5/3/2021 E-Library - Information At Your Fingertips: Printer Friendly 417 Phil. 361 THIRD DIVISION [ G.R. No. 138431-36, September 12, 2001 ] THE PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, PLAINTIFF-APPELLEE, VS. DIOSCORA M. ARABIA AND FRANCISCA L. TOMAS, ACCUSEDAPPELLANTS. DECISION GONZAGA-REYES, J.: This is an appeal from the decision[1] of the Regional Trial Court of Quezon City, Branch 102, finding accused-appellants Dioscora M. Arabia and Francisca L. Tomas both guilty of illegal recruitment in large scale and sentencing them to each suffer the penalty of life imprisonment and to each pay a fine of P100,000.00; and five (5) counts each of estafa for which both were sentenced to suffer an indeterminate prison term of one (1) year, eight (8) months and twenty-one (21) days of prision correccional as minimum, to five (5) years, five (5) months and eleven (11) days of prision correccional as maximum for each of the four counts. In another count of estafa, they were each sentenced to suffer an indeterminate prison term of two (2) years, eleven (11) months and eleven (11) days of prision correccional as minimum, to six (6) years, eight (8) months and twenty-one (21) days of prision correccional as maximum. They were further ordered to solidarily pay the complainants the following amounts by way of actual damages: (1) P23,000.00 to Rolando Rustia; (2) P16,000.00 to Noel de la Cruz; (3) P16,000.00 to Teresita Julva Lorenzo; (4) P16,000.00 to Violeta S. de la Cruz; and (5) P16,000.00 to Remelyn Nona Jacinto. The Information for Illegal Recruitment in Large Scale docketed as Crim. Case No. Q93-48585 alleged that Dioscora M. Arabia and Francisca L. Tomas, without the requisite license or authority from the POEA recruited six (6) individuals, namely, Violeta S. De La Cruz, Noel De La Cruz, Pelagia Dela Cruz, Remelyn Jacinto, Teresita Lorenzo and Rolando Rustia for employment abroad. It reads: "The undersigned accuses DIOSCORA M. ARABIA and FRANCISCA T. TOMAS of the crime of Illegal Recruitment in Large Scale (Art. 38 (a) in relation to Art. 39 (b) of the Labor Code of the Philippines, as amended by P.D. 2018), committed as follows: That on or about the period comprised from October 1992 to January 16, 1993, in Quezon City, Philippines, the above-named accused, conspiring together, confederating with and mutually helping each other, by falsely representing themselves to have the capacity to contract, enlist and recruit workers for employment abroad, did, then and there willfully, unlawfully and https://elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph/thebookshelf/showdocsfriendly/1/52758 1/12