G.R. No. L-154 - People vs. Nuevas

The defendant, Jesus Nuevas, was accused and subsequently convicted by the Court of First Instance of Batangas for violating Article 341 of the Revised Penal Code, which penalizes acts related to the white slave trade.
Article 341 imposes imprisonment in its medium and maximum periods upon any person who engages in the business of prostitution, profits by prostitution, or enlists the services of women for that purpose.

Approximately three to four months prior to September 22, 1945, the accused contracted the services of four women of ill repute.
Jesus Nuevas brought these women to a house in the barrio of Alangilang, Batangas, where he maintained them by providing food and lodging while receiving one-half of their earnings from prostitution with colored soldiers.

On the afternoon of September 22, 1945, a tip led the police to raid the house, which was suspected to be a brothel.
During the raid, the police found not only the four women but also Jesus Nuevas present in the premises, leading to his immediate apprehension for questioning and investigation.

Sergeant Angelo Murano, a military police officer, testified that his duty was to pick up girls of ill fame, vagrants, and prostitutes. He recounted that during the raid he found thirteen colored soldiers along with three women engaged in separate rooms with each soldier.
According to his testimony, the accused admitted that he was not the owner of the house but had been left in charge by the actual owner and that the women informed him they were splitting their earnings with him.
Emilia de la Cruz, a 21-year-old single woman, identified the accused as “our manager,” confirming the practice of splitting earnings equally.
Juanita Fernandez, also 21 and single, corroborated that Jesus Nuevas was her manager, detailing that he not only contracted her four months prior to work as a prostitute in that house (rented by him) but also covered her meals and received half of her earnings at P10 per coition.

The accused testified in his own defense, claiming he was a resident of Manila and that his visit to the house was solely to collect a debt of P150 from Moises Santos.
He asserted that the house was owned by an old widow and that he was merely acting on behalf of the lessee, a claim that remained uncorroborated by other evidence and witness testimonies.
The trial court dismissed his account, giving greater credence to the consistent testimonies of Sergeant Murano and the two women.

The prosecution established beyond reasonable doubt that the accused had enlisted the services of women for prostitution and had profited from their activities, regardless of whether he was the owner or the lessee of the brothel.
The evidence indicated that the defendant’s participation in the illicit trade was manifest by his managerial role and the clear arrangement, where he received a share of the earnings from prostitution.

Whether the trial court erred in convicting Jesus Nuevas based solely on the evidence presented by the prosecution.

The accused argued that the prosecution failed to prove three specific points under Article 341:

Whether it is legally necessary, under Article 341 of the Revised Penal Code, for the prosecution to demonstrate the accused’s direct ownership or lease of the premises engaged in prostitution.

The contention was that the absence of such specific evidence should result in the acquittal of the accused.

Whether the evidence of enlisting the services of women for prostitution and sharing in their earnings is sufficient to sustain a conviction under Article 341.