Two Filipinas Arrested in Turkey , Victims of Illegal Recruitment

6 March 2007 – The Department of Foreign Affairs reiterates its warning to Filipinos against illegal recruiters who were promised work in Europe through Turkey following the arrest and detention of two Filipinas in Turkey while attempting to cross into Greece by train on 10 March 2007.

Philippine Ambassador to Turkey Bahnarim A. Guinomla in a report said Edna Fiel Reataza, 33, and Elvisa Juan Acob, 38, told the Embassy that they separately paid PhP400,000 to a certain Joel Reyes in exchange for a promised job in Thesaloniki, Greece.

Reataza and Acob narrated that Reyes took care of their passports and visa to Turkey .  They were instructed to check in a cheap apartment upon arrival in Hong Kong . A man who introduced himself as Polish later showed up and asked for their passports and handed them supposedly European IDs which would facilitate their travel to Europe .

During a routine inspection of train passengers at Edirne , 680 kilometers west of Ankara , the two were arrested and detained after they presented their “Euro ID.”

In a telephone conversation with Ambassador Guinomla, Reataza and Acob admitted that they borrowed money from relatives to pay the illegal recruiters.  Reataza said she borrowed from her aunt living in Vancouver, while Acob mortgaged her house with a rural bank for P200,000 and borrowed the rest from her cousin working in Singapore.

Both Filipinas could not provide any details about their recruiters, but the Ambassador told them to seek help from authorities upon their return to Manila .

“With the plight suffered by the two, we again warn Filipinos intending to go to Europe through Istanbul or any other point in Turkey to desist and report to authorities of the illegal activities of their recruiters,” Ambassador Guinomla stated.

The cases of Reataza and Acob followed a similar incident involving Michelle Vicente Antonio who was also arrested in Edirne in her attempt to cross from Turkey to Europe . END

/esgret

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