TAYLOR'S VISA AND TRAVEL CONSULTANCY BLACKMAILED BY ROSEMARIE JIMENEZ A FORMER EMPLOYEE
I'm writing this blog for everyone to know what is behind of all this expose' which puts Kevin, and the other four staff of TAYLORS including me in this situation. Let me start with what is the TAYLORS.
Who we are:
Taylor's Visa and Travel Consultancy was established last September of 2008. Kevin and I built this business to support the family and of course to render service to Filipino.
VISION To help Filipino Overseas Workers improve their financial and social life by providing assistance on their documentation and qualification in seeking employment abroad.
Taylors is not a RECRUITMENT AGENCY, we do not hire but instead we assist them in getting proper documentations needed to attain better employment opporunity abroad. We do not promise employment but rather we help them get employed by assisting each and everyone the proper and easy way in getting hire legally and attaining proper work visa. We are not POEA registrered as the company is not in anyway a RECRUITMENT AGENCY nor A MANPOWER SERVICES. We do the consultation and assisting people what to do to attain better or higher ration on being hired. We do assist people on what other qualifications needed in able to get hired abroad and why it is important to attain WORK VISA.
As everyone enters the office...you will see a banner their stating that WE ARE NOT A RECRUITMENT AGENCY. On the wall facing the reception area, you would see all the permits and licenses we have. Even all the documents we have and the people comes in they can see these statements are mentioned. All employees of TAYLORS are directed not to forget these statements too in able to avoid misrepresentation nor misunderstanding on the services we provide.
MS. ROSEMARIE JIMENEZ AND HELEN DAMASCO
These two personalities are very important with what happened to TAYLORS last May 15, 2009. First, who is Marie... She was hired last November 2008 as she asked me to help her to get employment as during that time she is unemployed and it would be difficult for her to get another employment due to her age (40 years old). Marie is an old friend of mine from a previous school i worked with few years ago. Kevin pitied her as she has two children and a husband who cannot work anymore due to his medical condition. Without any question, she was hired and given a position as a DOCUMENTATION MANAGER. She is the one in-charge of all the documentation and processing of clients who seeks for our services. She is the one who is in charge on interviewing people and introducting the company. She is the front liner as we can say. After three months, Marie had asked me again if it is possible I hire her sister Helen Damasco as a receptionist. Again, as Kevin and I trusted her we gave her sister a position at the office. Helen, is incharge of checking what the clients needs...introduce the comapnay. She is the one who must explain what is Taylors for, what we do and what we do not do. Both as well are allowed to accept the payments for the processing of those who want to avail our services.
Last March, Kevin and I hired a new staff as we have noticed many irregularities with the money endorsement. Mary Garce was hired as a Finance Officer and in charge on checking the money, cashier, paying taxes, sss and other financial transactions at the office. Until then, almost second week of April she had discovered anomalies on the money endorsement from Marie. These are some of many financial decripancies that were discovered:
1. Not paying the rental fees on time of the endorsement of the money to her. She uses the money first for couple of weeks before paying it back or returning.
2. Manipulating payroll.
3. Asking money to so called applicants entitled for change, but does not exist.
4. Asking monetary donations from clients.
5. Asking clients to buy foods such as sack of rice, vegetables, pansit, pizza, etc for her.
6. Calling clients to pay their processing fee by sending her the money through LBC and Western Union. Some of those fees were not remitted to TAYLORS.
Due to these, Kevin and I decided not to allow her to be involve in money transactions at the office, as for in the first place she should not as we have a cashier to handle that. Last May 1, Kevin sent an email to Helen prohibiting her to have the money during the off of the cashier and instead hand it over to Ms. Weng. On that letter, Kevin have stated that due to the fact that Marie is her sister...we do not allow her to do financial transactions to avoid more problems as the allegation on Financial descrepancy is still being investigated. May 4, both Marie and Helen didnt returned for work and just sent an email stating that they are resigning. Stated as well on the said resignation letters that the reason they both resigning is due to the money and the endorsement of finances of the TAYLORS.
