The SUN HK : Employment agency suspended for calling in police to Polo

26 November 2019

By Daisy CL Mandap

The folder with the $500 bill was found on the floor beside one of the counters

An employment agency had its accreditation suspended after its representative called in the police to the Philippine Overseas Labor Office on Thursday, Nov 21, claiming that he lost a folder with $500 bill while queuing up for service at the counters.

The folder with the $500 bill tucked in was subsequently found on the floor, but only after police officers had come to investigate the suspected theft.

Acting Labor Attache Antonio Villafuerte identified the agency as O&S, which has its office in North Point.

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He said his officers had tried to allay the agent’s concern by promising to check their video camera after office hours as there were a lot of people still waiting to be served at the counters, but he insisted on calling the police.

Pinakiusapan namin na maghintay muna dahil maraming tao ang nakapila pero hindi pumayag,” said Villafuerte. “Nagpilit pa ring tumawag ng pulis.”

According to welfare office Marivic Clarin, the money was supposed to be payment for a worker’s membership to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.

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In line with their standard practice, the folder with the worker’s information sheet and payment was stacked together with similar applications and placed inside the office just beyond the counters.

The agent reportedly complained at about 3pm, saying his application documents had been in the queue since 11 that morning. When staff checked, his folder couldn’t be found, which apparently made him suspect that the money had been stolen.

A thorough check of the office later revealed that the folder with the money had fallen to the floor beside the next counter.

Clarin admitted that their office needs a better queuing system for documents so incidents like this don’t happen again.

“Malaki din ang pagkukulang namin. Siguro hindi dapat pinapasok yung mga folder hanggang hindi pa tinatawag ang may dala para walang mawala,” she said.

But she said the agent was also at fault for calling in the police even after Polo officers had already assured him that the office video camera would be checked to see where his missing folder went.

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