and passport and to make an advance payment of P5,000.00 as part of the P40,000.00
placement.8[8]
When complainants learned that she had applied for overseas employment, they sought
her help in going to the agency where she applied. Hence, on January 12, 1991,
accused-appellant accompanied the complainants to see Julie Micua who assured them
that they would be leaving for Hongkong within two or three months. They were also
informed that their placement fee would be P45,000.00. On that day, accused-appellant
and complainants gave Julie Micua the amount of P5,000.00. On February 17, 1991,
accused-appellant gave Micua an additional P5,000.00. According to her, complainants
were all given corresponding receipts for their payments. The receipts were issued and
signed by Micua.
Accused-appellant got to know complainant Ramos when she was invited by his wife
Marita to a birthday party at the couples residence. In that party, they talked about
applying for a job abroad and Marita convinced her husband to apply. It was Ramos
who introduced accused-appellant to complainant Nadal. Ramos convinced Nadal to
apply for overseas employment. On the other hand, accused-appellants co-teacher,
Isabel Valdez, brought complainant Delos Santos to accused-appellants classroom and
sought her assistance in applying for an overseas job through the agency she was
using. With respect to Merlita Bombarda, accused-appellant met her through her cousin
Nadal who also accompanied Merlita to accused-appellants house to apply. Purita
Conceja, who was also introduced to accused-appellant, sought her help in applying for
a job abroad through the agency she was using. As regards complainant Cristina Nava,
accused-appellant met her through Cristinas husband who was a regular customer of
her store. Accused-appellant claims she never represented herself as having the
capacity to deploy workers abroad. She only told them that she could accompany them
to the agency where she also applied.
According to accused-appellant, two months after they were unable to leave for abroad,
she and the complainants had a meeting. They discussed how they could recover their
money. On April 26, 1991, upon Nadals invitation, she voluntarily joined the
complainants in going to Manila. Their main purpose was to look for Julie Micua. In
Manila, they went to Blumentritt where they met Blas Santos, a police officer whom
Ramos knew. Accused-appellant saw Ramos collecting money from his companions.
Afterwards, they proceeded to the United Nations Police Headquarters. Santos
endorsed them to investigator Val Torres, who, in turn, typed the consolidated affidavits
of complainants. The money collected by Ramos was given to the investigator. The
complaint filed by the complainants included accused-appellant as one of the
defendants.9[9]
8[8]
TSN, September 11, 1992, pp. 2-10.
9[9]
TSN, December 2, 1992. p. 8.