SK leader sues staff over bank withdrawals

CEBU, Philippines – A criminal complaint for falsification of commercial documents was filed by the Sangguniang Kabataan Federation president of Sibonga town against her staff for allegedly falsifying her signature to make unauthorized bank withdrawals amounting to more than P150,000.

SK Federation president Anne Michelle Ponce filed yesterday the complaint for violation of Article 172 of the Revised Penal Code before the Cebu Provincial Prosecutor’s Office against Roderick Hong.

Hong served as administrative clerk of the SK Federation of Sibonga wherein he was entrusted to handle bank transactions.

Ponce said she discovered the alleged unauthorized withdrawal made by Hong in their accounts in the Rural Bank of Cebu South, Inc. sometime in April, when she and her fellow SK officials in Sibonga scheduled a “Lakbay Aral,” an environmental educational tour in Manila.

She allegedly discovered that their money in the bank was no longer sufficient to cover the allowances of the delegates. An examination of their bank transactions revealed that Hong made four alleged unauthorized withdrawals from February 19 to March 12 totaling P151,860.75.

According to Ponce, Hong falsified her signature in the withdrawal slips to make it appear that the withdrawals were authorized by the federation.

She claimed she is certain that Hong was the only person responsible for the unauthorized withdrawals because no other person is authorized to transact in the bank except him since the account was opened.

Ponce said she tried several times to confront Hong about it but the latter did not anymore report for work. Hong only sent a letter to her admitting to the crime and asking for apology.