in Taiwan, without first obtaining or securing license or authority from the proper governmental agency. CONTRARY TO LAW. In Criminal Case Nos. 13147-R to 13154-R, eight informations for estafa were filed. Save for the dates of commission of the crime, the names of the complainant and the amounts involved, the informations uniformly alleged That sometime in [date],3[3] in the City of Baguio, Philippines, and within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, the above-named accused did then and there wilfully, unlawfully and feloniously defraud one [name]4[4] by way of false pretenses, which are executed prior to or simultaneously with the commission of the fraud, as follows, to wit: the accused knowing fully well that he/she/they is/are not authorized job recruiters for persons intending to secure work abroad convinced said [name] and pretended that he/she/they could secure a job for him/her abroad, for and in consideration of the sum of [amount],5[5] when in truth and in fact they could not; the said [name], deceived and convinced by the false pretenses employed by the accused, parted away the total sum of [amount], in favor of the accused, to the damage and prejudice of the said [name] in the aforementioned amount of [amount in words]6[6] [amount], Philippine Currency. CONTRARY TO LAW. All indictments being based on the same facts, the cases were tried jointly. Accused-appellant entered a plea of not guilty to each of the charges, whereupon trial commenced. The evidence for the prosecution established the following facts: Kycalr 1) January, 1994. ; 2) January, 1994. ; 3) May 10, 1994. ; 4) January, 1994. ; 5) January, 1994. ; 6) March 7, 1994. ; 7) November 30, 1993. ; 8) January, 1994. 3[3] 1) Ruth Eliw y Adais (Crim. Case No. 13147-R) ; 2) Samuel Bagni (Crim. Case No. 13148R) ; 3) Francisca Cayaya (Crim. Case No. 13149-R) ; 4) Teofilo S. Gallao, Jr. (Crim. Case No. 13150-R) ; 5) Sally Kamura (Crim. Case No. 13151-R) ; 6) Paul G. Esteban (Crim. Case No. 13152-R) ; 7) David Joaquin (Crim. Case No. 13153-R) ; 8) Solidad M. Malinias (Crim. Case No. 13154-R) 4[4] 1) P40,000.00 (Forty thousand pesos) ; 2) P40,000.00 (Forty thousand pesos) ; 3) P20,000.00 (Twenty thousand pesos) ; 4) P40,000.00 (Forty thousand pesos) ; 5) P40,000.00 (Forty thousand pesos) ; 6) P30,000.00 (Thirty thousand pesos) ; 7) P30,000.00 (Thirty thousand pesos) ; 8) P40,000.00 (Forty thousand pesos) 5[5] 6[6] See footnote 5.