Lack of deceit
A law each day (KEEPS TROUBLE AWAY) By Jose C. Sison The Phili ine S!a" #$%#&%'##(
To )e con*ic!ed o+ es!a+a )y os! da!in, o" iss-ance o+ a chec./ i! 0-s! )e shown !ha! !he chec. was in ay0en! o+ an o)li,a!ion con!"ac!ed a! !he !i0e i! was iss-ed1 !ha! !he *ic!i0 a"!ed wi!h his 0oney )y *i"!-e o+ !he chec. iss-ed )y !he acc-sed who ass-"ed hi0 !ha! i! is ,ood and wo-ld no! )o-nce. O!he"wise/ !he"e is no c"i0e o+ es!a+a co00i!!ed. This is ill-s!"a!ed in !his case o+ Al0a. Al0a was en,a,ed in !he wholesale o+ so+! d"in.s. 2eedin, 0oney !o +inance he" )-siness a +"iend in!"od-ced he" !o Be"nie so0e!i0e in 344(. Since !hen Al0a s!a"!ed )o""owin, 0oney +"o0 Be"nie. To ay he" loans/ Al0a iss-ed Allied Ban. chec.s -nde" i!s 2e,o!ia)le O"de" o+ Wi!hd"awal (2OW) acco-n! o" a sa*in,s acco-n! whe"e !he d"awe" iss-es chec.s aya)le only !o a s eci+ic ayee and !he"e+o"e canno! )e +-"!he" ne,o!ia!ed. The acco-n! was in !he na0e o+ Al0a and he" da-,h!e" Lisa. 5! was o ened on Jan-a"y '6/ 3446 and closed on 7a"ch '(/ 3446. On di++e"en! occasions Al0a iss-ed a"o-nd si8!een chec.s si,ned )y he" and he" da-,h!e" Lisa )e+o"e !he clos-"e o+ !he 2OW acco-n!. One o+ !he said chec.s was iss-ed so0e!i0e in 9e)"-a"y 344: )-! da!ed 7a"ch ;3/ 344: a0o-n!in, !o P':#/###. When !his chec. was "esen!ed !o Allied Ban. +o" encash0en!/ !he sa0e was dishono"ed +o" !he "eason <Acco-n! Closed<. Be"nie also "esen!ed +o" encash0en! +o-" o!he" chec.s each )ea"in, !he a0o-n! o+ P3;/###.## and "es ec!i*ely da!ed A-,-s! ;3/ 3446/ Jan-a"y ;3/ 344:/ 7a"ch 3/344: and 7a"ch ;3/ 344:. The chec. da!ed A-,-s! ;3/ 3446 was de osi!ed )y Be"nie !o his 7e!"o)an. acco-n! on Se !e0)e" 3/ 3446 and i! was also dishono"ed +o" !he "eason <acco-n! closed<. B-! Be"nie s-ed Al0a and he" da-,h!e" +o" es!a+a wi!h "es ec! !o !he chec. a0o-n!in, !o P':#/### da!ed 7a"ch ;3/ 344: alle,in, !ha! so0e!i0e in 9e)"-a"y 344:/ Al0a and he" da-,h!e" ca0e !o hi0 and )e,,ed !o ha*e !he said chec. disco-n!ed wi!h "e "esen=!a!ions !ha! !hei" chec. was ,ood and wo-ld ne*e" )o-nce and )eca-se o+ !hei" see0in, hones! "e "esen!a!ions he was l-"ed !o acce ! said chec. and si0-l!aneo-sly ,a*e !he0 !he 0oney. A+!e" !"ial !he lowe" co-"! +o-nd Al0a ,-il!y o+ es!a+a. >e" da-,h!e" was no! !"ied as she had +lown !o A-s!"alia and "e0ained a! la",e. The lowe" co-"! - held Be"nie?s !heo"y !ha! Al0a iss-ed !o hi0 !he s-)@ec! chec. +o" "edisco-n!in, in 9e)"-a"y 344:1 !ha! i! was -sed )y Al0a !o o)!ain 0oney +"o0 hi0 on said da!e. Was !he lowe" co-"! co""ec!A 2o. Becei!/ !o cons!i!-!e es!a+a sho-ld )e !he e++icien! ca-se o+ !he de+"a-da!ion. 5! 0-s! ha*e )een co00i!!ed ei!he" "io" !o o" si0-l!aneo-sly wi!h !he de+"a-da!ion co0= lained o+. The iss-ance o+ !he chec. sho-ld )e !he 0eans !o o)!ain 0oney +"o0 !he ayee. >ence a chec. iss-ed in ay0en! o+ a "e=e8is!in, o)li,a!ion does no! cons!i!-!e es!a+a e*en i+ !he"e is no +-nd in !he )an. !o co*e" !he a0o-n! o+ !he chec.. 5n !his case Al0a iss-ed !he s-)@ec! chec. !o Be"nie in ay0en! o+ a "e=e8is!in, o)li,a!ion. They 0e! in 344( and since !hen Al0a s!a"!ed )o""owin, 0oney +"o0 Be"nie. Be"nie did no! a"! wi!h his 0oney o-! o+ !he +"a-d-len! ass-"ances o+ Al0a !ha! !he s-)@ec! chec. was ,ood and wo-ld ne*e" )o-nce. 5! is inc"ed-lo-s !ha! a+!e" !he 2OW chec. da!ed A-,-s! ;3/ 3446 )o-nced on Se !e0)e" ;/ 3446 +o" !he "eason <acco-n! closed< Be"nie wo-ld s!ill disco-n! Al0a?s chec.s in s-ccession a"!ic-la"ly !he chec. +o" P':#/### in 9e)"-a"y 344:. As ea"ly as Se !e0)e" '/ 3446 Be"nie al"eady .new !ha! Al0a?s 2OW acco-n! had )een closed. >e hi0sel+ said !ha! !he s-)@ec! chec. was iss-ed !o hi0 so0e!i0e in 9e)"-a"y 344:. A! !ha! !i0e he al"eady .new !ha! Al0a?s acco-n! whe"e !he s-)@ec! chec. is cha",ed was closed. Be"nie?s "edisco-n!in, !heo"y 0-s! +ail. The"e is no es!a+a !h"o-,h )o-ncin, chec.s when i! is shown !ha! co0 lainan! .new !ha! !he d"awe" did no! ha*e s-++icien! +-nds in !he )an. a! !he !i0e !he chec. was iss-ed !o hi0. S-ch .nowled,e ne,a!es !he ele0en! o+ decei! and cons!i!-!es a de+ense in es!a+a !h"o-,h )o-ncin, chec.s. Al0a is no! howe*e" wi!ho-! lia)ili!y. She is s!ill ci*illy lia)le. The case sho-ld !he"e+o"e )e "e0anded !o !he lowe" co-"! +o" "ece !ion o+ +-"!he" e*idence as !o !he a0o-n! o+ he" "e0ainin, o)li,a!ion (People vs. Reyes G.R. 154159, March 31, 2005. 454 SCRA 635).
