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780 Phil. 489
FIRST DIVISION
[ G.R. No. 170192, February 10, 2016 ]
PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, PLAINTIFFS-APPELLEES, VS.
MARISSA BAYKER, ACCUSED-APPELLANT.
DECISION
BERSAMIN, J.:
An illegal recruiter can be liable for the crimes of illegal recruitment committed in large
scale and estafa without risk of being put in double jeopardy, provided that the accused
has been so charged under separate informations.
The Case
The accused-appellant assails the decision promulgated on July 28, 2005,[1] whereby
the Court of Appeals (CA) affirmed her conviction for illegal recruitment and estafa, as
follows:
WHEREFORE, for lack of merit, the petition is DISMISSED and the Joint
Decision dated August 27, 2002 of the Regional Trial Court, Branch 138 of
Makati City is AFFIRMED with MODIFICATIONS. In Criminal Case No. 011780 for Illegal Recruitment, the fine imposed is hereby REDUCED to
P100,000.00 and in Criminal Case No. 01-1781 for Estafa, appellant is
sentenced to suffer the indeterminate penalty of four (4) years and two (2)
months of prision correccional as minimum to nine (9) years of prision
mayor as maximum.
SO ORDERED.[2]
Antecedents
The Office of the City Prosecutor of Makati filed in the Regional Trial Court (RTC) in
Makati the following amended informations against the accused-appellant and her two
co-accused, namely: Nida Bermudez and Lorenz Langreo, alleging thusly:
Criminal Case No. 01-1780
Illegal Recruitment
That in or about during the month of January, 2001 up to the 23r day of
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