Ilano y Virata, Ramon Beltran y Ambran, Jose Evangelista y Landra, Alfredo Evangelista y
Isorina, Nestor Ruiz y Perona, Jonald Madayag y Pedro, Manuel Talimongan y de Guzman,
Antonio Morales y Corpuz, Francisco Sarmiento y Limpin, Danilo Cablay y Servano, Victorina
G. Domino, Liezel G. Domino and Alexander G. Domino without first securing the required
license or authority from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).
Contrary to law.ii[2]
On July 4, 1994, accused-appellant was duly arraigned under the said Information. Then, on
September 8, 1994, the prosecution filed an Amended Information impleading accusedappellants common law husband, Reynaldo Enriquez, and daughter, Rowena Enriquez, as coaccused. However, it appears from the records that Remedios was not properly arraigned under
the Amended Information. Thus, the case was decided on the basis of the original Information.
As can be gleaned from the Information, accused Remedios Enriquez promised employment in
Taiwan to at least forty two people, six of whom appeared in court to testify against her. From
the testimony of these complaining witnesses, the facts leading to her conviction by the lower
court are as follows:
Complainants Alfredo Evangelista, Regina Evangelista, Josefino Mendoza, Sheila Lahay Lahay,
Felix Azul, and Lorna Pasagui on different dates, went to the residence of Remedios Enriquez at
231 Libertad St., Pasay City after learning that she was recruiting workers for Taiwan. They
were each asked to pay processing fees ranging from P3,370 to P5,000 for which no receipts
were issued and to submit certain documents to facilitate their travel and subsequent deployment
abroad. However, despite having complied with these requirements and after several follow-ups,
they still were not able to leave for Taiwan. Having learned that Remedios was already in jail
and under investigation for her recruitment activities, they too lodged a complaint against her for
illegal recruitment.
During their examination in court, the complaining witnesses corroborated each others
testimonies to the effect that it was, in fact, Remedios Enriquez who promised them employment
in Taiwan and that it was she who dealt with them each time they went to her house in Libertad
Street to follow up on their application for overseas employment. According to the witnesses,
Remedios was the one who told them about the job prospects in Taiwan and the requirements for
their deployment. She was also the one who received the placement fees paid by the
complainants.
The first prosecution witness, Alfredo Evangelista, testified that he learned from a friend that
accused-appellant was recruiting workers for Taiwan so he went to the latters residence in
Libertad and was told by Remedios to pay the processing fee of P3,370. After paying said
amount for which no receipt was issued and submitting the necessary documents, he kept on
following up on his application only to be met by promises from Remedios that he would be
deployed soon. Her promises proved to be empty, however, as he later discovered that Remedios
was already in jail.iii[3]