Case Digest (G.R. No. 211465)
Facts:
People of the Philippines v. Shirley A. Casio, G.R. No. 211465, December 03, 2014, Supreme Court Second Division, Leonen, J., writing for the Court.The prosecution charged accused Shirley A. Casio with violating Republic Act No. 9208, Section 4(a) qualified by Section 6(a) (qualified trafficking in persons), in an information dated May 5, 2008, alleging that on or about May 2–3, 2008 in Cebu City she hired/recruited two persons, AAA (a minor then 17 years old) and BBB, for prostitution for profit. The case proceeded to trial in the Regional Trial Court (RTC), Branch 14, Cebu City.
The facts as found by the RTC and the Court of Appeals (CA) show that on May 2, 2008 the non‑governmental organization International Justice Mission (IJM) coordinated with a police team to conduct an entrapment operation in Barangay Kamagayan, Cebu City. Two police operatives acted as decoys; marked money was prepared and recorded in the police blotter. The decoys went to the red‑light district where accused called out to them, “Chicks mo dong?” and later returned with AAA and BBB. Accused represented the girls as available for customers and quoted a price; the decoys handed marked money to accused in Room 24 of Queensland Motel, after which the rest of the police team entered, arrested accused, read her rights, and recovered the marked money. AAA and BBB were taken to Room 25 and placed in IJM/DSWD custody.
At trial AAA testified she was born January 27, 1991 and that she had worked as a prostitute to help her family and that accused pimped her on that occasion. The police operatives testified to the procedure used, the marked money, and the arrest. Accused testified she was a laundrywoman and offered an alibi story involving two men who asked her to fetch companions; she did not produce the named witness. The RTC found accused guilty beyond reasonable doubt, sentenced her to 20 years’ imprisonment and fined her P1,000,000, and ordered costs.
On appeal the Court of Appeals affirmed but modified the RTC sentence to life imprisonment, increased the fine to P2,000,000, and awarded moral damages of P150,000 to each private complainant. Accused pursued further recourse; the CA decision (CA‑G.R. CEB‑CR No. 01490) was transmitted to the Supreme Court, wh...(Subscriber-Only)
Issues:
- Was the entrapment operation valid, given the absence of prior surveillance and that the police allegedly did not know the subject beforehand?
- Did the prosecution prove accused’s guilt beyond reasonable doubt despite lack of evidence of a prior history of trafficking?
- Could accused be properly convicted of trafficking in persons where one victim (AAA) admitt...(Subscriber-Only)
Ruling:
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Ratio:
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Doctrine:
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