After the two gone at the office, we are troubled by texts messages from numbers that we do not know. Treatening TAYLORS, saying that we will be closed, that we will be jailed, etc. Same with the currents clients, they have been receiving texts messages from the same numbers saying that they need to file a complain against the office for illegal recruitment. And messages on treatening clients that is they do not complain, they will be involve in the case.
ENTRAPMENT
May 15, 2009 around 5:30 in the afternoon when these CIDG Special Task Force Illegal Recruitment went to the office. A Fall guy who is our client also who FAILED the TOEIC TEST last April, went to the office and insisted on paying for his retake. (We need to stop their processing once they FAILED the qualifying test and write them a letter states that they have failed the second screening . They must decide to refund their payments as we have a money back guarantee or if they would like to continue, they MUST take a retake test). However, not evryone who failed can get a retake as I have to evaluate the score first. Without my evaluation, a clients cannot just pay for a retake and have a schedule. Due to this, his payment for the said retake was not allowed nor accepted by the staff at the office. He went to Ms. Graces' table and dropped the money on the table. Ms. Grace picked it and tried to return to him...as Grace was still holding the money, an arresting officer shouted that we are under arrest. I was on the other roomas I am giving a pre test to some clients. Due to commotion at the reception hall i went out and check what is the problem. Sheryl my relative whom I asked to be at the office for a couple of days to assist us as Marie and Helen are not there anymore told me that we are being arrested. First thing I've asked is if there is a warrant of arrest. I was shouted at nd even ignored that makes me more angry. One of the arresting officer was even asking where Mr. Kevin is...because of that I commented again and asked why they are looking for Kevin when in fact I am the owner and it is a sole Proprietorship. If there is anyone at the office who needs to be questioned, it should be me. Kevin was outside the office with the guard as they were smoking they heard the said commotion and entered the reception area. To avoid more problems, we were asked to sit together with the students I am with. Again, I got angry as they took everything from the drawers of Marie, such as documents and passports. I was not even allowed to contact my lawyers. After 30 mins they took all of us to Camp Crame together with the students and my cousin who is at that time waiting for his wife (Sheryll).
At Camp Crame, I was waiting for anyone from the CIDG to talk to me and read my rights together with my staff. But NONE OF IT was even happened. We all sat there without knowing why we are being arrrested for and what is or what will happen to us. The students that I was teaching were put outside and the CIDG officers interrogating them and forcing them to file a complain against us too as we are illegal recruiters. Thanks God that those students are not like that. They told the CIDG not to in anyway involve them to such allegations as they knew that we are not indeed not a recruitment agency. I was told by someone inside that detention office that there were seven so-called complainants. I've learned that the complainants they were referring to are the following: Ms. Teorima, Ms. Tejada, Ms. Tenoso, Mr. Rosete, Mr. Canero (These people are not affiliated anymore with us since December last year and have took their refunds already) and the other two are Marie and Helen.
I was sent home as I can give birth any moment and was told that the next day an INQUEST will be scheduled. From then on I havent heard any news from what will happen or what is going onaside to that Ms. Grace is negative on any powder residue. I was asking my lawyers what is the resolution but I was told that no decision yet and it might be on monday May 18, 2009) Until last week Friday, May 22, 2009 a resolution was given to me. Funny was from seven complinants its became eighteen. I was telling the lawyers that those who just added must be on the regular filling not should be for INQUEST. But then the money negosation has started already. Money that being asked is not small as they kept saying that a foreigner is involved. Kevin and I doesnt believe in bribery...we believe that if we did something wrong, then we deserve to be in jail. But if we are not we MUST fight for what ever we will be on...regardless on how slow the JUSTICE SYSTEM here and how corrupt people in authority.
Now, after 14 days...evrything is not yet clear tous...Many questions both Kevin and I have in our minds. Why they were there...why the lawyers were not able to release us inspite the entrapment is illegal...why the illegal detention hasnt been noticed...why and what happened to the complainants (from 7 to 18). And do we really need to pay for the money?
