G.R. No. 175229 5 of 14 http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2009/jan2009/175229.htm Calimon then asked for more money to secure the visa, but Devanadera refused to pay. [24] Private complainant Agramons follow ups with Calimon were just met by repeated [25] assurance that she will be deployed immediately once her papers are completely processed. The other complainants received similar treatment. Finally, in January 1999, Calimon gave private complainants their supposed individual employment contracts as factory workers in Italy. However, the contracts did not indicate an [26] employer. The three proceeded to the POEA to verify the status of their contract where they discovered that while AISC was a licensed recruitment agency, Lo and accused-appellants Calimon and Comila were not among its registered employees. [27] The defense presented accused-appellants as witnesses. Accused-appellant Calimon denied the accusations against her. She claimed that she was also an applicant for overseas job placement and that she never promised any work abroad [28] to private complainants. She averred that it was Lo who recruited her and private complainants. [29] She likewise denied having received any money from private complainants. She maintained that it was accused-appellant Comila who received the money from her [30] amounting to P16,000.00 as payment for her placement fee. [31] Accused-appellant Comila, on the other hand, denied having known or seen Lo. However, she maintained that it was accused Lo who recruited and received money from private complainants. [32] She averred she could not have recruited private complainants because she gave birth in Baguio in October 1998. [33] On May 21, 2001, the RTC rendered a Decision convicting the appellants of the crimes charged, thus: WHEREFORE, judgment is rendered: 1/25/2016 5:55 AM