Launch of Campaign Against Illegal Recruiters and Human Trafficking ( Letter of Instructions No. 324 )

October 6, 1975

LETTER OF INSTRUCTIONS NO. 324

WHEREAS, thousands of Filipinos hoping to find employment abroad are daily being victimized by illegal recruiters who promise them high paying jobs in other countries; cd i

WHEREAS, thousands of poor families have lost their properties and gotten into indebtedness in order to pay the exorbitant amounts demanded by these illegal recruiters;

WHEREAS, many of those recruited by these unscrupulous recruiters are able to leave the country under false pretenses or with passports and exit documents;

WHEREAS, abroad, the Filipino victims of illegal recruiters end up working illegally, becoming easy victims of exploitation by employers and organized syndicates.

WHEREAS, this illicit trade in human beings has caused immeasurable suffering to many of our people and brought many Filipinos abroad to the point of destitution;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution do hereby direct:

1.  The Secretaries of Labor, Justice, National Defense, Foreign Affairs, Public Information and Tourism to launch a massive and coordinated effort to eradicate this menace to the public; cdt

2.  The Secretary of Labor to review immediately the activities of licensed agencies and to revoke the licenses of those who have derogatory records such as overcharging, swindling, estafa and other crimes involving moral turpitude, and to protect victimized Filipino Workers now abroad against possible exploitation by their employers;

3.  The Secretary of National Defense, upon the recommendation of the Secretary of Labor, to cause the arrest and detention of individuals who are engaged in the illegal recruitment of Filipinos for overseas employment, together with their accomplices, agents, and sub-agents;

4.  The Secretary of Foreign Affairs to assist Filipino victims now working abroad to get legitimate travel documents and working visas, and to institute such measures as may be necessary to check the fraudulent use of passports;

5.  The Department of Public Information, in cooperation with the Department of Labor and the Department of Foreign Affairs, to conduct a massive campaign through the media to inform the public about this menace to public interest; and

6.  The Secretary of Tourism to revoke the licenses or cause the closure of travel agencies found to be engaged in recruitment in violation of Article 26, Chapter 1, Book 1 of the New Labor Code.