4/30/2021 E-Library - Information At Your Fingertips: Printer Friendly 414 Phil. 113 SECOND DIVISION [ G.R. Nos. 135030-33, July 20, 2001 ] PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, PLAINTIFF-APPELLEE, VS. MERCY LOGAN Y CALDERON, ACCUSED-APPELLANT. DECISION DE LEON, JR., J.: Before us on appeal is the Joint Decision[1] of the Regional Trial Court of Quezon City, Branch 103, in Criminal Cases Nos. Q-96-66231 to Q-96-66234 convicting the appellant of the crimes of estafa and illegal recruitment in large scale. The appellant, Mercy Logan y Calderon, was charged with three (3) counts of the crime of estafa, as defined and penalized under Article 315 of the Revised Penal Code, in three (3) separate informations which, save for the names of the private complainants and amounts involved,[2] are substantially worded, thus: Criminal Case No. Q-96-66231: That on or about and during the period comprised from January to August 1994 in Quezon City, Philippines, the said accused, did then and there wilfully, unlawfully and feloniously defraud Rodrigo Acorda y Javier in the following manner, to wit: the said accused, by means of false manifestation and fraudulent representations which she made to said Rodrigo Acorda y Javier to the effect that she had the power and capacity to recruit and employ factory and construction worker for Japan and could facilitate the processing of the pertinent papers if given the necessary amount to meet the requirements thereof, and by means of other similar deceits, induced and succeeded in inducing said Rodrigo Acorda y Javier and to give and deliver, as in fact gave and delivered to said accused the amount of P65,000.00 on the strength of said manifestations and representations, said accused well knowing that the same were false and fraudulent and were made solely to obtain, as in fact she did obtain the amount of P65,000.00 which amount once in possession, with intent to defraud wilfully, unlawfully and feloniously misappropriated, misapplied and converted to her own personal use and benefit, to the damage and prejudice of said Rodrigo Acorda y Javier in the aforesaid amount of P65,000.00 CONTRARY TO LAW. On the other hand, the information charging the appellant Mercy Logan y Calderon with the crime of illegal recruitment in large scale, under Article 38(b) in relation to Article https://elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph/thebookshelf/showdocsfriendly/1/52399 1/12