Good news greeted the victims of alleged deception and falsification of documents by Alpha Assistenza SRL today, November 21, 2023.

The much-awaited signing of the agreement between the PCG and legal counsel Atty. Bruno di Blassi took place last Sunday, November 19, as announced by PCG Milan on their official Facebook page today¹, November 21, 2023.

This signifies the Philippine government’s commitment to cover the legal expenses in pursuing the case against Alpha Assistenza SRL, the agency implicated by over 400 victims,² including those in the Philippines and abroad.

This news alleviates the concerns of the victims regarding the previously reported prescription date³ for filing the case. It is expected that the case will be filed as soon as possible.

Here is the complete statement from PCG on the matter.

Opisyal na iginawad po ng Konsulado Panlahat ng Pilipinas sa abogadong Italyano na si Bruno de Blasi ang kontrata para sa pagkakaloob ng mga propesyonal na serbisyo kaugnay ng kasong kriminal na isasampa sa Milan laban sa Alpha Assistenza SRL.

Si Attorney De Blasi ay ginawaran po ng kontrata matapos isumite niya ang most competitive bid sa apat na abogado na nag-alok na kumatawan sa 100 nagrereklamo sa Milan at mga kalapit na lugar sa kaso ng pinalubhang panloloko na isasampa laban sa Alpha Assistenza.

Ang mga nagrereklamo ay kumakatawan sa kabuuang 269 kababayan sa Pilipinas na sinasabing binayaran ng hindi bababa sa €3,000.00 bawat isa para sa mga trabaho sa Italya sa ilalim ng decreto flussi program na kalaunan ay lumabas na wala.

Nakipagpulong si Attorney De Blasi sa mga nagrereklamo sa Kalayaan Hall ng Konsulado noong Linggo, ika-19 ng Nobyembre 2023 pagkatapos nilang nilagdaan ni Consul General Elmer G. Cato ang kontrata na magpapahintulot sa kanya na kumatawan sa kanila sa mga korte ng Italya.

Ang pagkuha ng isang abogado upang kumatawan sa mga nagrereklamo laban sa Alpha Assistenza sa Italya ay kabilang sa mga rekomendasyon na ginawa ni Consul General Cato sa Department of Foreign Affairs noong Agosto 31, 2023, ilang araw lamang matapos ang Konsulado ay nagsimulang makatanggap ng mga kahilingan para sa tulong mula sa mga nagrereklamo.

English Translation

The Consulate General of the Philippines officially awarded to Italian lawyer Bruno de Blasi the contract for the provision of professional services in connection with the criminal case to be filed in Milan against Alpha Assistenza SRL.

Attorney De Blasi was awarded the contract after submitting the most competitive bid among the four lawyers who offered to represent the 100 complainants in Milan and nearby areas in the case of aggravated fraud to be filed against Alpha Assistenza.

The complainants represent a total of 269 kababayan in the Philippines who were said to have been been made to pay at least €3,000.00 each for jobs in Italy under the decreto flussi program that later turned out to be non-existent.

Attorney De Blasi met with complainants at the Kalayaan Hall of the Consulate also on Sunday, 19 November 2023 shortly after he and Consul General Elmer G. Cato signed the contract that would allow him to represent them before Italian courts.

The hiring of a lawyer to represent complainants against Alpha Assistenza in Italy was among the recommendations made by Consul General Cato to the Department of Foreign Affairs as early as 31 August 2023, just a few days after the Consulate started receiving requests for assistance from complainants.

_{^{PCG Official Facebook Post (Nov 21, 2023)}}

The post got 35 shares, 2 comments, and 161 likes just 2 hours after being posted.

In recent months, Consul General Elmer Cato has faced criticism⁴, with claims that he neglected his duties, allowing the Alpha Assistenza to victimize many people.

However, the official denied these accusations and, through Facebook posts, explained the steps taken to address complaints.

The official also mentioned that Alpha is not the only agency involved in these activities, and PCG is committed to investigating anyone proven to have taken advantage of our fellow OFWs.

1. _{^{PCG Milan, Facebook Post, 21//2023}} ↩︎
2. ^{_{Exploited Dreams: Filipinos Aspiring to Work in Italy Victimized by Illegal Recruiters}} ↩︎
3. ^{_{Alpha Assistenza Victims Worry Over November 25 Prescription Period}} ↩︎
4. ^{_{Ball Now At Cato’s Court}} ↩︎

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