Val Ryan Firmalino Lozada

DIRECT EXAMINATION OF PROSECUTION WITNESS (ANNA MARIA MANLICLIC y ARANETA) PROSECUTOR: Your Honor, we are formally offering the testimony of the witness ANNA MARIA MANLICLIC y ARANETA. The purpose of her testimony is to prove the following: 1. That she was and still is a minor at the time of the incident, subject of this case; 2. That she is a resident of Caloocan City; 3. That when she met accused YOLANDA S. VILLAGOMEZ, the latter offered to give her money in case of need; 4. That accused JOHN PAUL D. MARCELINO and RICHARD V. MANAHAN and EMMANUEL J. AYALDE assisted accused VILLAGOMEZ in her trade; 5. That she will identify all the accused; 6. That she will identify some document(s); 7. That she will prove her entitlement to moral and exemplary damages; and 8. That she will prove some other matters relevant to the prosecution of the case. Q & A: Q: Ms. Witness, how old are you? A: I’m sixteen years old. Q: When is your birthday? A: December 5, 2000. Q: What is your proof that you were born on December 5, 2000? A: It’s in my birth certificate, sir. Q: If that birth certificate would be shown to you, would you be able to identify it? A: Yes. Q: I’m showing to you a copy of a birth certificate issued by the Civil Registrar General with the name [ NOTE: Witness’ name should be kept confidential by virtue of the Child Witness Rule and due to the sensitive nature of this case.], is this the birth certificate that you are referring to? A: Yes. PROSECUTOR: [Counsel addressing the Court] Your Honor, may we refer the witness’ testimony to the birth certificate previously marked as Exhibit “L” for your reference. Q: Ms. Witness, where do you used to live? A: I used to live in Maypajo, Caloocan City. Q: At present, with whom are you living with? A: I’m living with my parents and my three siblings. Q: Where do you study? A: I don’t go to school anymore. Q: How come that you are no longer studying? A: I stopped going to school because my parents cannot afford to send me to school. Q: How old were you when you decided to stop going to school? A: After my first year in high school, I stopped studying. Q: When you stopped going to school, what did you do? A: Nothing. I just hang out with my friends. Q: What do you know about the accused YOLANDA S. VILLAGOMEZ? A: She’s the one who asked me to go out and meet some people to get some money. Q: How do you call her? A: I call her Mama Landa. Q: How did you and “MAMA LANDA” (YOLANDA S. VILLAGOMEZ’S alias) know each other? A: I know Mama Landa through Erlyn Principio. Q: Who is this Erlyn? A: Erlyn is one of my friends I met in Libis. We always hang out there when we have nothing to do. Q: What made you decide to go with your friend Erlyn? A: Every time Erlyn and I see each other at Libis, she always have lots of money and often treated me for snacks. She tells me I need to go with her to Mama Landa to earn some money. Q: When you went with Erlyn, what kind of work did you find out? A: I found out that she goes out with some “customers” at Fifth Avenue. Q: Where does she go out with her “customers”? A: They go to a hotel at Fifth Avenue to have sex? Q: Why does she do this? A: To get money because she is paid by them. Q: Who told her to do this? Having sex with so-called “customers”? A: Mama Landa. Q: Aside from Mama Landa, who convinced you and Erlyn to have sex with customers for money? A: Paul and Richard. Q: How do you call these two, John Paul Marcelino and Richard Manahan? A: Erlyn and I call them “Nay Paul” and “Nay Richard”. Q: How did ‘Nay Paul and ‘Nay Richard got involved with you and Mama Landa? A: ‘Nay Paul and ‘Nay Richard were the ones who introduced Mama Landa to Erlyn back in July 2015. Both of them call me and my friend Erlyn every time we will have customers, as instructed by Mama Landa. Q: How does she inform you girls that you have customers? A: Mama Landa always texts or calls me through my cellphone to meet our customers. Q: How do you know that it was her who called or texted you? A: She always identify herself every time she texts me. When she calls, I know her voice very well. Q: Where do you meet with her? A: We always meet at Ministop at San Roque. Q: How much does she charges your so-called customers? A: She charges P1,500 from each customer. Q: How much does she pay you? A: She only gives me P100. Q: Every time you’re doing this, how do you feel? A: I feel sorry for myself, but I need money to help my family. Q: Why didn’t you tell your parents on what you are doing? A: I’m scared because they might get angry at me. Also, we will have no money to feed ourselves. Q: At the time of the raid, what were you doing? A: I was at Marsman Hotel at Fifth Avenue with someone named John-John. I thought he is just one of the usual customers. However, when I saw many men with guns entered the place and grabbed Mama Landa and her companions, John-John told me he is from the NBI and he and his companions are going to help me leave the hotel. Q: For the record, will you please point that person you are referring to as Mama Landa? A: Yes. PROSECUTOR: [ addresses the Court] Your Honor, may we ask the Honorable Court to allow the witness to identify the accused, YOLANDA VILLAGOMEZ, JOHN PAUL D. MARCELINO and RICHARD MANAHAN, if they are present in the courtroom, by pointing to each one of them from the witness stand and identify them by stating their names or aliases. [Witness, while sitting on the witness stand, identifies all the accused by pointing to the latter one by one while stating each of their names or aliases.] [Prosecutor addresses the Honorable Court] Your Honor, I would like the Honorable Court to put on record that the witness has identified all the accused YOLANDA VILLAGOMEZ, JOHN PAUL D. MARCELINO and RICHARD MANAHAN. Q: What else do you wish to add or say regarding this case? A: None. PROSECUTOR: [addresses the Court] No further questions, Your Honor. VAL RYAN F. LOZADA Legal Intern Department of Justice Padre Faura St., Ermita MANILA