G.R. Nos. 173654-765 PEOPLE vs.

OF THE

August 28, 2008 PHILIPPINES, petitioner,

'+t* t*( 3!"- !)( /o"s+#()(# /)(#+to)s o0 t*( 3!"-. T*( 3!"- !/:u+)(s o'"()s*+. o0 t*( 5o"(4 #(.os+t(# 34 +ts /2+("ts, 5!-+"g t*( 5o"(4 t!-(" 34 )(s.o"#("ts !s 3(2o"g+"g to t*( 3!"-. ISS E& ;*(t*() o) "ot +" t*+s /!s( t*(/o"/(.t o" s+5.2( 2o!" s*ou2# !..24. HEL6& <ES

TERESITA P IG !"# PORRAS, respondents.

RO$EO

FA%TS& On 7 November 2005, the Iloilo Provincial Prosecutors Office filed before the R ! in cases of "ualified heft a#ainst respondents eresita Pui# $Pui#% and Romeo Porras $Porras% &ho '()( t*( %!s*+() !"# ,oo--((.(), respectivel', of private complainant Rural (an) of Pototan, Inc. ****above+named ,respondents-, conspirin#, confederatin#, and helpin# one another, with grave abuse of confidence, bein# theCashier and Bookkeeper of the Rural (an) of Pototan, Inc., Pototan, Iloilo, &ithout the )no&led#e and.or consent of the mana#ement of the (an) and &ith intent of #ain, did then and there &illfull', unla&full' and feloniousl' ta)e, steal and carr' a&a' the sum of /I/ 00N 1O234N5 P03O3 $P65,000.00%, Philippine !urrenc', to the dama#e and pre7udice of the said ban) in the aforesaid amount. 4fter perusin# the Informations in these cases, the trial court did not find the e8istence of probable cause that &ould have necessitated the issuance of a &arrant of arrest based on the follo&in# #rounds9 $6% the element of :t!-+"g '+t*out t*( /o"s("t o0 t*( o'"()s &as missin# on the #round that it is the depositors+ clients, and not the (an), &hich filed the complaint in these cases, &ho are the o&ners of the mone' alle#edl' ta)en b' respondents and hence, are the real parties+in+interest; and $2% the Informations are bereft of the phrase alle#in# <#(.("#("/(, gu!)#+!"s*+. o) 1+g+2!"/( 3(t'((" t*( )(s.o"#("ts !"# t*( o00("#(# .!)t4 t*!t 'ou2# *!1( /)(!t(# ! *+g* #(g)(( o0 /o"0+#("/( 3(t'((" t*(5 '*+/* t*( )(s.o"#("ts /ou2# *!1( !3us(#.< P(t+t+o"() '("t #+)(/t24 to t*+s %ou)t via P(t+t+o" 0o) R(1+(' o" Certiorari u"#() Ru2( 45, )!+s+"g t*( so2( 2(g!2 +ssu( o0& =10 10R OR NO 10IN/OR>4 ION3 /OR "24?I/I05 10/ 32//I!I0N ?@ 4??0A0 10 0?0>0N O/ 4BINA =I 1O2 10 !ON30N O/ 10 O=N0R, 4N5 10 "24?I/@INA !IR!2>3 4N!0 O/ AR4C0 4(230 O/ !ON/I50N!0.. 10?59 @03 %RE6IT TRANSA%TION %ON%EPT& P(t+t+o"() (7.2!+"s t*!t u"#() A)t+/2( 1880 o0 t*( N(' %+1+2 %o#(, 90+7(#, s!1+"gs, !"# /u))("t #(.os+ts o0 5o"(4 +" 3!"-s !"# s+5+2!) +"st+tut+o"s s*!22 3( go1()"(# 34 t*( .)o1+s+o"s /o"/()"+"g s+5.2( 2o!"s.9 %o)o22!)4 t*()(to, A)t+/2( 1853 o0 t*( s!5( %o#( .)o1+#(s t*!t 9! .()so" '*o )(/(+1(s ! 2o!" o0 5o"(4 o) !"4 ot*() 0u"g+32( t*+"g !/:u+)(s t*( o'"()s*+. t*()(o0, !"# +s 3ou"# to .!4 to t*( /)(#+to) !" (:u!2 !5ou"t o0 t*( s!5( -+"# !"# :u!2+t4.9 T*us, +t .os+ts t*!t t*( #(.os+to)s '*o .2!/( t*(+) 5o"(4

