DLSU Commercial Law Review Digest G02 (2015-2016) 014 Phil. Commercial Bank vs. Antonio B. Balmaceda, et. al., G.R. No. 158143, e!t. "1, "011 Ponente# BRI!" Ponente# BRI!" #$ $%C&R'N(# &he crossin) o* a check has the *ollo+in) eects# -a t%e -a t%e c%ec& ma' ot e o ecas%e ecas%e* * +t ol' *e,osite* *e,osite* i t%e a& -/ t%e -/ t%e c%ec& ma' e egotiate* ol' oce to t%e oe w%o %as a acco+t wit% t%e a& a* -c t%e act o. crossig t%e c%ec& serves as a warig to t%e %ol*er t%at t%e c%ec& %as ee iss+e* .or a *e/ite ,+r,ose a* %e m+st i+ire i. %e receive* t%e c%ec& ,+rs+at to t%is ,+r,ose ot%erwise" %e is ot a %ol*er i *+e co+rse %e crossig o. a c%ec& is a warig t%at t%e c%ec& s%o+l* e *e,osite* *e,osite* ol' i t%e o acco+t o. t%e ,a'ee$ %e a c%ec& is crosse*" it is t%e *+t' o. t%e collectig a& to ascertai t%at t%e c%ec& is ol' *e,osite* to t%e ,a'ees acco+t$ %e Geeral Ba&ig Law o. 2000 re+ires re+ires o. a&s t%e %ig%est sta*ar*s o. o itegrit' a* ,er.ormace$ %e a&ig +siess is im,resse* wit% ,+lic iterest$ . ,aramo+t im,ortace is t%e tr+st a* co/*ece o. t%e ,+lic i geeral i t%e a&ig i*+str'$ Cose+etl'" t%e *iligece re+ire* o. a&s is more t%a t%at o. a Roma ,ater .amilias or a goo* .at%er o. a .amil'$ .amil'$ %e %ig%est *egree o. *iligece is e3,ecte*$
AC&# 4CIB /le* a actio .or recover' o. s+m o. moe' wit% *amages e.ore t%e RC agaist Antonio Balmaceda Balmaceda " t%e Brac% aager o. its Sta$ Cr+" aila rac%$ I its com,la com,lait it"" 4CIB 4CIB allege* allege* t%at etwee etwee 1771 1771 a* 1778" 1778" Balmace Balmace*a" *a" ' ta&ig ta&ig a*vatage o. %is ,ositio as rac% maager" .ra+*+letl' otaie* a* ecas%e* 81 aagers c%ec&s$ 9er+ar' 9er+ar' 2:" 177;" 4CIB move* to e allowe* all owe* to /le a ame*e* com,la com,lait it to im!lead Rolando Ramos as oe o. t%e reci,iets o. a ,ortio o. t%e ,roc ,rocee ee*s *s .rom .rom Balm Balmac ace* e*as as alle allege ge* * .ra+ .ra+*$ *$ 4CIB 4CIB also also icr icrea ease se* * t%e t%e +m +mer er o. .ra+*+letl' otaie* a* ecas%e* aagers c%ec&s to 8;" i t%e total amo+t o. 411"78<"150$00$ %e RC RC grate* t%is motio$ Sice Sice Balmace Balmace*a *a *i* ot /le a =s =swer wer"" %e was *eclar *eclare* e* i *e.a+lt *e.a+lt$$ t%e ot%er %a*" Ramos /le* a =swer *e'ig a' &owle*ge o. Balmace*as sc%eme$ =ccor*ig to Ramos" %e is a re,+tale +siessma egage* i t%e +siess o. +'ig a* sellig /g%tig coc&s" a* Balmace*a was oe o. %is cliets$ Ramos a*mitte* receivig moe' .rom Balmace*a as ,a'met .or t%e /g%tig coc&s t%at %e sol* to Balmace*a" +t maitaie* t%at %e %a* o &owle*ge o. t%e so+rce o. Balmace*as moe'$ RC .o+* .o+* t%at t%at Balmac Balmace*a e*a"" misa,, misa,,ro ro,ria ,riate* te* t%e a&s a&s .+*s .