People V Borromeo
People V Borromeo
People V Borromeo
PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, plain2-appellee, vs. ERNESTO A. BORROMEO, accused-appellant [G.R. No. 117154. March 25, 1999] THIRD DIVISION Purisima, J.:
Facts:
Appellant
has
been
charged
with
ten
cases
of
Estafa
and
one
case
of
Illegal
recruitment
on
November
9,
1993
and
was
subsequently
convicted
on
all
counts.
On
January
17,
1994,
with
the
accused
entering
nega2ve
pleas
to
all
above
accusa2ons,
upon
arraignment
with
the
assistance
of
counsel,
trial
ensued
with
the
prosecu2on
and
the
appellant
was
the
lone
witness
for
the
defense. Version
of
the
Prosecu2on:
Appellant
was
introduced
to
the
vic2ms,
by
his
brother-in-law,
William
Ramos,
a.k.a
Willy.
Willy
told
the
vic2ms
that
appellant
and
his
wife,
Elizabeth
Ramos-Borromeo
needed
factory
workers
in
Taiwan.
The
supposed
job
opening
was
veried
by
the
appellant
and
told
further
told
the
vic2ms
to
pay
an
amount
that
they
would
specify.
Moreover,
the
vic2ms
was
told
that
they
could
depart
upon
payment
of
said
amount.
The
vic2ms
would
accept
the
condi2on,
then
made
a
payment
for
medical
expenses
and
a
downpayment
for
the
amount
that
they
specied.
Appellants
wife
gave
two
receipts
for
the
said
amounts
and
an
assurance
that
the
vic2ms
will
be
deployed
to
Taiwan. Version
of
the
Defense:
Appellant
averred
that
Elizabeth
is
his
common-law-wife
and
he
wasnt
privy
to
the
transac2ons
that
Elizabeth
made
with
the
complainants
and
that
he
wasnt
at
the
house
of
Wille
which
is
at
Sta.
Cruz,
Manila
when
the
complainants
were
introduced
to
Elizabeth.
Furthermore,
he
contends
that
the
name
indicated
on
the
receipts
which
were
prepared
by
Elizabeth
is
ER
Borromeo
which
is
dierent
from
his
real
name
which
is
Ernesto
Abeso
Borromeo.
Moreover,
he
only
got
to
know
about
the
complainants
when
they
and
Willy
went
to
the
formers
house
at
Sikatuna
Village,
Diliman,
Quezon
City
while
appellant
was
taking
care
of
his
two
children
and
gh2ng
cocks.
When
queried
on
how
he
was
arrested,
he
answered
that
he
was
only
invited
by
the
NBI
because
of
the
problem
of
his
wife.
Several
warrants
of
arrest
were
issued
against
his
wife
but
when
she
could
not
be
located
because
she
was
already
in
hiding,
he
was
detained
instead.
Appellant
declared
that
he
cannot
refund
the
money
and
the
money
was
not
given
to
him. Abermath:
The
RTC
convicted
the
appellant
and
sentenced
to
pay
a
ne
amoun2ng
to
100,000.00
for
Illegal
Recruitment,
an
indeterminate
term
of
2
years
and
4
months
of
prision
correc2onal
and
8
years
of
prision
mayor
as
the
maximum
for
the
7
cases
of
Estafa
and
to
pay
each
complainant
the
amount
of
15,000.00,
and,
as
for
the
other
2
cases
of
Estafa
an
indeterminate
term
of
10
years,
1
day
of
prision
mayor
as
minimum
and
17
years
4
months,
1
day
of
reclusion
perpetual
as
the
maximum,
and
to
pay
each
of
the
complainants
the
amounts
of
22,600.00.
The
accused
is
acquiged
in
one
case
of
Estafa
for
lack
of
evidence.
Issue:
The
Appellant
assigns
2
errors
which
are
the
following: 1. The
RTC
gravely
erred
in
giving
full
weight
and
credence
to
the
tes2monies
of
the
prosecu2on
witnesses
and
disregarding
the
theory
of
the
defense. There
is
no
sucient
evidence
to
convict
the
appellant
beyond
reasonable
doubt.
2.
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Held:
The
following
elements
of
Estafa
have
been
established:
1) 2) the
accused
defrauded
another
by
abuse
of
condence
or
by
means
of
deceit;
and
the
oended
party
or
third
party
suered
damage
or
prejudice
capable
of
pecuniary
es2ma2on.
(Tan
v.
Court
of
Appeals,
283
SCRA
30,
ci2ng
People
v.
Bau2sta,
241
SCRA
216,
People
v.
Reyes,
282
SCRA
105)
In People v. Recio, 282 SCRA 274, it was held that: illegal recruitment is commiged when two requisites concur, to wit: 1) that the oender has no valid license or authority required by law to enable one to lawfully engage in recruitment and placement of workers; and that the oender undertakes either any ac2vity within the meaning of recruitment and placement under Ar2cle 13(b) or any prohibited prac2ces enumerated under Ar2cle 34 of the Labour Code as amended.
2)
The Court Held that without any iota of doubt that it is well established that Willy would recruit applicants as factory workers for Taiwan and introduced them to the appellant and Elizabeth who in turn, would in turn make an assurance that the applicants can be deployed upon payment of the amount for medical and processing fees. Cajoled, the vic2ms would make the payments but later nd out that the malefactors were not licensed to recruit for overseas employment--fact the the POEA had cer2ed. Furthermore, the complainants tes2ed (both on direct and cross examina2on) that they gave money to the appellant who in turn gave it to Elizabeth. Estafa was consummated when the appellant together with Elizabeth and brother-in-law Willy falsely pretended to be capable of sending workers abroad, and as convinced by the appellant and his co-conspirators, the said applicants delivered their placement fee to appellant and his wife. With respect to the charge of illegal recruitment, no less than the POEA conrmed that the spouses Borromeo, and Willy Ramos did not have any authority or license to recruit overseas workers. Neither was there a recruitment agency such as EER Employment Agency. With respect to the appellants defense of denial the Court held, courts have generally viewed with disfavor the defense of denial on account of its aridity and the facility with which an accused could concoct the same to suit his defense. All things considered, viewed in proper perspec2ve, the mind of the court can rest easy on nding of guilt of appellant. WHEREFORE, the judgment of convic2on appealed from is AFFIRMED.
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