4/30/2021 E-Library - Information At Your Fingertips: Printer Friendly Appellant Mercy Logan denied that she swindled the private complainants of their money nor promised them any overseas employment. Appellant disclosed that she maintained a dance studio at 180-D Monterey Street, 15th Avenue, Cubao, Quezon City that was available only to females, and that a certain Gloria de Leon used to refer women to the appellant who wished to practice dancing in her studio. Appellant claimed that the private complainants merely vented their anger on her after Gloria de Leon whose services were earlier engaged by them, absconded without fulfilling her undertaking to provide them overseas employment for a fee.[18] Although she admitted having signed the two (2) BPI checks for the amounts of Fifty Thousand Pesos (P50,000.00) and Fifteen Thousand Pesos (P15,000.00), respectively, payable to Rodrigo Acorda, the appellant denied having actually received the said amounts inasmuch as, according to her, she merely accommodated Gloria de Leon who promised her that she (de Leon) would redeem the said checks. Anent the amount of One Hundred Forty Five Thousand Pesos (P145,000.00) paid by Orlando Velasco, she declared that the same was also actually received by Gloria de Leon in her office. Appellant denied having signed the receipts for the amounts of Seventy Five Thousand Pesos (P75,000.00) and Twenty Five Thousand Pesos (P25,000.00), respectively, evidencing payment by Florante Casia. However, on cross-examination, she admitted that the same were prepared with her approval.[19] Lastly, the appellant declared that she had delivered her sala set to Orlando Velasco who agreed to withdraw his complaint against her in consideration thereof.[20] After analyzing the evidence, the trial court rendered a decision on February 10, 1998, the dispositive portion of which, reads: ACCORDINGLY, judgment is hereby rendered finding MERCY LOGAN guilty beyond reasonable doubt as principal in all the four (4) cases at bench (3 for Estafa and 1 for Large- scale Illegal Recruitment), and she is hereby sentenced to suffer an imprisonment term of: 1. In Q-96-66231 (for Estafa involving P60,000.00), six (6) years of prision correccional as minimum to ten (10) years of prision mayor as maximum; 2. In Q-96-66232 (for Estafa involving P100,000.00), six (6) years of prision correccional as maximum (sic) to fourteen (14) years of reclusion temporal as maximum; 3. In Q-96-66233 (for Estafa involving P150,000.00), six (6) years of prision correccional as minimum to nineteen (19) years of reclusion temporal as maximum; 4. In Q-96-66233 (sic) (for Large-scale Illegal Recruitment), life imprisonment and the accused is also ordered to pay a fine of P100,000.00. https://elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph/thebookshelf/showdocsfriendly/1/52399 4/12