The prosecution presented the following witnesses, namely, Reynaldo Ardan, Ronaldo Mendoza, Edward Calaranan, Elenita Trajano, Fernando Roque, Jose Naval, Vicente Reas, Caruso Astibe, Francisco Sarmiento and Emmanuel Vasquez.
Reynaldo Ardan testified that sometime in March, 1992, he was informed by his sister-in-law, Elenita Trajano, that she had a friend named Bing Domingo who worked at Japs International Trading, an agency engaged in the recruitment of workers abroad (TSN, January 26, 1993, p. 4).
Sometime in July 1992, Ardan was accompanied by his sister-in-law to see Bing Domingo at the office of Japs International Trading. He was informed by Bing Domingo that their company was recruiting workers for the position of production staff or factory worker in Japan with a salary of P55,000 a month. He was informed of the requirements such as passport, medical fee of P1,500 and placement fee of P35,000 (Ibid, pp. 4-5).
Ardan immediately filled up an application form and submitted his bio-data and a passport picture. He also gave P1,500 to Bing Domingo for the medical fee (Ibid, p. 5).
After complying with the requirements, Ardan paid the initial amount of P20,000 to Bing Domingo. He was issued a receipt for said amount, bearing the signatures of Bing Domingo, accused-appellant and two others (Ibid, pp. 6-7).
On September 11, 1992, Ardan paid the balance of P15,000 of the placement fee. He was issued a memorandum of agreement wherein it stated that in case of failure to deploy him within sixty (60) days from receipt of the amount, the whole amount of P35,000 shall be returned to him (Ibid, p. 7).
Ardan was not able to leave for Japan as promised. He demanded for a refund of the money he paid. He was not able to recover the amount of P35,000 (Ibid, pp. 7-8).
Ronaldo Mendoza testified that he learned from a neighbor named Leonel Dimaganto that Japs International Trading was recruiting workers for employment abroad. He went to the office of said agency which was located at Quirino Avenue, Malate, Manila. He was able to talk to accused-appellant. He was informed that the available position was that of a factory worker. He applied for the position and was informed of the requirements such as passport, NBI Clearance, medical clearance, a picture and placement fee of P50,000 (Ibid, pp. 9-10).
On September 6, 1992, Mendoza paid the placement fee to accused-appellant, upon the instruction of Floro Cosa. He was issued a receipt bearing the signature of accused-appellant. He failed to leave for Japan and failed to get his money back (Ibid, pp. 10-11).
Elenita Trajano testified that sometime in March, 1992, she was introduced by her friend, Bing Domingo, to the other officers of Japs International Trading. Among them was accused-appellant, treasurer of the agency (TSN, January 28, 1993, pp. 2-3).
On September, 1992, Trajano went to the office of Japs International Trading and saw the same persons. She was told that they were hiring for the position of production staff. She was also informed that, being a Computer Engineering graduate, she could be hired as a computer engineer (Ibid, p. 3).
Trajano applied for the position and was required to have a medical examination, a passport and transcript of records. She complied with these requirements and submitted the same to Bing Domingo. She was also informed that the placement fee was P70,000 (Ibid, pp. 3-4). On August 5, 1992, she made an initial payment of P35,000 to Bing Domingo. The agreement was that the balance would be paid within two (2) days before her scheduled deployment. She was issued a memorandum of agreement for the amount she paid. She was told that she would be deployed within sixty (60) days. Before the lapse of sixty (60) days, she went to the office of Japs International Trading but could no longer find Bing Domingo and Floro Cosa. She was not able to leave for Japan (Ibid, pp. 4-6).
Fernmando Roque testified that sometime in June, 1992, he went to Japs International Trading Corporation to apply for a job. He was introduced to accused-appellant by Bing Domingo, the executive secretary of said company. After the introduction, he made inquiries from accused-appellant, Bing Domingo and Floro Cosa about the possibility of being sent abroad. When he was assured by them that he would be deployed abroad, he applied for the position of a waiter in a five-star hotel. He had no experience as such but Bing Domingo told him that he would undergo training in Tokyo (Ibid, pp. 8-9).
Roque was informed of the requirements, such as passport, expense for medical examination, P500 for the visa and P70,000 as placement fee. On August 6, 1992, he paid the amount of P35,000 to Bing Domingo and Floro Cosa and was given a memorandum of agreement (Ibid, p. 10).
On September 23, 1992, he paid the additional amount of P5,000 to Floro Cosa who handed it over to Celia Flor Cosa. Accused-appellant issued a receipt signed by her and her father, Floro Cosa (Ibid, p. 41).
Roque was supposed to leave for Japan within forty five (45) days from August 6, 1992 but was not able to leave on said date because, allegedly, there was a problem regarding his papers. On October 4, 1992, some of his friends who also applied at the same agency brought policemen to arrest the officers of the agency. They arrested accused-appellant. At the headquarters, he learned that the officers of Japs International Trading were illegal recruiters (Ibid, pp. 12-13).
Edward Calaranan testified that he was introduced to accused-appellant by his friend, Alvin Tolentino. He learned from his friend that accused-appellant's father was recruiting workers abroad (TSN, February 2, 1993, p. 3).
