5/19/2021
E-Library - Information At Your Fingertips: Printer Friendly
to the airport because accused-appellant did not return her passport and other travel
documents after suppossedly processing her papers at the POEA.[73]
As regards Cherry and Jill, accused-appellant cannot impute fault on them for not
having paid the full amount of:P65,000.00 each. The CA correctly observed that while
both Cherry and Jill were not able to pay the full amount, the accused-appellant still
accepted the partial amount of P45,000.00 from each of them. The accused-appellant
then admitted, during cross-examination, that she shouldered the remaining
P15,000.00 in Cherry and Jill's respective applications.[74]
Moreover, while accused-appellant alleged in her testimony that Cherry and Jill's foreign
principals in Canada are New Hope and Global, respectively, she failed to present any
evidence to prove her allegation and at least show that there is in fact an available
employment for Cherry and Jill.[75]
Finally, while accused-appellant imputes fault on Cherry and Jill for failing to pass the
interviews at the US Embassy as part of their job application in the US and after their
employment in Canada failed to materialize, the Court does not find this fact prejudicial
to the case of the prosecution. In the first place, accused-appellant failed to identify
Cherry and Jill's foreign principals in the US. This gives credence to the RTC's factual
finding, which was affirmed by the CA, that their visa applications were denied by the
US Embassy because there was no proof of employment for them in the US.[76]
Estafa under Article 315(2)(a) of the RPC
As to the charge of Estafa under paragraph 2(a), Article 315 of the RPC provides in
part:
Art. 315. Swindling (estafa). - Any person who shall defraud another by any
of the means mentioned hereinbelow shall be punished by:
xxxx
2. By means of any of the following false pretenses or fraudulent acts
executed prior to or simultaneously with the commission of the fraud:
(a) By using fictitious name, or falsely pretending to possess
power, influence, qualifications, property, credit, agency, business
or imaginary transactions, or by means of other similar deceits.
The elements of Estafa under paragraph 2(a), Article 315 of the RPC are as follows: (1)
there must be a false pretense, fraudulent acts or fraudulent means; (2) such false
pretense, fraudulent act or fraudulent means must be made or executed prior to or
simultaneously with the commission of the fraud; (3) the offended party must have
relied on the false pretense, fraudulent act or fraudulent means and was thus induced
to part with his money or property; and (4) as a result thereof, the offended party
suffered damage.[77]
https://elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph/thebookshelf/showdocsfriendly/1/66373
11/17