People vs Buemio : 114011 : December 16, 1996 : J. Kapunan : First D...
1 of 10
http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/jurisprudence/1996/dec1996/114011.htm
[Syllabus]
FIRST DIVISION
[G.R. Nos. 114011-22. December 16, 1996]
PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, plaintiff-appellee, vs. VEVINA BUEMIO,
accused-appellant.
DECISION
KAPUNAN, J.:
Vevina Buemio, a field officer of a travel agency, appeals from the decision of the Regional
Trial Court in Pasay City, Branch 117, rendered on January 26, 1994, the dispositive portion of
which reads:
WHEREFORE, the Court finds the accused Vevina Buemio GUILTY beyond reasonable doubt
for illegal recruitment on a large scale under Article 39, of Presidential Decree (P.D.) 2018, and
sentences her to a penalty of life imprisonment and a fine of P100,000.00 to indemnify Elisio
Principe, Eduardo Gutierrez and Ramon Villanueva the amount of P150,000.00, without
subsidiary imprisonment in case of insolvency and to pay the costs.
SO ORDERED.
[1]
The facts as found by the trial court are as follows:
Sometime in September, 1991, Cecilia Baas, a clerical employee at the Villamor Air Base in
Pasay City, learned from Catalina Asis that Vevina Buemio could send job applcants abroad for
employment. Catalina, an officemate of Vevinas husband at the same air base, arranged a
meeting between Cecilia and Vevina at the office of the latters husband. When the two met for
the second time at the residence of Vevina in 9 Second St., Villamor Air Base, Vevina promised
to provide Cecilia with a job as a factory worker in Japan with a minimum salary of 10,000 yen a
day. Vevina also promised to provide Cecilia with all the necessary travel documents. For her
part, Cecilia would give Vevina P60,000.00 as placement fee and for the expenses in the
processing of travel documents. Cecilia believed Vevina because the latter was the wife of an
official at the Villamor Air Base.
On September 11, 1991, Cecilia, together with her husband and one Rafael Andres, went to
the office of Vevinas husband and paid P30,000.00 representing half of the fees agreed upon.
Cecilia paid the second half of the fees on September 28, 1991 at Vevinas residence. In both
instances, Vevina issued receipts acknowledging Cecilias payments.
At the airport on the day when Cecilia, Marilou Gonzales, Rafael Andres and Armando
Garcia were supposed to leave for Japan, Vevina handed them their pasports and tickets. To
their surprise, they found out that they were bound for Korea, not Japan. Vevina explained to
them that she would be following them in Korea where they would be getting their plane tickets
for Japan. When Cecilia noticed that the name appearing on the passport given her was that of
Pacita Garcia, Vevina told her that she could use other names in her passport like other people
do. Convinced by Vevinas explanations, the group took off for Korea.
In Korea, they checked in at the Naiagara Hotel but they just stayed inside their hotel rooms.
They only left their rooms twice after Vevinas arrival when she took them on a tour. Vevina also
got their pocket money purportedly to buy their food.
1/20/2016 5:32 PM