MANILA -- The Department of Migrant Workers and the National Bureau of Investigation have closed a chapel in Brgy. Pinugay, Baras, Rizal that was allegedly being used an to an illegal recruitment hub. 

Authorities also arrested a pastor of the church who was allegedly supervising illegal activities.

According to complainants, the pastor was collecting as much as P50,000 per person in exchange for work abroad.

Some of them said they were promised to be missionaries or farmers in Japan, who can earn as much as P100,000.

"Syempre kapag missionary, di masyado bubusisiin ng immigration pero nakita kasi na-offload, nainterview, papunta sa abroad pero magtatrabaho," said Usec. Bernard Olalia of the Licensing and Adjudication Service, Department of Migrant Workers.

(Missionaries do not get scrutinized strictly by the Immigration. But they were able to catch them sending missionaries but eventually working abroad.)

"Meron tayong impormasyon na as we speak, may ilang nakalipad sa ibang bansa at walang trabahong nadatnan gaya ng ipinangako," said Czar Eric Nuqui of NBI.

(We have information that as we speak, some of the victims have flown but did not get the jobs promised to them.)

Most of the victims are members of the church itself.

"Pagkatapos magsimba, nagbibigay sya ng orientation, pupunta daw po sa Japan, pero tourist visa po, nangako pagdating sa Japan, may trabaho doon na ang sweldo nasa P70-100,000," said one of the victims.

(After the Sunday service, they will give an orientation that she can send us to Japan using a tourist visa, but we can land jobs that will pay us as much as P100,000.)

The DMW promised to give livelihood assistance to illegal recruitment victims.