LINGAYEN, Pangasinan –
An online tutorial center raided by agents of the Criminal Investigation and
Detection Group last March resumed operation last week after the case filed
against the firm was dismissed.
The reopening ceremony
of the Kame Hachi Corp., a company engaged in online English tutorials, was led
by Pangasinan Rep. Leopoldo Bataoil and provincial employment services office
chief Alex Ferrer.
Lawyer Nolan
Evangelista, who represents Kame Hachi Corp., said the case was dismissed in
August for lack of probable cause.
Evangelista said the
establishment was raided by the CIDG for alleged human trafficking.
“When no violation of
the anti-human trafficking law was determined, they tried to change the case to
cybercrime, but it was not justified as the search warrant was meant only for
one crime or violation,” Evangelista said.
He said when the case
was brought for inquest at the Department of Justice, the DOJ asked the raiding
team if they saw anything incriminating.
When the team said no,
the DOJ ordered the release of persons they arrested.
Evangelista said the
DOJ ordered the court that issued the search warrant to quash the warrant and
release the items confiscated during the raid.
Takayuki Umeda, a
Japanese stockholder of the company, said they were hoping to recover their
losses.
Cristine Bautista, one
of the online tutors, said they never engaged in any illegal activities.
Bautista said they use
textbooks and prepare lesson plans in teaching their students,
mostly children from Japan, Korea and Russia.
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