BISHOP NABBBED FOR LLEGAL RECRUITMENT

A RELIGIOUS leader was arrested in Baras, Rizal for alleged illegal recruitment, the Department of Migrant Workers said Wednesday

Bishop Reynaldo Basalio, the religious leader of the Faithful Promise Foundation Philippines Inc., which was shut down for illegal recruitment on April 28, 2025, was arrested in a joint operation of the National Bureau of Investigation – Cavite District Office North (NBI-CAVIDO North) and Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).

Basalio was caught on Sept. 15, 2025 in the vicinity of the Faithful Promise Foundation Philippines Inc., a church in Baras, Rizal, which was used as front for his illegal recruitment.

The suspect, along with his wife, Pastora Esclarmonde Estrada Basalio, who was also arrested during the closure operations on April 28, 2025, were found to be illegally recruiting Filipino workers for jobs in Japan, Korea, and Papua New Guinea, without the necessary license from the DMW.

The DMW said the couple promises jobs such as factory workers, tea pickers, clerks, accountants, mechanical engineers, and construction workers in Japan, Korea, and Papua New Guinea, with salaries ranging from P36,000 to P120,000.

Under the guise of missionary work, victims were issued tourist visas and instructed to tell immigration authorities that they were missionaries.

Some victims were offloaded, others were deployed, and some are still awaiting deployment.

The DMW said the Basalios also charged their victims P50,000 each for processing fees and documents under the guise of community work.

Bishop Basalio is facing charges for large-scale illegal recruitment, a non-bailable offense under Republic Act 8042 also known as the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act as amended by RA 10022.

The DMW reiterates its warning to the public against unlicensed recruiters and advises job seekers to always verify agencies through the DMW official website at dmw.gov.ph

Victims of the religious group were urged to report their cases to the MWPB through the official Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/dmwairtip) for assistance in filing complaints.