#12Rimandovs.

WinstonDigest

FACTS: OnJanuary21,2004,anInformationwasfiledbeforetheRTCchargingpetitionerLeonora
Rimandoofthecrimeofestafathroughtheuseoffalsemanifestationsandfraudulentrepresentations.
Accordingtotheprosecution,RimandoenticedSps.Aldabatoinvestinherbusinessundertheassurance
thatitisstableandthattheirmoneywouldearn8%monthlyinterest.ConvincedbyRimandosproposaland
takingintoconsiderationtheirlongfriendship,Sps.AldabagaveRimandoacheckintheamountofP500k
asinvestmentinherbusiness.Rimandothengavethem3postdatedchecks,oneforP500kandtheother
twoforP40keach,andmadethemsignaninvestmentcontractwithMultitelInternationalHoldingCorp.
(Multitel).Uponmaturityofthechecks,Sps.Aldabaattemptedtoencashthesamebutweredishonoredfor
beingdrawnagainstinsufficientfunds.Despitedemands,Rimandostillfailedtosettlethesame.Hence,the
spousesfiledacriminalcomplaintforestafa.However,Rimandocontendsthattheyweren'tfriendsandshe
didn'tenticethemintoinvestinginabusiness,rathershejustreferredthemtoMultitelInvestmentManager
Cayaban,whohandledtheirinvestment.ThespouseslaterfiledanothercriminalcaseagainstRimandofor
violatedofBP22withtheMTC.ThepetitionerwasacquittedbothintheBP22caseandtheestafacase,
butwasstillheldcivillyliabletowardstheAldabasforP500kforbeinganaccommodationparty.TheCA
affirmedtheRTC'sruling. I SSUE: WhetherornottheRimandowasstillcivillyliableintheestafacase
despiteheracquittalandexonerationfromcivilliabilityintheBP22case. H
ELD: Yes,whileaBP22case
andanestafacasemayberootedfromanidenticalsetoffacts,theyneverthelesspresentdifferentcauses
ofaction,which,underthelaw,areconsidered"separate,distinct,andindependent"fromeachother.
Therefore,bothcasescanproceedtotheirfinaladjudication.Itiswellsettledthat"theacquittalofthe
accuseddoesnotautomaticallyprecludeajudgmentagainsthimonthecivilaspectofthecase.The
extinctionofthepenalactiondoesnotcarrywithittheextinctionofthecivilliabilitywhere:(a)theacquittalis
basedonreasonabledoubtasonlypreponderanceofevidenceisrequired(b)thecourtdeclaresthatthe
liabilityoftheaccusedisonlyciviland(c)thecivilliabilityoftheaccuseddoesnotarisefromorisnotbased
uponthecrimeofwhichtheaccusedisacquitted.However,thecivilactionbasedondelictmaybedeemed
extinguishedifthereisafindingonthefinaljudgmentinthecriminalactionthattheactoromissionfrom
whichthecivilliabilitymayarisedidnotexistorwheretheaccuseddidnotcommittheactsoromission
imputedtohim.Inthiscase,Rimandoscivilliabilitydidn'tarisefromanypurportedactconstitutingthecrime
ofestafaastheRTCclearlyfoundthatRimandoneveremployedanydeceitontheAldabastoinducethem
toinvestmoneyinMultitel.Rather,hercivilliabilityrootedfrombeinganaccommodationpartytothecheck
forP500k.InlendinghernametoMultitel,she,ineffect,actedasasuretytothelatter,andassuch,shemay
behelddirectlyliableforthevalueoftheissuedcheck.SinceRimandossaidcivilliabilitydidnotarisefrom
orisnotbaseduponthecrimesheischargedwith,andhence,theCAcorrectlyupheldthesamedespite
heracquittalintheestafacase.