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735 PHIL. 340
SECOND DIVISION
[ G.R. No. 199211, June 04, 2014 ]
PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, APPELLEE, VS. JERIC FERNANDEZ Y
JAURIGUE, APPELLANT.
RESOLUTION
BRION, J.:
We decide the appeal, filed by appellant Jeric Fernandez, assailing the April 6, 2011
decision of the Court of Appeals (CA) in CA-G.R. CR-HC No. 03313.[1]
The RTC Ruling
In its February 11, 2008 decision,[2] the Regional Trial Court (RTC), Branch 211,
Mandaluyong City, convicted the appellant of the crimes of illegal recruitment in large
scale and five (5) counts of estafa committed against complainants Airene Etac, Jowel
A. Baja, Joemar Aquino, Luis M. Bernardo and Anthony M. Canlas. The RTC gave full
faith and credence to the testimonies of the complainants that the appellant promised
them employment abroad. The trial court ruled that the appellant represented to the
complainants that he had the power and ability to send them in Hongkong, and that by
virtue of this representation and fraud, the complainants were convinced to part with
their money in order to be employed. It also disregarded the appellant’s defenses of
denial and alibi.
For the crime of illegal recruitment in large scale in Criminal Case No. MC03-6278, the
RTC sentenced the appellant to suffer the penalty of life imprisonment, and to pay a
P100,000.00 fine. For the crime of estafa, the RTC sentenced the appellant to suffer the
following indeterminate penalties: (a) four (4) years of prision correccional, as
minimum, to nine (9) years of prision mayor, as maximum in Criminal Case No. MC036279; (b) four (4) years of prision correccional, as minimum, to seven (7) years of
prision mayor, as maximum in Criminal Case No. MC03-6280; (c) four (4) years of
prision correccional, as minimum, to seven (7) years of prision mayor, as maximum in
Criminal Case No. MC03-6281; (d) four (4) years of prision correccional, as minimum,
to eight (8) years of prision mayor, as maximum in Criminal Case No. MC03-6282 ; and
(e) four (4) years of prision correccional, as minimum, to eight (8) years of prision
mayor, as maximum in Criminal Case No. MC03-6283.
The RTC also ordered the appellant to indemnify Etac the sum of P35,000.00; Baja the
sum of P29,550.00; Aquino the sum of P45,800.00; Bernardo the sum of P30,500.00;
and Canlas the sum of P29,550.00.
The CA Ruling
elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph/thebookshelf/showdocsfriendly/1/57046
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