o fall under the crime of =u!2+0+(# T*(0t, the follo&in# elements must concur9 6. a)in# of personal propert'; 2. hat the said propert' belon#s to another; D. hat the said ta)in# be done &ith intent to #ain; E. hat it be done &ithout the o&ners consent; 5. hat it be accomplished &ithout the use of violence or intimidation a#ainst persons, nor of force upon thin#s; F. That it be done with grave abuse of confidence. It is be'ond doubt that tellers, !ashiers, (oo))eepers and other emplo'ees of a (an) &ho come into possession of the monies deposited therein en7o' the confidence reposed in them b' their emplo'er. (an)s, on the other hand, &here monies are deposited, are considered the o&ners thereof. his is ver' clear not onl' from the e8press provisions of the la&, but from established 7urisprudence. he relationship bet&een ban)s and depositors has been held to be that of creditor and debtor. A)t+/2(s 1853 !"# 1880 o0 t*( N(' %+1+2 %o#(, !s !..)o.)+!t(24 .o+"t(# out 34 .(t+t+o"(), .)o1+#( !s 0o22o's& A)t+/2( 1853. A .()so" '*o )(/(+1(s ! 2o!" o0 5o"(4 o) !"4 ot*() 0u"g+32( t*+"g !/:u+)(s t*( o'"()s*+. t*()(o0, !"# +s 3ou"# to .!4 to t*( /)(#+to) !" (:u!2 !5ou"t o0 t*( s!5( -+"# !"# :u!2+t4. A)t+/2( 1880. F+7(#, s!1+"gs, !"# /u))("t #(.os+ts o0 5o"(4 +" 3!"-s !"# s+5+2!) +"st+tut+o"s s*!22 3( go1()"(# 34 t*( .)o1+s+o"s /o"/()"+"g 2o!". In a lon# line of cases involvin# "ualified heft, this !ourt has firml' established the nature of possession b' the (an) of the mone' deposits therein, and the duties bein# performed b' its emplo'ees &ho have custod' of the mone' or have come into possession of it. he !ourt has consistentl' considered the alle#ations in the Information that such emplo'ees acted &ith #rave abuse of confidence, to the dama#e and pre7udice of the (an), &ithout particularl' referrin# to it as o&ner of the mone' deposits, as sufficient to ma)e out a case of "ualified heft. &hich he e8ploited to enrich himself to the dama#e and pre7udice of P!I( 8 8 8.G /rom another end, People v. Locson,60 in addition to People v. Sison, described the nature of possession b' the (an). he mone' in this case &as in the possession of the defendant as receivin# teller of the ban), and the possession of the defendant &as the possession of the (an). he !ourt held

therein that &hen the defendant, &ith #rave abuse of confidence, removed the mone' and appropriated it to his o&n use &ithout the consent of the (an), there &as ta)in# as contemplated in the crime of "ualified heft.66 !onspicuousl', in all of the fore#oin# cases, &here the Informations merel' alle#ed the positions of the respondents; that the crime &as committed &ith #rave abuse of confidence, &ith intent to #ain and &ithout the )no&led#e and consent of the (an), &ithout necessaril' statin# the phrase bein# assiduousl' insisted upon b' respondents, <of a relation by reason of dependence, guardianship or vigilance, between the respondents and the offended party that has created a high degree of confidence between them, which respondents abused,<62 and &ithout emplo'in# the &ord <o&ner< in lieu of the <(an)< &ere considered to have satisfied the test of sufficienc' of alle#ations. I" su55!)4, t*( ,!"- !/:u+)(s o'"()s*+. o0 t*( 5o"(4 #(.os+t(# 34 +ts /2+("ts> !"# t*( (5.2o4((s o0 t*( ,!"-, '*o !)( ("t)ust(# '+t* t*( .oss(ss+o" o0 5o"(4 o0 t*( ,!"- #u( to t*( /o"0+#("/( )(.os(# +" t*(5, o//u.4 .os+t+o"s o0 /o"0+#("/(. T*( I"0o)5!t+o"s, t*()(0o)(, su00+/+("t24 !22(g( !22 t*( (ss("t+!2 (2(5("ts /o"st+tut+"g t*( /)+5( o0 =u!2+0+(# T*(0t.