6/9/2020 E-Library - Information At Your Fingertips: Printer Friendly Korea aboard Korean Airlines. In Korea, he stayed at the hotel indicated in the calling card given to him by appellant. He called appellant and was told to wait for the person who would take him to Saitama, Japan. A certain Lulu Geronimo arrived in the afternoon of April 14, 1991 and told him that she needed to arrange some documents for their departure to Japan.[3] The next day Geronimo came back to the hotel and told him they were leaving for Japan at 5:00 o'clock the following morning. However, while trying to get a boarding pass, they were apprehended by Korean immigration officers and his passport was discovered to be fake. During the investigation at the immigration section, Ricardo saw several other persons also recruited by appellant. Nonito Abadillos, Ricardo's brother-in-law, also wanted to work as a factory worker in Saitama, Japan. On March 20, 1991, appellant came to their house in Paco, Manila and Ricardo introduced her to Nonito as a recruiter. He was convinced to go to Japan as he was told that he would be receiving a salary of 180,000 yen with free board and lodging. He paid the amount of P75,000 for his passport, ticket and other documents. His route was via Saipan.[4] Leandro Rosita, Nonito's brother-in-law, likewise was recruited to work in Japan as a factory worker. He was asked to pay P75,000.00 for his passport, tickets and other documents. On April 15, 1991, he paid P7,000.00 and on April 16, 1991, he paid appellant P20,000.00. On April 17, 1991, he paid an additional amount of P2,000.00. All payments were duly receipted by appellant.[5] Nonito and Leandro (who used the surname Abadillos) left for Saipan on April 18, 1991 aboard Continental Airlines, together with George Samin and Kevin Kimbalita. The agreement was that appellant would send them the ticket for Japan in Saipan. They stayed in a hotel owned by a Filipino instead of free lodging in barracks as appellant had promised. When twenty seven days had passed and no plane tickets to Japan arrived for them in Saipan, they decided to return to the Philippines.[6] Upon arrival in the Philippines, Nonito reported the matter to the NBI,[7] which led to the filing of the criminal case. On November 11, 1992, the trial court rendered judgment: (1) acquitting appellant of Estafa but nonetheless ordering her to indemnify the complainants the amounts paid to her less the value of the plane tickets and (2) convicting her of the crime of illegal recruitment. Before this Court, appellant contends that the trial court erred in finding her guilty of the crime of illegal recruitment in large scale and that it erred in believing the testimony of the prosecution witnesses who were actually impostors. Appellant insists that she only tried to facilitate the processing of witnesses' travel papers to Japan. We find the appeal devoid of merit. elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph/thebookshelf/showdocsfriendly/1/34852 2/6