WHEREFORE, accused Fernando Cortez is hereby Acquitted under Criminal Case Nos. 9899799004 of the crime of Estafa under Art. 315, par. 2(a) of the Revised Penal Code, on grounds of reasonable doubt. Upon the other hand, the prosecution having established beyond reasonable doubt the guilt of accused Fernando Cortez under Criminal Case No. 98224 of the crime of Illegal Recruitment (in large scale) penalized under Art. 38(a) in relation to Art. 39(b) of P.D. 442, this Court hereby imposes upon accused Fernando Cortez as follows: 1. To suffer life imprisonment and pay a fine of ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND PESOS (P100,000.00); 2. To indemnify private complainantsa) Fely M. Casanova in the amount of P151,581.00; b) Arnel M. Diana in the amount of P50,000.00; c) Reynaldo P. Claudio in the amount of P58,454.00; d) German Aquino in the amount of P40,000.00; e) Manolito Latoja in the amount of P45,000.00; f) Alejandro F. Ruiz in the amount of P50,000.00; g) Antonio S. Bernardo in the amount of P60,000.00; and h) Henry Ilar in the amount of P25,000.00; all with legal rate of interest reckoned from the filing of the Information until fully paid. SO ORDERED. Hence, the present appeal. Appellant contends that the trial court viii[8]... ERRED IN THE APPRECIATION OF THE EVIDENCE ADDUCED DURING THE TRIAL ON THE MERITS AND AS A RESULT IT ALSO ERRED IN CONVICTING FERNANDO CORTEZ OF ILLEGAL RECRUITMENT WHILE AT THE SAME TIME IT ACQUITTED HIM OF THE CRIME OF ESTAFA BASED ON THE SAME EVIDENCE. Appellant anchors his bid for acquittal on the insufficiency of evidence, documentary and testimonial, to prove his guilt beyond reasonable doubt. If at all, appellant argues, the sole person guilty of illegal recruitment in large scale should be Yabut since she was the only one who signed the receipts for the amounts received from the complainants. He contends that the mere fact that he is romantically linked with Yabut does not mean he acted in conspiracy with her.