On September 8, 1992, he, together with Ferdinand Aviso, was accompanied by Alvis Tolentino to the office of Japs International Trading Corporation. They were able to talk to Floro Cosa who informed them that if they could pay the placement fee at the earliest possible time, he could send them abroad. They were also informed that the available position was that of a factory worker and the placement fee was P30,000 (Ibid, pp. 3-4).
Calaranan submitted the necessary documents to accused-appellant and gave her the amount of P20,000 for which a receipt, bearing the signature of the latter, was issued to him. He was scheduled to leave on the last week of September, 1992. He was not able to leave for abroad and he failed to recover the P20,000 he paid (Ibid, pp. 4-6).
Ferdinand Aviso testified that he came to know of Japs International Corporation through his neighbor, Alvis Tolentino. Tolentino informed him that his nephew was recruiting workers for Japan. He went to the office of Japs International and was able to talk to its president, Floro Cosa, who informed him that if he could submit the necessary requirements, he could leave for Japan immediately (Ibid, pp. 8-9).
Aviso applied for the position of a factory worker. He was told that he would receive a salary of P40,000 a month. The placement fee was P30,000. He paid an initial amount of P5,000 on September 3, 1992 to accused-appellant who issued him a receipt which she signed in his presence. On September 11, 1992, he paid the additional amount of P10,000 to accused-appellant which was also covered by a memorandum of agreement bearing her signature (Ibid, pp. 9-1 2).
The memorandum of agreement provided that Aviso would be deployed within sixty (60) days from September 11, 1992. However, he failed to leave within such period as there were already several complaints against the company for Illegal Recruitment and Estafa. Aviso was one of the complainants against accused-appellant for Illegal Recruitment (Ibid, p. 12).
Vicente Reas testified that he went to the office of Japs International Trading to look for a job. He inquired from accused-appellant who informed him that they were recruiting workers for Japan. He was told of the requirements including the placement fee of P45,000. He applied for the position of a factory worker (TSN, February 4, 1993, pp. 2-3).
Reas paid an initial amount of P15,000 for the placement fee. His agreement with Floro Cosa and accused-appellant was that the balance would be paid before he left. He was issued a receipt by Celia Flor Cosa bearing her signature (Ibid, p. 3).
Reas believed that accused-appellant was the treasurer because she received the money from him and issued the receipt. Accused-appellant also claimed that they owned the company and that she was the treasurer of the company (Ibid, p. 7).
Jose Naval testified that he met accused-appellant on September 4, 1992 when he went to Japs International Trading with a friend to apply for a job in Japan. They were informed by accused-appellant that upon payment of the placement fee of P30,000, they could leave for Japan within a week. He applied for the position of a factory worker and paid P20,000. He was issued a receipt by accused-appellant bearing her signature as treasurer of the company (TSN, February 4, 1993, pp. 11-12).
The agreement was that he would leave for Japan within sixty (60) days from September 4, 1992. He failed to leave for Japan and later learned that accused-appellant had been arrested. He was not able to recover the P20,000 he paid (Ibid, pp. 12-13).
Caruso Astibe testified that sometime in June or July, 1992, he went to the office of Japs International. In said office, he talked to a certain Edna and informed her that he wanted to apply for a job abroad. Edna informed him of the requirements and he applied for the position of a factory worker. He was able to pay P37,000 of the placement fee of P40,000 on three (3) separate occasions. The payments were made to accused-appellant who issued receipts for the same. Astibe was not able to leave for Japan as promised and did not recover his money (TSN, February 11, 1993, pp. 3-6).
Francisco Sarmiento testified that he met accused-appellant sometime in August, 1992 when he went to their office at Japs International Trading. He was applying for the position of a factory worker. He applied directly to Floro Cosa who was the president of the company and was promised a salary of P2,000 daily (Ibid, pp. 10-11).
Sarmiento was required to pay P35,000 as placement fee. He was only able to pay P15,000 plus two men's rings worth P20,000. He was issued a receipt for the P15,000 bearing the signature of accused-appellant as treasurer of the company. He was not able to leave for Japan as promised nor was he able to recover his money and rings (Ibid, pp. 11-13).
Emmanuel Vasquez testified that he learned from a friend that Bing Domingo was recruiting workers for Japan. Sometime in August, 1992, he went to Bing Domingo's house at Lepanto Street, Sampaloc, Metro Manila. He was told by Domingo that if he could give money, he would be sent to Japan. He applied for the position of computer operator and gave Domingo the amount of P5,000. No receipt was issued to him (TSN, March 2, 1993, pp. 2-3).
Sometime in September, 1992, Vasquez paid the additional amount of P8,000. Although Bing Domingo and Floro Cosa were also present, he gave the money to accused-appellant because she was the treasurer. He was then with another applicant, Josephine Reyes. A receipt was issued by accused-appellant in the name of Josephine Reyes who also gave a certain amount to accused-appellant (Ibid, pp. 4-5).
Vasquez was not able to leave for Japan as promised by accused-appellant and Bing Domingo, prompting him to file a complaint with the Western Police District of Manila (Ibid, p.6). 4
