People of the Philippines vs.

Casio

Facts:
International Justice Mission (IJM) , a non-governmental organization coordinated with
the police in order to entrap persons engaged in human trafficking in Cebu City. PO1
Luardo and Veloso were designated as decoys pretending to be tour guides looking for
girls to entertain their guests. The team went to Queensland Motel and rented two rooms,
one for the transaction and one for the rest of the police team. They then proceeded to D.
Jakosalem Street in Brgy. Kamagayan to entrap the accused. The accused brought the two
minors AAA and BBB. PO1 Veloso and PO1 Luardo convinced the accused to come with
them to the motel. The rest of the team proceeded to the room where the transaction
happened, there then arrested the accused and placed the two minors in the custody of the
DSWD.

Accused Shirley A. Casio was charged for the Violation of Republic Act. 9208 (Qualified
trafficking in Persons) Section 4(a), qualified by Sec. 6 (a). The accused defended that she
worked as a laundrywoman. On the evening of May 2, 2008, she went out to buy supper.
While walking, she was stopped by two men on board a blue car who asked her if she
knew someone named Bingbing. She replied that she only knew Gingging but not
Bingbing. The men informed her that they were actually looking for Gingging, gave her
piece of paper with a number written on it, and told her to tell Gingging to bring
companions. When accused arrived at home, she contacted Gingging. Gingging convinced
her to come because allegedly, she would be given money by the two males.

The Regional Trial Court found the petitioner guilty of committing such crime beyond
reasonable doubt.
CA affirmed the decision of RTC

Issue:
Whether or not the accused is criminally liable on the ground of trafficking of person
under RA 9208.

Held:
Yes, trafficking in persons shall mean the recruitment ,obtaining, hiring, providing,
offering, transportation, transfer, maintaining, harboring, or receipt of persons by means of
the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception,
of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of
payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another
person, for the purpose of exploitation.
In the case at bar , it was found out that AAA and BBB were recruited by the accused
when their services were peddled to the police who acted as decoys. AAA was a child at
the time that accused peddled her services so as with BBB to be a prostitute for an
exchange of money. Therefore, knowledge and consent of the two minors are not a
defense that the accused cannot be criminally liable for committed such act. Therefore, the
Supreme Court hel the accused of qualified trafficking under RA 9208.