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747 Phil. 719
THIRD DIVISION
[ G.R. No. 190970, November 24, 2014 ]
VILMA M. SULIMAN, PETITIONER, VS. PEOPLE OF THE
PHILIPPINES, RESPONDENT.
DECISION
PERALTA, J.:
Assailed in the present petition for review on certiorari is the Resolution[1] of the Court
of Appeals (CA) dated July 21, 2009, in CA-G.R. CR No. 30693 which denied herein
petitioner's Motion to Admit Attached Motion for Reconsideration, as well as the
appellate court's Resolution[2] dated January 8, 2010, which likewise denied petitioner's
Motion for Reconsideration of the CA Resolution dated July 21, 2009.
The factual and procedural antecedents of the case are as follows:
In six (6) Informations,[3] all dated June 6, 2003, herein petitioner and one Luz P.
Garcia were charged before the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Manila with two (2) counts
of illegal recruitment under Section 6, paragraphs (a), (1) and (m) of Republic Act No.
8042, otherwise known as the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995, as
well as four (4) counts of estafa under Article 315, paragraph 2(a) of the Revised Penal
Code.
Only petitioner was brought to trial as her co-accused, Garcia, eluded arrest and
remained at-large despite the issuance of a warrant for her arrest.
The six cases were consolidated and, after trial, the RTC of Manila, Branch 21, rendered
judgment finding petitioner guilty beyond reasonable doubt of two (2) counts of illegal
recruitment and three (3) counts of estafa. The dispositive portion of the RTC Decision,
[4] dated June 7, 2006, reads as follows:
WHEREFORE, premises considered, the Court finds as follows:
1) In Crim. Case Nos. 03-216188 and 03-216189, accused VILMA SULIMAN
GUILTY beyond reasonable doubt as principal of the crimes charged and is
hereby sentenced to suffer the indeterminate penalty of SIX (6) YEARS each
and to pay fine of P200,000.00 for each count.
2) In Crim. Case No. 03-216190, accused VILMA SULIMAN GUILTY beyond
reasonable doubt as principal of the crime charged and is hereby sentenced
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