A week before June 27, 1994, Eliw chanced upon accused-appellant and she was told that
Kamura and Malinias had passed the interview and medical examination in Manila. Accusedappellant then asked Eliw to pay an additional amount of P5,000.00 for processing. Instead of
paying, Eliw denounced accused-appellants recruitment activities to the local office of the
National Bureau of Investigation. On June 25, 1994, the NBI confirmed from the Philippine
Overseas Employment Administration-Regional Extension Unit (POEA-REU) in the Cordillera
Autonomous Region that accused-appellant had not been licensed to recruit for overseas
employment. On June 27, 1994, a team composed of an NBI agent and three special investigators
conducted an entrapment operation. Eliw handed the P1,500.00 marked money to accusedappellant, promising to pay the balance of P3,500.00 later. At that instance, the NBI group
nabbed accused-appellant and placed him under arrest. He was subjected to paraffin test and
found positive for the presence of fluorescent powder.12[12] Slx
Complainants Samuel Bagni, Teofilo Gallao, Jr., Paul Esteban and David Joaquin were
likewise swindled. Accused-appellant collected P25,000.00 from Bagni on January 17, 1994
(Exh. M)13[13] and P15,000.00 on May 9, 1994 (Exh. M-1).14[14] From Gallao he collected
P25,000.00 on January 31, 1994 (Exh. I)15[15] and P15,000.00 on May 9, 1994 (Exh. I-1).16[16] He
collected various amounts from the others, as follows: from Esteban, P7,500.00 on November
30, 1993 (Exh. E)17[17] and P30,000.00 on March 7, 1994 (Exh. F);18[18] from Joaquin, P7,500.00
on November 30, 1993 (Exh. E),19[19] P7,500.00 on December 28, 1993 (Exh. E-1),20[20] and
P15,000.00 on March 6, 1994 (Exh. E-2).21[21] Joaquin was with Esteban when he was introduced
TSN (Ruth A. Eliw), supra.; See Sworn statement of Ruth A. Eliw dated June 30, 1994
(Crim. Case No. 13147-R), Records, p. 3; See Joint affidavit of arrest of NBI Senior Agent Dave
D. Alunan, Spec. Invs. III Darwin A. Lising, Roy D. De Guzman and Ferdie H. dela Cruz dated
June 28, 1994, RTC Records, p. 3; See Affidavits of Ruth A. Eliw, Sally Kamura and Solidad
Malinias all dated June 27, 1994, RTC Records, pp. 7, 11 and 14.
12[12]
13[13]
RTC Records, p. 89.
14[14]
Id., p. 90.
15[15]
Id., p. 84.
16[16]
Id., p. 85.
17[17]
Id., p. 78.
18[18]
Id., p. 81.
19[19]
See footnote 17.
20[20]
Id., p. 79.
21[21]
Id., p. 80.