Lawyer sues bank teller for fake P1T

FOR a bank teller who may have deliberately circulated a fake P1T bill, she could be in hot water. On the other hand, at least for the victim, lawyer J. Albert Tinampay, losing a thousand pesos, which turned out to be bogus may not shake him from his high economic perch. But losing the money to a teller of Security Bank, who is the last person or establishment expected to circulate bogus money may be too much for him. And just like that, for the value of P1T, a dented pride, and possibly protecting others from falling victims, lawyer Tinampay filed a complaint for violation of article 168 of the Revised Penal Code against a certain April Yap and Security Bank Corporation. The violation is for illegal possession and use of false treasury or bank notes and other instruments of credit, acts considered contrary to laws. In his affidavit furnished to the Post, Tinampay said he sent his secretaries Mila Anillabon and Helen Lopena to encash a Security Bank check payable to him from a certain Gerliza Leopoldo September 18.

Atty. Tinampay would have wanted P16,500 encashed by Security Bank so he can have it deposited to a BPI Bank account. In a joint affidavit sworn by Atty. Venerando Remus Trabajo, Anillabon and Lopena averred that when they were in the bank about 2:30 that day, they approached a teller, whom they identified as April Yap. Yap , who happens to be Anillabon's former classmate handed her the money in bills. When Anillabon got the money from Yap , she noticed one P1T bill stood out. Verifying by herself the genuineness of the bill, she asked the tellers about her apprehension, but the tellers accordingly only smiled at her. When she realized the tellers were in a way well versed with handling money and with the confidence in the bank, Anillabon took Yap 's words “hook, line and sinker”.

When the two were about to deposit the P16,500 to a BPI account, the BPI teller, after examining the money told them that one bill was a fake. Upon advise of their lawyer boss, both again went back to Security Bank to seek refund for the bogus bill. At Security Bank, the bank personnel there allegedly told them that Security Bank could no longer help as the bill has left the bank premises. One bank personnel accordingly told them they could not avoid having fake money. Lawyer Tinampay in his affidavit added he personally called Security Bank Manager but was arrogantly told that the bank could do nothing about the check since it already left their premises.

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