6/9/2020 E-Library - Information At Your Fingertips: Printer Friendly Upon submitting her bio-data and passport, Mana-a paid Ocden P500.00 for her certificate of employment and P20,000.00 as down payment for her placement fee. On September 8, 1998, Ocden accompanied Mana-a and 20 other applicants to Zamora Medical Clinic in Manila for their medical examinations, for which each of the applicants paid P3,000.00. Mana-a also paid to Ocden P22,000.00 as the second installment on her placement fee. When Josephine Lawanag (Lawanag), Mana-a's sister, withdrew her application, Lawanag's P15,000.00 placement fee, already paid to Ocden, was credited to Mana-a.[7] Mana-a failed to complete her testimony, but the RTC considered the same as no motion to strike the said testimony was filed. Ferrer narrated that she and her daughter Jennilyn were interested to work overseas. About the second week of September 1998, they approached Ocden through Fely Alipio (Alipio). Ocden showed Ferrer and Jennilyn a copy of a job order from Italy for factory workers who could earn as much as $90,000.00 to $100,000.00.[8] In the first week of October 1998, Ferrer and Jennilyn decided to apply for work, so they submitted their passports and pictures to Ocden. Ferrer also went to Manila for medical examination, for which she spent P3,500.00. Ferrer paid to Ocden on November 20, 1998 the initial amount of P20,000.00, and on December 8, 1998 the balance of her and Jennilyn's placement fees. All in all, Ferrer paid Ocden P140,000.00, as evidenced by the receipts issued by Ocden.[9] Ferrer, Jennilyn, and Alipio were supposed to be included in the first batch of workers to be sent to Italy. Their flight was scheduled on December 10, 1998. In preparation for their flight to Italy, the three proceeded to Manila. In Manila, they were introduced by Ocden to Erlinda Ramos (Ramos). Ocden and Ramos then accompanied Ferrer, Jennilyn, and Alipio to the airport where they took a flight to Zamboanga. Ocden explained to Ferrer, Jennilyn, and Alipio that they would be transported to Malaysia where their visa application for Italy would be processed. Sensing that they were being fooled, Ferrer and Jennilyn decided to get a refund of their money, but Ocden was nowhere to be found. Ferrer would later learn from the Baguio office of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) that Ocden was not a licensed recruiter. Expecting a job overseas, Ferrer took a leave of absence from her work. Thus, she lost income amounting to P17,700.00, equivalent to her salary for one and a half months. She also spent P30,000.00 for transportation and food expenses.[10] According to Golidan, the prosecution's third witness, sometime in October 1998, she inquired from Ocden about the latter's overseas recruitment. Ocden informed Golidan that the placement fee was P70,000.00 for each applicant, that the accepted applicants would be sent by batches overseas, and that priority would be given to those who paid their placement fees early. On October 30, 1998, Golidan brought her sons, Jeffries and Howard, to Ocden. On the same date, Jeffries and Howard handed over to Ocden their passports and P40,000.00 as down payment on their placement fees. On December 10, 1998, Jeffries and Howard paid the balance of their placement fees elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph/thebookshelf/showdocsfriendly/1/37842 3/19