The Consulate General of the Philippines expects the Office of the Public Prosecutor to start anytime soon its investigation into the aggravated fraud cases filed against the Filipino owners of a Milan-based immigration consultancy firm who allegedly defrauded close to 300 jobseekers in the Philippines.
The Consulate, through its lawyer Bruno De Blasi, conveyed to the Office of the Public Prosecutor on January 15 that it could proceed with its formal investigation with the filing of 92 out of 102 complaints against the owners of Alpha Assistenza SRL. The remaining 10 will be lodged as soon as concerned complainants submit the necessary supporting documents.
The investigation, which the Consulate was told could take at least six months, also comes more than a month after Attorney De Blasi filed the first 11 complaints against Alpha Assistenza owners Diane Krizelle Respicio and Frederick Dutaro.
The case against Alpha Assistenza stems from allegations that it collected huge amounts of money from relatives and associates in Italy of at least 278 Filipinos in the Philippines but failed to deliver the promised jobs under the decreto flussi program.
Attorney De Blasi was chosen to represent complainants in Italy after Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo approved the endorsement by Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Eduardo Jose De Vega of the recommendation made in August by Consul General Elmer Cato to hire an Italian lawyer to represent complainants.
