CRISTETA CHUA-BURCE vs. COURT OF APPEALS AND PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, G.R. No.

109595, APRIL 27, 2000

FACTS:
On August 16, 1985, Ramon Rocamora, the manager requested Fructuoso Peñaflor, Assistant Cashier,
to conduct a physical bundle count of the cash inside the vault which should total P4M, more or less.
During the initial cash count, they discovered a shortage of fifteen bundles of One Hundred Pesos
denominated bills totaling P150,000. The next day, to determine if there was actually a shortage, a re-
verification of the records and documents of the transactions in the bank shows that there was still a
shortage of P150,000.

The bank initiated investigations totaling four (4) in all. All of these investigations concluded that there was
a shortage of P150,000, and the person primarily responsible was the bank’s Cash Custodian, Cristeta
Chua-Burce. On November 4, 1985, unable to satisfactorily explain the shortage of P150,000, Cristeta
was terminated from the bank.

To recover the missing amount, Metropolitan Bank and Trust Company filed a Civil Case for Sum of
Money and Damages with Preliminary Attachment and Garnishment. Estafa was also filed against the
petitioner. Petitioner moved for the suspension of the criminal case on the ground of the existence of a
prejudicial question. The trial court granted the motion and suspended the trial of the criminal case. On
petition for certiorari to the Court of Appeals, the appellate court ruled that there was no prejudicial
question.

While the trial of the criminal case was suspended, the trial of the civil case continued. On March 18,
1991, the trial court rendered a consolidated decision finding the petitioner (a) guilty of Estafa under
Article 315 (1) (b) of the Revised Penal Code in the criminal case, and (b) liable for the amount of
P150,000 in the civil case. Petitioner seasonably appealed her conviction in the criminal case to the CA.
Petitioner filed a separate appeal in the civil case.

In a decision dated November 27, 1992, the CA affirmed the trial court’s decision in toto. Petitioner’s
Motion for Reconsideration was likewise denied. Hence, the recourse to the Supreme Court.

ISSUE/S:

Whether or not petitioner has possession over the missing funds.

HELD:

No.

When the money, goods, or any other personal property is received by the offender from the offended
party (1) in trust or (2) on commission or (3) for administration, the offender acquires both material or
physical possession and juridical possession of the thing received. Juridical possession means a
possession which gives the transferee a right over the thing which the transferee may set up even against
the owner.

In this case, petitioner was a cash custodian who was primarily responsible for the cash-in-vault. Her
possession of the cash belonging to the bank is akin to that of a bank teller, both being mere bank
employees.

As cited by the SC, in the case of People vs. Locson, the receiving teller of a bank misappropriated the
money received by him for the bank. He was found liable for qualified theft on the theory that the
possession of the teller is the possession of the bank.

In another case, Guzman vs. CA, the SC explained the distinction between possession of a bank teller
and an agent for purposes of determining criminal liability. It was held that there is an essential distinction
between the possession by a receiving teller of funds received from third persons paid to the bank, and
an agent who receives the proceeds of sales of merchandise delivered to him in agency by his principal.

In the former case, payment by third persons to the teller is payment to the bank itself; the teller is a mere
custodian or keeper of the funds received, and has no independent right or title to retain or possess the
same as against the bank. An agent, on the other hand, can even assert, as against his own principal, an
independent, autonomous, right to retain money or goods received in consequence of the agency; as
when the principal fails to reimburse him for advances he has made, and indemnify him for damages
suffered without his fault.

Petitioner, being a mere custodian had no juridical possession over the missing funds. Hence, the
element of juridical possession being absent, petitioner cannot be convinced of the crime of Estafa under
Article 315, No. 1 (b) of the Revised Penal Code.