+*s ' .alsi. .alsi.'i 'ig g seve severa rall comme commerc rcia iall *oc+ *oc+me mets ts$$ It also .o+ .o+* * Ramos Ramos acte* acte* i coll coll+s +sio io wit% wit% Balmace*a$ Balmace*a$ =,,eal" t%e C= *ismisse* *ismisse* t%e com,lait com,lait agaist Ramos$ =ccor*ig =ccor*ig to t%e t%e C=" C=" t%e t%e mer mere .act .act t%at t%at Balm Balmac ace* e*a a ma*e ma*e Ramos amos t%e t%e ,a'e ,a'ee e i some some o. t%e t%e aagers c%ec&s *oes ot s+>ce to ,rove t%at Ramos was com,licit i Balmace*as .ra+*+let .ra+*+let sc%eme$ It oserve* t%at ot%er ,ersos were also ame* as ,a'ees i t%e c%ec&s c%ec&s t%at Balmace Balmace*a *a ac+ir ac+ire* e* a* ecas%e* ecas%e*"" a* 4CIB ol' ol' c%ose c%ose to go a.ter a.ter Ramos$ it% 4CIBs .ail+re to ,rove Ramos act+al ,artici,atio i Balmace*as .ra+*" o legal a* .act+al asis e3ists to %ol* %im liale$
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'(# 2%N &( APP(A&( C%R& (RR($ 'N %$'NG &A& &(R( ' N% ('$(NC( &% %$ &A& R(P%N$(N& RA6% AC&($ 'N C%6P'C'&7 2'& R(P%N$(N& BA6AC($A R'NG# NO, Ramos participation in Balmacedas scheme not proven$ %e mere .act t%at Balmace*a ma*e Ramos t%e ,a'ee o some o. t%e aagers c%ec&s is ot eo+g% asis to cocl+*e t%at Ramos was com,licit i Balmace*as .ra+* a +mer o. ot%er ,eo,le were ma*e ,a'ees o t%e ot%er aagers c%ec&s 'et 4CIB ever allege* t%em to e liale" or *i* t%e Ba& a**+ce a' ot%er evi*ece ,oitig to Ramos ,artici,atio t%at wo+l* A+sti.' %is se,arate treatmet .rom t%e ot%ers$ =lso" w%ile Ramos is Balmace*as rot%er-i-law" t%eir relatios%i, is ot s+>ciet" ' itsel." to re*er Ramos liale" aset cocrete ,roo. o. %is act+al ,artici,atio i t%e .ra+*+let sc%eme$ oreover" t%e evi*ece o recor* clearl' s%ows t%at Balmace*a acte* o %is ow w%e %e a,,lie* .or t%e aagers c%ec&s agaist t%e a& acco+t o. oe o. 4CIBs cliets" as well as w%e %e ecas%e* t%e .ra+*+letl' ac+ire* aagers c%ec&s$ rs$ Costes" t%e =rea aager o. 4CIB" testi/e* t%at Balmace*a committe* all t%e .ra+*+let acts ' .orgig t%e sigat+re o. t%e cliets re,resetative" to .orgig t%e sigat+res o. t%e ,a'ees i or*er to ecas% t%e c%ec&s$ rs$ !il*a La.ortea" also testi/e* t%at Ramos ever wet to t%e 4CIB to ecas% t%e c%ec&s sice Balmace*a was t%e oe w%o *e,osite* t%e c%ec&s ito Ramos a& acco+t$ e also /* o reaso to *o+t Ramos claim t%at Balmace*a *e,osite* t%ese large s+ms o. moe' ito %is a& acco+t as ,a'met .or t%e /g%tig coc&s t%at Balmace*a ,+rc%ase* .rom %im$ Given that PC'B *ailed to esta/lish Ramos !artici!ation in Balmacedas scheme, it +as not even necessar *or Ramos to !rovide an e9!lanation *or the mone he received *rom Balmaceda. (ven i* the evidence add:ced / the !lainti a!!ears stron)er than that !resented / the de*endant, a ;:d)ment cannot /e entered in the !laintis *avor i* his evidence