4/13/2021
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FIRST DIVISION
[ G.R. No. 226140, February 26, 2020 ]
PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, PLAINTIFF-APPELLEE, VS. ANNA
ESPIRITU AND ELLEN MABBORANG,[*] ACCUSED,
ISABEL RIOS Y CATAGBUI, ACCUSED-APPELLANT.
DECISION
CAGUIOA, J:
The case before the Court is an appeal of the Decision[1] dated April 23, 2015 of the
Court of Appeals (CA) in CA G.R. CR-HC No. 06023 which affirmed with modification the
Decision[2] of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Criminal Case (CC) Nos. R-PSY0900778-CR to R-PSY-0900786-CR dated September 7, 2012 convicting accusedappellant Isabel Rios y Catagbui (Rios) as the principal in Large Scale Illegal
Recruitment penalized under Section 6(m)[3] of Republic Act No. (RA) 8042 or the
Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995 and eight counts of Estafa under
Article 315(2)(a)[4] of the Revised Penal Code (RPC).
Facts
The Information[5] charging Rios for violation of RA 8042 in Criminal Case No. R-PSY09-0078-CR (Illegal Recruitment case), reads:
The undersigned State Prosecutor of the Department of Justice hereby
accuses ISABEL RIOS, ANA ESPIRITU and ELLEN MABBORANG, for
violation of Section 6 specifically sub-sections letter (l) and (m) of Republic
Act No. 8042, otherwise known as the Migrant Workers and Overseas
Filipinos Act of 1995, committed as follows:
That sometime during the period from July 2007 to December 2008 or
thereabout, at J. Wardley Building, San Juan Street, Pasay City, and within
the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, the above-named accused being the
owners, officers, employees of Green Pastures International Staffing
Incorporated ("Green Pastures") and engaged in the business of overseas
recruitment as licensed by the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency
("POEA"), did then and there willfully, unlawfully, and criminally, with intent
to defraud, promise employment and receive varying amounts as placement
and documentation fees from private complainants Liwayway M. Tiglao,
Michael B. Custodio, Marlone S. Papio, Eduardo N. Milanes, Elmer Q. de
Mata, Rico H. Dacillo, Victoriano T. Agcaoili, Jr., and Mylene U. Arevalo; and
thereafter demand, on various occasions, placement and documentation
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