2nd Installment
-
P 20,000.00
3rd Installment
-
P 10,000.00
4th Installment
-
P 18,000.00
5th Installment
-
P 2,000.00
6th Installment
-
P 18,000.00
Jose Jugo gave the last installment to complete the total amount of P70,000.00 on
January 9, 1992. Appellant, however, did not issue any receipt for any of the abovestated amounts she received from Jose Jugo. When the latter asked for receipts of
payment, appellant countered that he seems to have no trust in her (TSN, September 8,
1992, pp. 8-10; TSN, September 22, 1992, pp. 4, 6).
"After receipt of Jose Jugo's last installment on January 9, 1992, appellant handed to
him a passport with numbers 203409 issued in his name, bearing what appellant
represented to be a visa to enable him to work in Japan. Then, for several times, he
was allegedly scheduled to depart for Japan but none of those scheduled departures
ever pushed through. When Jose caused the alleged visa to be verified by the
Japanese Embassy, and later by the Bureau of Immigration, it was determined to be a
fake and the alleged visa number a tampered one. The alleged passport was likewise
determined to be fake (TSN, September 8, 1992, pp. 10-12; TSN, September 22, 1992,
p. 8).
"For her part, Rosita Jugo attested that she likewise gave the amount of P2,500.00 to
appellant upon the latter's assurance of a job placement in Japan as a factory worker.
She gave the amount to appellant at the latter's office at Tondo, Manila for which no
receipt was issued to her. Rosita was also not able to leave for Japan. Worse, appellant
did not heed Rosita's request that her money be returned although appellant had earlier
executed an undertaking to return all the money she received from Rosita and private
complainants Reynaldo and Jose (TSN, October 13, 1992, pp. 2-4).
Verification from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) revealed
that appellant was not a licensed recruiter and a certification to that effect was issued.
The Jugos referred the matter to the NBI which conducted an investigation. Thereafter,
the case was referred to the Office of the City State Prosecutor, Manila, which filed the
cases at bar (TSN, October 13, 1992, p. 3).
"While trial was ongoing and before the prosecution could rest its case on September
25, 1992, appellant escaped from her jail guard while under confinement at the UST
Hospital. Consequently, the prosecution adduced evidence in appellant's absence and
the case was submitted for resolution. Appellant managed to stay out of jail for one (1)
year during which period, she made arrangements with private complainants to pay
them the amount of P120,000.00 through Alberto Maclang. It was only sometime on