TPressed to a dead end, a recruiter who failed to sneak three minors along with six other recruits to Manila turned the blame on their mothers, who he said designed the ploy. The recruiter, Dionisio Anzano, who came from the same hometown of the recruits claimed the mothers of the minors made him believe they were already of legal age and accepted the cash advance of P1,500 for each of them. They all came from the same town, Getafe , with the same story. The three minors were from the island barangay of Nasingin. As they admitted it, the mothers said poverty forced them into the arrangement and with the hard life in the island, they said they find it hard to return the amount that they received from Anzano earlier as cash advances chargeable to their daughters expected wages had plans pushed as designed.

Anzano and nine recruits, that included the three minors- -two aged 16, and the other 17- - were about to board Cebu Pacific (Flight 5J 616) bound for Manila on June 17 when the Airport Aviation Group, led by Police Senior Inspector Donatilla Baya-Sotto, intercepted them. As the police intervention started to delay the flight, Sotto said she cleared the six other recruits of Anzano despite absence of documents such as birth certificates and others that might lead to their identities. Anzano, an agent of Bernardino's Employment Agency that holds office in Sampaloc, Metro Manila, was only able to present his credentials, such as authority to recruit issued by DOLE and Getafe police certification that he was authorized to hire workers.

In a joint inquiry on June 23 at the Capitol session conference room, the Provincial Board Committee on Women/Family Affairs chaired by PB Member Aster Piollo, and PB Committee on Peace and Order chaired by PB Member Ma. Fe Camacho-Lejos grilled Anzano. Anzano told the PB probe team that upon learning that the three girls were underage, he immediately sent them home, saying he does not want his trade to be perceived as illegal. He said he had been in the trade since early 1970s without hitches, he said. He admitted, however, that there were lapses in some instances, like failing to get papers from DOLE before proceeding to the hiring. The PB committees also found that the certification the Getafe police issued to Anzano was released without the knowledge of the signatory. SPO2 Celso Camacho Francisco, officer-in-charge of Gatafe police station, who said he was not around when Anzano got the clearance denied having issued it, hinting a forgery. Lawyer Gerry Guidaben of DOLE pointed out during the investigation that there's no need for a recruiter to secure police certification to ply his trade.

He said he only needs to present an authorization to the town mayor in coordination with the municipal Public Employment Service Office (PESO). Other requisites prior to any recruitment, a recruiter has to present the following an authority to recruit from DOLE, birth certificates of the recruit, contract of employment among others, Guidaben said. As this developed, the two PB committees investigating the issue created an interim task force and issued guidelines to tightly monitor movements of illegal recruitment. The task force, as proposed by Police Provincial Director Col. Eduardo Ingking, to closely coordinate with the agencies concerned such as the PPA and the airport, while it is securing a copy of the implementing rules and regulations of the RA 9208 or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Law. The task force members include representatives of the Department of Justice, Bureau of Immigration, PNP, National Bureau of Investigation, Department of Social Welfare and Development of both national and LGU, DOLE, PPA, Civil Aviation Administration and other agencies concerned. The investigating PB committees still have to come up with a recommendation or a plan of action to take on Anzano's alleged violation of hiring minors. (RVO)