4/10/2020 E-Library - Information At Your Fingertips: Printer Friendly Tash[,] who was allegedly their financier[,] arrived. Accused Franz then distributed to AAA, BBB, CCC and Cristy their respective passports. Thereafter, they boarded a bus going to Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, and they arrived thereat at 7:00 o’clock [sic] in the morning of June 18, 2003. Later, they boarded again a bus going to Minumpo, Malaysia and then a barge going to Labuan, Malaysia where they stayed at a hotel [the Classic Hotel] for three nights or from the night of June 18, 2003 until June 20, 2003. On June 21, 2003, accused Franz instructed BBB, AAA, CCC and Cristy to wear “sexy clothes” because they were going to meet their supposed boss named Bunso at Cape Imperial located at Labuan, Malaysia. When they arrived at Cape Imperial, accused Macky and Jun talked to Bunso but they failed to reach an agreement on the purported compensation of the four girls. So, accused Macky and Jun brought the girls to Golden Lotus Barber Salon (Salon for brevity) where the latter were introduced to a certain person named Mommy Cindy, the alleged owner of the salon, and their purported manager Hako who was called Mommy Susan. The prosecution also alleged that while the group was staying at the Classic Hotel in Labuan, BBB was forced on numerous occasions to have sexual intercourse with Franz at his bidding, even in the presence of other people. She followed his orders for fear that he would inflict physical harm on her. At first, private complainants were not aware of the circumstances surrounding their employment at the Golden Lotus. It was only after they agreed to stay there for employment that they were forced to become sex workers to earn money and pay off the debts they incurred from their travel from Zamboanga City to Labuan, Malaysia. Thus, from 21 June 2003 to 13 July 2003, AAA and BBB worked as prostituted women. Each of the girls would be booked to a customer for the whole night for 300 Ringgit at a certain hotel near the Golden Lotus. Meanwhile, during the day, they would be hired by customers for a “short time” for 150 Ringgit in one of the rooms of the Golden Lotus. The girls were told that they would be made to pay a fine of 150 Ringgit if they refused to have sexual intercourse with the customers. On 12 July 2003, BBB had a customer who was a law enforcer at Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. She sought his help for her return to the Philippines, and he agreed. The following day, on 13 July 2003, the Golden Lotus was raided by the Immigration Officers of Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, and the prostituted Filipino women, including AAA and BBB, were detained at the Balay Polis (Police Department) in Labuan until all the women were deported to the Philippines. The defense, on the other hand, presented three witnesses: accused-appellant Bernadette, her common-law partner Majujie Jailya Misuari, and co-accused Franz. elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph/thebookshelf/showdocsfriendly/1/54824 3/10