Batulanon v People Leonila Batulanon, petitioner People of the Philippines, respondent G.R. No. 139857 Septe !

!er 15, "##$ %ri inal &ase' (alsifi&ation of pri)ate do&u ents and *stafa (+%,S' Petitioner Leonila Batulanon -as e plo.ed as &ashier/ ana0er of Polo o1 2Polo o13 %redit %ooperati)e 4n&. fro 5a. 198# up to 6e&e !er 198" 2so that7s t-o .ears3. She -as in &har0e -ith the re&ei)in0 of deposits and releasin0 loans to e !ers of the said &ooperati)e 2Polo o13. 6urin0 an audit &ondu&ted in 6e&e !er 198", &ertain irre0ularities -ere found out. ,hereafter, four infor ations of estafa throu0h falsifi&ation of &o er&ial do&u ents -ere filed a0ainst herein petitioner. 1. %ri inal &ase 3$"5 petitioner Batulanon falsified %+S8/%8*%9 :;<%8*R of P%%4 in the na e of *RL4N6+ ;5+6L+;, a1in0 it appear that latter -as 0ranted loan -here in truth and in fa&t said person ne)er re&ei)ed, ne)er 0ranted a loan and ne)er si0ned su&h do&u ent. ". %ri inal &ase 3$"$ sa e situation as a!o)e stated !ut this ti e in the na e of G;N+(R*6+ ;R+%4;N. 3. %ri inal &ase 3=53 Batulanon falsified &o er&ial do&u ents na el. 4ndi)idual deposits and led0er of (*RL>N +RR;>; a1in0 it appear that the said person ade a fi?ed deposit and -as 0ranted a loan -here in truth and in fa&t +RR;>; ne)er ade su&h deposit and ne)er re&ei)ed su&h loan. =. %ri inal &ase 3$"7 sa e situation as the ne?t pre&edin0 &ase !ut this ti e in the na e of his son 6ennis Batulanon. 4n all &ases, a&&used did then and there release to herself the sa e and re&ei)ed the loans and thereafter isappropriated and &on)erted the into her o-n use and !enefit. +lso in all &ases, she refused to !rin0 !a&1 the sa e despite de ands. ,hese infor ations -ere filed in the Re0ional ,rial %ourt of General Santos %it.. Petitioner pleaded @not 0uilt..A Prose&ution presented its -itnesses' 5odallo 2postin0 &ler13 testified that Batulanon released = &ash )ou&hers. 8e also said that ; adlao, ;ra&ion and Batulanon -ere not eli0i!le and not e !ers of Polo o1 %ooperati)e. 5oreo)er, a&&ordin0 to hi , althou0h +rro.o -as a e !er !ut there -as no proof that she applied for a loan. 8e also said he -itnessed Petitioner Batulanon si0ned ;ra&ion and +rro.o in &ash )ou&hers. Ba.o a 2:i&e &hair an of the P%%4 Board of dire&tors3 testified that laons to ; adlao and ;ra&ion ne)er passed throu0h the P%%4 !oard of dire&tors. Petitioner Batulanon denied &har0es a0ainst her. She &ontended that she did not si0h )ou&hers of ; adlao, ;ra&ion, and +rro.o -ho a&&ordin0 to her are nonetheless e !ers of the &ooperati)e. Lastl., she said that it7s !een an a&&epted pra&ti&e that she &an release loan in the a!sen&e of Gopio Br -ho is in &har0e -ith su&h responsi!ilit.. R,% &on)i&ted her 0uilt. !e.ond reasona!le dou!t. Petitioner !rou0ht it to %ourt of +ppeals 2%+3 !ut the latter affir ed -ith odifi&ations the rulin0 of R,%. %+ odifi&ation is that petitioner is 0uilt. of falsifi&ation of PR4:+,* do&u ents. Petitioner o)ed for re&onsideration !ut %+ denied it. Petitioner !rou0ht it up to the Supre e %ourt 2S%3 and &ontended that' 1. Best -itness is person -hose si0nature is for0ed ". ReCuires preDudi&e to 3rd person 3. P%%4 not preDudi&ed !. loan transa&tions !e&ause loans are a&&ounts re&ei)a!le !. &ooperati)e

8*L6' S%' Petition la&1s erit. +lthou0h the offense &har0ed is estafa throu0h falsifi&ation of &o er&ial do&u ents, appellant &ould !e &on)i&ted of falsifi&ation of pri)ate do&u ents. *le ents of falsifi&ation of pri)ate do&u ent are present in this &ase' 1. She ade it appear that ; adlao, ;ra&ion, and +rro.o -ere 0ranted loans ". She ade it in pri)ate do&u ent EEEE2&ash/&he&1 )ou&hers are not pu!li& do&u ents !e&ause the. are not notariFed and not do&u ents used !. er&hants to pro ote trade nor re0ulated !. %ode of &o er&e3 3. 4t &aused da a0e to the &ooperati)e. Re0ardin0 !est -itness S% &ites se&. "" of Rule 13". +&&ordin0 to this rule hand-ritin0 a. !e pro)ed !. an. person -ho !elie)es it to !e !elon0in0 to su&h personG or -ho a&Cuired 1no-led0e of su&h hand-ritin0 Re0ardin0 preDudi&e to Polo o1 su&h loans &ould ha)e 0ranted to other e !ers !ut -eren7t !e&ause of ille0al a&ts done !. Batulanon su&h &onstituted da a0e or preDudi&e to Polo o1 On complex crime of estafa through falsification: Falsification &o itted as eans to &o it estafa Estafa a. !e &arried out e)en -ithout falsifi&ation S% ruled that 1st, "nd, and 3rd &ri inal &ases herein fall -ithin the pur)ie- of falsifi&ation of pri)ate do&u ents !ut the =th &ri inal &ase 2-ith 6ennis Batulanon3 falls -ithin the a !it of the &ri e of estafa. ,he latter ha)in0 no untruthful a state ent !ut there -as &on)ersion and isappropriationG hen&e ele ents of estafa are present in the last &ri inal &ase.