters and job offers with the appropriate government agencies before handing over money or personal documents.