Lalaking wanted sa illegal recruitment, arestado; 1,700 umano ang nabiktima

Published 23 Jul 2026 at 5:10 PM

by Rose Dabu

4 min read

A man wanted for syndicated illegal recruitment was arrested in Mexico, Pampanga after police tracked him down at his rented home.
Authorities said around 1,700 people were allegedly victimized by the recruitment scheme between 2023 and 2025.
The suspect claimed he was only an employee of the agency and was simply following the management's instructions.
Police also discovered that the man had another warrant of arrest for the same offense.

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A man wanted for syndicated illegal recruitment was arrested by authorities in Mexico, Pampanga after they located him at his rented residence.

According to a report by Unang Balita on GMA Integrated News, the 40-year-old suspect was taken into custody after police confirmed his whereabouts and carried out an arrest operation.

When he arrived at the police station, authorities found that he also had another warrant of arrest for the same case. The warrant was immediately served.

Police said one of the alleged victims sought their help in locating the suspect. During the investigation, authorities learned that he had allegedly been using a different identity, making it more difficult to track him down.

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"Itong suspect po natin ayon sa ating information ay nagtatago sa bandang Pampanga. So pan verification ah na-confirm natin na yung tao nga ay nandodoon but kaya hindi nahuhuli because gumagamit po siya ng ibang identity, ibang pangalan yung ginagamit niya."

Based on the investigation conducted by the Project 4 Police Station, around 1,700 individuals were allegedly victimized by the recruitment scheme from 2023 to 2025. Some of them also went to the police station to file complaints.

The complainants alleged that they were promised jobs in Europe as skilled workers. They were also reportedly told that only a few slots were left, prompting them to immediately pay to secure their applications.

Police said the agency allegedly asked for an initial payment of at least P80,000, while some applicants reportedly paid as much as P300,000. Despite the payments, none of them were able to leave for Europe.

The suspect, however, denied being responsible for the recruitment operation. He insisted that he was only an employee tasked with dealing directly with the applicants and providing them with updates.

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"Ako'y nakasangkot sa napakaraming kaso ng illegal recruitment at ako'y ah nagpapasalamat dahil ako'y nahuli dahil gusto ko talagang harapin ito dahil para rin sa mga applikante at para malaman ng katotohanan kung ano lang yung sinasabi ng management."

He also said, "Yun na lang din ang ginagawa ko. So ah naiintindihan ko maraming galit sa akin kasi nga ah ako ang humaharap sa kanila. Okay? At ah ako yung nag-a-update ng status nila and nothing less that's all."

Authorities also revealed that the agency's license had already been revoked in January. They further discovered that the suspect had previously been arrested in connection with rápe and estafa cases.

The suspect remains under police custody while authorities await the court's commitment order.

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In another report, Marlon Sabandal lost his life after he was shot while trying to stop a street brawl in Barangay Buting, Pasig City, in the early hours of July 12. According to a report on GMA News' Unang Balita, several men were seen arguing along the roadside before the confrontation escalated into a fistfight. Barangay tanods who were on patrol aboard a tricycle happened to pass by and immediately crossed the street to stop the commotion.