Former bank officer faces estafa, falsification raps
By: KIT BAGAIPO

The City Prosecutors Office finds prima facie evidence against a former officer of the Bank of Commerce (BOC) who was charged with estafa and falsification of private document by a depositor of said bank.

The complaint was filed by Mae Ann Ramasola, a resident of this city, against one Ada Marie Gallego-Mascariñas, who was a ranking officer of the BOC.

It may be recalled that Gallego-Mascariñas was accused by BOC clients of falsifying their bank accounts, involving the issuances of checks that bore forged signatures.

Another complainant, Sercio Manigque, has filed a similar complaint now pending at the Regional Trial Court (RTC).

In his joint resolution, City Prosecutor Conrado Supremo stated that the complaint against Gallego-Mascariñas is meritorious.

Ramasola and Manigque, both represented by Atty. Lord Marapao IV, were both persuaded by the respondent to establish accounts at the BOC.

Ramasola was allegedly told by Gallego-Mascariñas that she could transfer her deposits into a new product of BOC which yields higher interest.

The complainant, who was visited by Gallego-Mascariñas in her residence, acceded to transfer her deposit into the new product introduced by respondent after considering that it will be beneficial to her.

According to the complainant, the respondent handed her a blank withdrawal slip and asked her to sign it for the account transfer. Consequently, she signed the withdrawal after the respondent (Gallego-Mascariñas) assured her that she would complete the rest of the form.

The withdrawal slip would allegedly be used to close the complainant's existing account and subsequently transfer if to the said other product of BOC.

The respondent also told the complainant that she would keep her passbook since it would still be used for the new account.

It was only much later that the amount filled on the withdrawal slip was P2,015,781.88 when she secured a machine copy of it at the BOC.

About a month later, the respondent came and told the complainant to sign another withdrawal slip in order to accordingly facilitate the transfer of the latter's deposit to another better interest-yielding account which the BOC has offered. Again, due to complainant's full trust, she signed the blank withdrawal slip and relied on the respondent to accomplish the other details in the form including the amount to be withdrawn.

It was only after about four months that the complainant asked for her passbook from the respondent saying that she would be updating it. However, the respondent would not return it until she learned that the respondent had resigned from the bank.

It turned out that the complainant was defrauded by as much as P1,120,109.97 after she verified with the bank regarding her account.

FINDINGS

According to the city prosecutor, instead of depositing the complainant's money to a new product of BOC yielding a high interest, the respondent misappropriated the money for her own personal use.

"The complainant has thus established a prima facie case of estafa with abuse of confidence," the joint resolution stated.

According to the prosecutor, the relative complaint for falsification by a private individual also has merit as "the respondent resorted to falsifying the passbook."