Republic of the Philippines

Department of Justice
National Prosecution Service
OFFICE OF THE CITY PROSECUTOR
Pasay City

MICHAEL DENVER A. MERCADO

Complainant,

-versus- I.S. No.

For: Violation of Art.315(2)(a)
ANTONETTE BILARAN,

Respondent.

x…………………………...x

JUDICIAL AFFIDAVIT

This Judicial Affidavit of Antonette J. Bilaran, is executed to serve as her

direct testimony in the instant case. This Judicial Affidavit was taken at the
office of Atty. Aldrissalyn E. Castro from the Public Attorney’s Office, Pasay
City District and is being offered to prove the following:

A. That herein affiant, who is the defendant in this case, is not the same
person as “Beverly Cabanlog” who the complainant allegedly met at
Conrad Hotel and have defrauded him;

B. That she does not know any person with the name of Beverly
Cabanlog; and

C. That she is not the recipient of the subject amount of money and that
it is impossible for her to withdraw that kind of amount.
QUESTION AND ANSWER

1. Q: Please state your name, age and your residence where your
posts and summons may be served.
A: I am Antonette J. Bilaran, Filipino of legal age, single and a
resident of 2417 Aurora St., Barangay 108, Zone 12, Pasay City.

2. Q: What is your reason for executing this Judicial Affidavit?

A: I am executing this Judicial Affidavit to answer the complaint-
affidavit filed against me by Michael Denver Mercado who
accuses me with the crime of Estafa.

3. Q: Do you personally know this Michael Denver Mercado?

A: No. I do not personally know him.

4. Q: Where were you on the alleged date, February 20, 2020,

that the crime was said to be committed?
A: I was on duty as a sales lady of a jewelry boutique, Ma’am.

5. Q: What is the name of this jewelry boutique you are working

with?
A: S Maison Ma’am
6. Q: Where is this located?
A: It is located just across Denovo Diamonds, Ma’am.

7. Q: How long have you been working there?

A: I have been working there for almost two (2) years already,
Ma’am.
8. Q: What do you wear as you work? Were you prescribed of a
uniform?
A: Yes Ma’am, we are prescribed with a uniform.
9. Q: How does it look like?
A: It is a long sleeved white satin blouse which is flowy and
has a tied ribbon in the middle of our collar. We pair it with
a high-waist black skirt which is pencil cut to our knees.

10. Q: How do you distinguish it with the uniform worn by sales

ladies of Denovo Diamonds?
A: There is almost absolutely no distinction besides the fact
that their blouses are not made of satin and the ribbon tied
in the middle of their collar is not part of the blouse itself
but a separate scarf but also of the same color white. The
comparison of the two uniforms are shown in a picture
herein attached as Annex “A”.

11. Q: Are all of you, together with the employees in Denovo,

wearing IDs during working hours?
A: Yes, we all are wearing IDs. We actually wear two IDs, one
for our Identification as an employee of the boutique where
we are working and one as passes for entering the vicinity
or the hotel.

12. Q: How were you able to know the complainant?

A: I was on duty that day he came to Denovo. I was supposed
to go to Greta Ramirez, one of my friends working at
Denovo when I bumped into him.
13. Q: What is your business with this Greta Ramirez?
A: I was supposed to chat with her about some personal
issues as she has been a friend of mine ever since I started
working inside Conrad Hotel.
14. Q: Are you allowed to do that on working hours?
A: Strictly we are not allowed to leave our posts however, we
do sneak sometimes most especially during idle times of
work which are usually upon noon or in the mid-afternoon.

15. Q: Is Greta aware that you will be coming to her that time?
A: I am not sure but since it has been a habit between the two
of us to talk during that certain time, I presumed that she
already knows.
To corroborate this statement, Greta Ramirez’ sworn
statement is made an integral part of this Judicial Affidavit
as Annex “B”.

16. Q: Do you agree that you approached the complainant as

alleged in the complaint?
A: No. I merely bumped into him as he was going out and I
was entering the shop.

17. Q: After bumping into him, what happened next, if any?

A: I apologized first and asked him if I may help him.

18. Q: What made you ask such question when you already saw
him coming out of the shop?
A: Some clients who are able to get what they need have
with them some papers indicating that they have
thoroughly inquired as to the payment, delivery and other
relevant matters signifying that a sale was really made.
Mr. Mercado was not holding anything and he looked like
he was still searching of another jewelry boutique.