still does not s:ned m:st /e esta/lished to achieve this res:lt. PCIB itself at fault as employer = acco+tig cler& " testi/e* t%at Balmace*a ro&e t%e Ba&s ,rotocol w%e %e or*ere* t%e Ba&s em,lo'ees to /ll +, t%e a,,licatio .orms .or t%e aagers c%ec&s" to e *eite* .rom t%e a& acco+t o. oe o. t%e a&s cliets" wit%o+t ,rovi*ig t%e ecessar' =+t%orit' to Deit .rom t%e cliet$ 4CIB also a*mitte* t%at t%ese aagers c%ec&s were s+se+etl' release* to Balmace*a" a* ot to t%e cliets re,resetative" ase* solel' o Balmace*as wor* t%at t%e cliet %a* tas&e* %im to *eliver t%ese c%ec&s$ =ot%er tellig i*icator o. 4CIBs egligece is t%e .act t%at it allowe* Balmace*a to ecas% t%e aagers c%ec&s t%at were ,lail' crosse* c%ec&s$ = crosse* c%ec& is oe w%ere two ,arallel lies are *raw across its .ace or across its corer$ Base* o A+ris,r+*ece" the crossin) o* a check has the *ollo+in) eects (a) t%e c%ec& ma' ot e ecas%e* +t ol' *e,osite* i t%e a& () t%e c%ec& ma' e egotiate* ol' oce to t%e oe w%o %as a acco+t wit% t%e a& a* (c) t%e act o. crossig t%e c%ec& serves as a warig to t%e %ol*er t%at t%e c%ec& %as ee iss+e* .or a *e/ite ,+r,ose a* %e m+st i+ire i. %e receive* t%e c%ec& ,+rs+at to t%is ,+r,ose other+ise, he is not a holder in d:e co:rse.
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DLSU Commercial Law Review Digest G02 (2015-2016)
'n other +ords, the crossin) o* a check is a +arnin) that the check sho:ld /e de!osited onl in the acco:nt o* the !aee. 2hen a check is crossed, it is the d:t o* the collectin) /ank to ascertain that the check is onl de!osited to the !aees acco:nt. 'n com!lete disre)ard o* this d:t, PC'Bs sstems allo+ed Balmaceda to encash "? 6ana)ers checks +hich +ere all crossed checks, or checks !aa/le to the !aees acco:nt onl$ %e Geeral Ba&ig Law o. 2000 re+ires o. a&s t%e %ig%est sta*ar*s o. itegrit' a* ,er.ormace$ %e a&ig +siess is im,resse* wit% ,+lic iterest$ . ,aramo+t im,ortace is t%e tr+st a* co/*ece o. t%e ,+lic i geeral i t%e a&ig i*+str'$ Cose+etl'" t%e *iligece re+ire* o. a&s is more t%a t%at o. a Roma ,ater .amilias or a goo* .at%er o. a .amil'$ %e %ig%est *egree o. *iligece is e3,ecte*$ it% t%is &i* o. recor*" lame m+st e im,+te* o t%e Ba& itsel. a* its s'stems" ot solel' o t%e wea&ess or la,ses o. i*ivi*+al em,lo'ees$ $'P%'&'( P%R&'%N# 2(R(%R(, the !etition is PAR&'A7 GRAN&($. 2e A'R6 the decision o* the Co:rt o* A!!eals dated A!ril "@, "003 in CAG.R. C No. ?@@55 +ith the 6%$''CA&'%N that the a+ard o* moral and e9em!lar dama)es in *avor o* Rolando N. Ramos is $((&($, +hile the a+ard o* attornes *ees is 'NCR(A($ to P5,000.00. Costs a)ainst the Phili!!ine Commercial 'nternational Bank.
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