Couple sued for estafa

The National Bureau of Investigation yesterday charged a couple for allegedly refusing to pay for P9 million worth of rum they ordered from a businessman in Mandaue City.

Eaton and Annalisa Beltran supposedly used a bum check in order to obtain the liquor from a distributor and then failed to make good on the payment demanded.

The two face four counts of estafa and another four counts violating the anti-bouncing check law before the Mandaue City Prosecutor's Office.

The couple bought P9,180,200 worth of Tanduay products from businessman Reynaldo Villanueva of Fortune Tobacco Compound in Mandaue City last November. The couple issued checks as payment for the products but it was later found out that the account was already closed.

Annalisa issued the first two of the four checks last November 28 in favor of the complainant. It was to pay for a supply of Tanduay Rum she ordered in four separate transactions from the Mandalagan Commodities Inc.

Eaton issued the last two checks last Dec. 13.

But, after the checks were deposited, the payment was denied because the checks turned out to have been drawn from a closed account.

Villanueva said the company immediately informed the spouses about the dishonored checks but they allegedly refused to receive any written notice from the company.

"I personally made several demands from them to make good and pay the amount covered under the checks but they refused to do so on one pretext or another," Villanueva lamented. - Fred P. Languido/BRP