P22,000.00, the penalty provided is to be imposed in its maximum period or
six (6) years, eight (8) months and twenty-one (21) days to eight (8)
years. Applying the Indeterminate Sentence Law, the accused Beth Banzales
is sentenced to suffer the indeterminate penalty of six (6) months and one (1)
day of prision correccional as minimum to eight (8) years of prision mayor as
maximum. Accused is further ordered to indemnify the aforesaid complainants
the following:
1) P15,000.00 to Elizabeth Bernal;
2) P15,000.00 to Apolinario Baldoza;
3) P15,000.00 to Eva Amada;
4) P25,000.00 to Domingo Mariano;
5) P15,000.00 to Rizza Oliva.
With costs against the accused.
SO ORDERED.[6]
Accused-appellant seasonably filed her appeal. In her Appellants Brief,[7] she
imputes to the trial court the following errors:
I
THE COURT A QUO GRAVELY ERRED IN FINDING THE ACCUSEDAPPELLANT GUILTY BEYOND REASONABLE DOUBT OF THE CRIME
OF LARGE SCALE ILLEGAL RECRUITMENT.
II
THE COURT A QUO GRAVELY ERRED IN FINDING THAT THE GUILT
OF THE ACCUSED-APPELLANT FOR THE CRIME OF ESTAFA HAS
BEEN PROVEN BEYOND REASONABLE DOUBT.[8]
Simply put, accused-appellant is challenging the sufficiency of the prosecutions
evidence.
The appeal is devoid of merit.
Large-scale illegal recruitment has the following essential elements:
(1) The accused undertook [a] recruitment activity defined under Article 13(b) or any
prohibited practice under Art. 34 of the Labor Code.
(2) He did not have the license or the authority to lawfully engage in the recruitment
and placement of workers.