G.R. No. 238213 , February 01, 2021
People of the Philippines, Plaintiff-Appellee, vs. Helen Lapena, Accused-Appellant.

FACTS

An Information was filed charging Shirley Navarro, Janelyn Dela Cruz, and Helen Lapena with Qualified Trafficking in Persons under Section 6(a) of Republic Act No. 9208 (Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003) in relation to Republic Act No. 7610 . The charge alleged that from September 2003 to January 26, 2006, in Makati City, the accused, as floor managers of a bar, willfully recruited or harbored six minor victims for prostitution and sexual exploitation. Only Lapena was arraigned and tried, as Navarro and Dela Cruz remained at large.
The prosecution presented three minor victims: CCC, FFF, and DDD. CCC testified she was hired as a guest relations officer at the bar in January 2006, where floor managers, including Lapena, introduced customers to the girls. She was taken to a VIP room where customers touched her private parts and she performed fellatio for payment. FFF, who started working in September 2005 at age 15, testified that customers would kiss and touch the girls, and that Lapena and another manager arranged for a customer to pay for sexual intercourse with her, which she refused. DDD testified she was recruited to entertain customers, kiss them, and allow intimate touching, and that floor managers introduced customers and knew she had sexual intercourse with them. All victims were minors at the time and were rescued in a raid by National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents on January 26, 2006.
The defense presented witnesses, including Lapena herself, who denied working at the bar and claimed she was merely a barbecue vendor outside the establishment. She admitted to assisting in renewing the bar’s business license, keeping her stock inside, and using its restroom.
The Regional Trial Court found Lapena guilty beyond reasonable doubt, rejecting her defense and finding the victims’ testimonies credible. It emphasized her admission of assisting with the license renewal and having free access to the bar, concluding she played an essential role in its operations. She was sentenced to life imprisonment, a P2,000,000 fine, and ordered to pay moral and exemplary damages to the victims. The Court of Appeals affirmed the conviction but modified the damages. Lapena appealed to the Supreme Court.

ISSUE

Whether the Court of Appeals erred in affirming the conviction of Helen Lapena for Qualified Trafficking in Persons.

RULING

The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal and affirmed the Court of Appeals Decision in toto. The Court held that the findings of fact by the trial court, affirmed by the Court of Appeals, are entitled to great weight and respect, and there was no cogent reason to reverse them. The testimonies of the minor victims positively identified Lapena as a floor manager who facilitated their sexual exploitation. The documentary evidence, including birth certificates, sufficiently proved the victims were minors at the time of the offense. Lapena’s guilt was proven beyond reasonable doubt. The penalty of life imprisonment and a P2,000,000 fine under RA 9208 was upheld. The award of damages was also affirmed: P500,000 as moral damages and P100,000 as exemplary damages to each of the three minor complainants.