6/7/2020 E-Library - Information At Your Fingertips: Printer Friendly workers for overseas employment. Because of the assurances given by accusedappellant, the private complainants parted with their hard-earned money for the payment of the agreed placement fee, for which accused-appellant issued petty cash vouchers and used fictitious names evidencing her receipt of the payments. As aptly pointed out by the CA: In this case, appellant committed estafa by using fictitious names, i.e., 'Manzie Delos Reyes', 'Manzie Matheus' in her transactions with private complainants, falsely pretending that she possessed power, influence, capacity to employ abroad or procure visas for them, making it appear that she had made transactions to acquire their entry permits and visas, thus, successfully inducing them to part with their money, albeit, knowing full [sic] well she had no authority or license to do so.[27] Clearly, these acts of accused-appellant constitute estafa punishable under Article 315 (2)(a) of the RPC. It must be noted, however, that both the RTC and the CA failed to award interest on the money judgment on the charge of five counts of estafa and one count of Illegal Recruitment in Large Scale. Following prevailing jurisprudence,[28] the Court, therefore, imposes a legal interest at the rate of 6% per annum, from the time of demand, which shall be deemed as the same day the Informations were filed against appellant, until the amounts are fully paid. WHEREFORE, premises considered, the March 7, 2011 Decision of the Court of Appeals in CA-G.R. CR. H.C. No. 03737, which affirmed the November 26, 2008 Joint Decision of the Regional Trial Court, Branch 218 of Quezon City, in Criminal Case Nos. Q-03-119663-69, finding appellant Merceditas Matheus y Delos Reyes GUILTY beyond reasonable doubt of five counts of Estafa and one count of Large Scale Illegal Recruitment under R.A. No. 8042, otherwise known as Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipino Act of 1995 is hereby AFFIRMED with MODIFICATION, to read as follows: 1. In Criminal Case No. Q-03-119662, appellant Merceditas Matheus y Delos Reyes is found GUILTY beyond reasonable doubt of Large Scale Illegal Recruitment punishable under Sec. 7 (b) of RA 8042. She is sentenced to suffer the penalty of life imprisonment and is ordered to pay a fine of One Million Pesos (PhP1,000,000). 2. In Criminal Case No. Q-03-119663, appellant Merceditas Matheus y Delos Reyes is found GUILTY beyond reasonable doubt of estafa, as defined and penalized in Article 315 (2) (a) of the Revised Penal Code. She is sentenced to suffer the indeterminate penalty of one year, eight months and twentyone days of prision correccional as minimum to eleven years of prision mayor as maximum. She is ordered to indemnify private complainant Thelma N. Suratos the amount of PhP55,000 as actual damages, with legal interest of 6% per annum from August 4, 2003, until the said amount is fully paid. 3. In Criminal Case No. Q-03-119664, appellant Merceditas Matheus y Delos Reyes is found GUILTY beyond reasonable doubt of estafa, as defined and elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph/thebookshelf/showdocsfriendly/1/63200 7/12