Sayo
v. People
G.R.
No. 227704
April
10, 2019
FACTS:
RTC
and CA convicted Susan Sayo y Reyes and Alfredo Roxas y Sagon for the crime of
violating RA 9208. Several months prior to November 15, 2005, AAA, BBB and CCC,
the “plaza girls”, have been under the control and supervision of SAYO as
commercial sex workers. AAA was only 15 years old. SAYO would regularly furnish
AAA, BBB and CCC with male customers on the average five (5) customers per
week. Whenever they have customers, SAYO would bring them either to a motel or
to ALFREDO ROXAS's house who provides them a room for P100.00 for 30 minutes
use of the room. ROXAS also provides condom for the male customers at P30. The
CIDG-WCCD conducted a rescue operation “Oplan Sagip Angel”. Three men acted as
poseur-customers. They were bluntly asked if they wanted women and further
inquired if they wanted 15 year-old-girls. They agreed and offered P300 each.
They met with the plaza girls and proceeded to the house of Alefredo Roxas for
P100 per room. When the money was handed by one of the customers to Sayo, the
agents announced that it was a raid. The police then arrested Sayo and Roxas.
ISSUE:
Whether
or not the guilt of Roxas was proven beyond reasonable doubt.
HELD:
Yes. At
the outset, the Court notes that Sayo had already died on November 30, 2011.
Thus, the death of Sayo extinguished her criminal liability under Article 89,
paragraph 1 of the Revised Penal Code. Upon judicious review of the records of
the case, the Court affirms the factual findings of the RTC, as affirmed by the
CA. The Court upholds the findings of the courts a quo that Roxas knowingly
leased a room in his house for the purpose of prostitution. It is an
established doctrine in appellate review that factual findings of the trial
court, including its assessment of the credibility of witnesses, probative
weight of their testimonies, as well as of the documentary evidence, are
accorded great weight and respect, especially when these are affirmed by the
CA, as in this case. Roxas is guilty of one count of violation of Section 5(a)
of RA 9208 for Acts that Promote Trafficking in Persons and not Trafficking in
Persons, qualified or otherwise. There are four punishable acts under RA 9208:
(1) Acts ofTrafficking in Persons under Section 4;(2) Acts that Promote
Trafficking in Persons under Section 5;(3) Violation of the Confidentiality
Rule under Section 730 in relation to Section 10(d); and (4) Use of Trafficked
Persons under Section 11. that accused Roxas, in consideration of the sum of
One Hundred (100) pesos, would allow the complainants and her (sic) customers
to use the room and engage in sex therein; that Roxas had knowledge of the fact
that the complainants engaged in sex for a fee as he cleaned the room after the
complainant and her customer finished using it; that, moreover, he sold condoms
to complainant's male customers before using the room. All of these acts
promoted trafficking in persons as defined under Section 5 of [RA 9208]. At the
outset, Sayo died before final judgement. Thus, her criminal liability is
extinguished under Art. 89(1) of the RPC. Wherefore, Roxas is guilty of Acts
that Promote Trafficking in Persons.
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