SECOND DIVISION [G. R. No. 119594. January 18, 2000] THE PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, plaintiff-appellee, vs. BENZON ONG y SATE alias "BENZ ONG," accused-appellant. DECISION MENDOZA, J.: This is an appeal from the decision1[1]of the Regional Trial Court, Branch 5, Baguio City, finding accused-appellant Benzon Ong y Sate, alias Benz Ong, guilty of (1) illegal recruitment committed in large scale and sentencing him to suffer life imprisonment, pay a fine of P100,000.00, without subsidiary imprisonment in case of insolvency, and pay the costs; and (2) seven counts of estafa for which he was sentenced to suffer, on each count, an indeterminate prison term ranging from four years and two months of prision correccional, as minimum, to eight years of prision mayor, as maximum, in two cases, and to nine years of prision mayor, as maximum, in five cases, and to indemnify the eight private complainants in the aggregate amount of P277,500.00 with interest at the legal rate counted from July 25, 1994, until fully paid. In Criminal Case No. 13146-R, the information for illegal recruitment in large scale2[2] alleged That sometime during and between the period from November, 1993 to January, 1994, in the City of Baguio, Philippines, and within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, the above-named accused, representing himself to have the capacity to contract, enlist, hire and transport Filipino workers for employment abroad, did then and there willfully, unlawfully and feloniously, for a fee, recruit and promise employment/job placement to the following persons: Kyler 1. Noel Bacasnot y Baldivino; 2. Ruth A. Eliw; 3. Samuel Bagni; 4. Francisca Cayaya; 5. Teofilo S. Gallao, Jr.; 6. Sally Kamura; 7. Paul G. Esteban; 8. David Joaquin; and 9. Solidad M. Malinias 1[1] Per Judge Salvador J. Valdez, Jr., now Associate Justice of the Court of Appeals. 2[2] Rollo, p. 8.