19. Q: What happened next, if any?

 A: He told me that he wants to buy a set of diamond jewelry.
So I introduced myself as a sales lady of a jewelry boutique
as well.

20. Q: You said you introduced yourself. How did you do it?
A: I showed him my ID and said that I am Antonette Bilaran
and I am sales lady at Jewelry Boutique just across
Denovo. I even pointed where it was.

21. Q: By saying that, do you deny of the allegation that you

introduced yourself as Beverly Cabanlog?
A: Yes, I am denying such claim considering that I only have
two IDs worn on that certain date and both of them bear
the name of ANTONETTE J. BILARAN as shown in the
picture attached herein as Annex “C”.

22. Q: Do you know anyone having the name of Beverly

Cabanlog?
A: No, Ma’am. It is my first time to encounter such name.

23. Q: After introducing yourself, what happened next if any?

A: I was escorting him out of Denovo already when he started
saying that he wants to buy a set of diamond jewelry. So I
told him that we have a variety of designs that may suit his
wants. He asked me how much would it cost and I told him
that the computation would depend on the carats, so I
asked him what design does he want. He said that he
wants a variety but should be simple yet elegant. He then
told me that he was told of the same thing at Denovo –
that the price will be depending on the carats and he
pointed Greta and said that she was the one he inquired
 with. I said “Oo nga po sir, ganun nga po” and then he told
me that his budget is three million.
I told him that he can find a set that will suit his budget but
it may still be short considering that what he wants is a
set.

24. Q: How much does a set of diamond jewelry usually cost?

A: It depends actually on the boutique considering that each
has their own supplier and designer. But with our shop,
three million is not enough for a set. Much more if it is in
Denovo.

25. Q: What happened next, if any?

A: He insisted that he really wants a set as a gift so I told him
that I can recommend a substitution and offered him to go
to our shop so that I can show him what we can offer for
him.

26. Q: Where were you at that certain moment?

A: We were in front of Denovo’s glass door Ma’am.
27. Q: So you have not completely left the store yet?
A: We were not inside the shop anymore Ma’am. We were just
in front of the door.

28. Q: What happened next, if any?

A: He told me that he is being time-constrained and that our
shop is unfamiliar to him. He looked really hesitant to come
with so I just gave him our shops’ business card with my
number in it, a copy of which is hereby made as an integral
part of this Judicial Affidavit as Annex “D”, so that if he
 would like to inquire, he can just contact me in that
number. Then we parted ways already.

29. Q: Did he call you after that meeting?

A: No, Ma’am. I did not hear from him since then until I was
sent of the complaint.

30. Q: Are you a holder of any bank accounts?

A: I am a holder of a Security Bank account under the account
number 3214-0981-87 as evidenced by my ATM card, a
copy of which is hereby attached as Annex “E”. This is
where my employer sends my salary Ma’am.

31. Q: Do you admit of having received the subject amount of

money worth three million pesos?
A: No Ma’am. As a matter of fact, upon receiving the
complaint, I immediately went to Security Bank in order to
check if such amount of money was indeed forwarded as I
was so afraid of being falsely accused.

32. Q: Upon going to the bank, what did you find out?
A: I was told that no such amount of money was forwarded to
my account and this is evidenced by the deposits record
from Security Bank, hereby made integral part of this
Judicial Affidavit as Annex “F”.

- End of testimony –

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 1st day of

March 2020, at Pasay City.
 ANTONETTE J. BILARAN
Witness-affiant

SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN to before me this 1st day of March 2020

at Pasay City by witness who has satisfactory proven her identity to me
through her identification, that he is the same person who personally signed
the foregoing judicial affidavit before me and acknowledged that he
executed the same.

Administering officer

ATTESTATION

I, ALDRISSALYN E. CASTRO, of legal age, and with office at Public

Attorney’s Office, Pasay City, District Office hereby declare under oath that I
am the counsel for the complainant who supervised the witness in the
execution of this judicial affidavit: and that I have faithfully caused the
recording of the answer of the witness on the above questions which were
profounded and that neither I, nor any person present or assisting me has
coached the witness in his answer.

Administering officer

SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN to before me this 1 st day of March 2020

at Pasay City.