4/13/2021
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Docket Number
Private Complainant
CC No. R-PSY-0900779-CR[9]
Elmer De Mata (De Mata)
Amount
P90,000.00
Victoriano Agcaoili, Jr.
CC No. R-PSY-0900780-CR[10] (Agcaoili)
P50,000.00
CC No. R-PSY-0900781-CR[11] Eduardo Milanes (Milanes)
P95,000.00
CC No. R-PSY-0900782-CR[12] Rico Dacillo (Dacillo)
P95,000.00
CC No. R-PSY-0900783-CR[13] Liwayway Tiglao (Tiglao)
P80,000.00
CC No. R-PSY-0900784-CR[14] Michael Custodio (Custodio)
P100,000.00
CC No. R-PSY-0900785-CR[15] Marlone Papio (Papio)
P145,000.00
CC No. R-PSY-0900786-CR[16] Mylene Arevalo (Arevalo)
P60,000.00
Rios pleaded "not guilty" upon arraignment.[17] The case proceeded only against Rios
as accused Anna Espiritu (Espiritu) and Ellen Mabborang (Mabborang) were at-large.
On November 7, 2009, before the trial on the merits started, Rios submitted a
Confession of Judgment[18] to the RTC on the civil aspect of the Estafa cases with
regard to complainants Tiglao (in the amount of P70,000.00), Dacillo (P70,000.00),
Milanes (P80,000.00), Papio (P55,000.00) and Custodio (P60,000.00). Rios admitted
that Green Pastures International Staffing Services, Corp. (Green Pastures) had
received the said amounts from them. However, Rios did not admit any liability
regarding complainants De Mata, Arevalo and Agcaoili. Rios reasoned that the latter did
not pay any money to her or to Green Pastures but dealt directly with Mabborang, a
stranger to the agency.
The RTC approved and granted the Confession of Judgment in its Order[19] dated
February 8, 2010 and a Writ of Execution[20] was issued. Thereafter, trial on the merits
ensued.
The prosecution's version of events was summarized by the CA, as follows:
Version of the Prosecution
To prove its case, the prosecution presented the following witnesses: Elmer
Q. De Mata, Mylene Arevalo, Liwayway M. Tiglao, Rico H. Dacillo, Eduardo
Milanes, Michael B. Custodio, and Marlone Papio.
Elmer Q. De Mata ("Elmer", for brevity) met accused-appellant Isabel Rios
("Isabel", for brevity), owner of a recruitment agency in U.N. Ave., through
accused Ellen Mabborang ("Ellen", for brevity). Ellen had informed him that
Isabel owns a recruitment agency (Green Pastures International Staffing
Services Corp.) deploying people for Taiwan. Sometime in November 2007,
Ellen brought Elmer to Isabel's agency located at 1991 Jayward Lee
Building, Buendia, Pasay City wherein Elmer was required to fill up an
application form and bio-data. Thereafter, Ellen asked Elmer to submit a
medical certificate and required him to pay the amount of Php4,000.00 for
the medical examination. After undergoing medical examination, Ellen asked
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