Japanese national charged with estafa

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office has indicted a Japanese national for estafa for allegedly failing to settle his almost P50,000 hotel bills.

Assistant city prosecutor Gandhi Truya has elevated before the Regional Trial Court in Cebu City the criminal case for violation of Article 315 of the Revised Penal Code against Eiichi Sugimoto.

The prosecutor’s office has recommended P20,000 bail for the temporary liberty of the accused.

Truya found probable cause to indict Sugimoto of the complaint filed by Emmy Restauro, 21, front desk clerk of an uptown hotel, without hearing the accused’s defense because of his failure to submit his counter-affidavit.

The case stemmed from Sugimoto’s failure to pay his hotel bills amounting to P49,103.20 despite several demands.

According to Restauro, Sugimoto checked-in in the hotel in May 29, 2010. He stayed until in the afternoon of June 10, 2010.

Restauro said Sugimoto informed the front desk before leaving the hotel in the afternoon of June 10 that he is just attending a party somewhere in Consolacion or in Liloan. But, the accused did not anymore come back since then, prompting the hotel management to cut-off his hotel accommodation.

The hotel management demanded payments for his bills but the accused reportedly failed until now. (FREEMAN)