Two women get jail terms for falsifying lot papers

CEBU, Philippines - The Municipal Trial Court in cities has sentenced two women to three years imprisonment for falsifying a Deed of Absolute Sale of a parcel of land in Talisay City.

Judge Oscar Andrino found Myrna Fabroa and Luisa Gensis guilty beyond reasonable doubt of imitating the signature of one Geronimo Genon, the vendor of the lot measuring 4,293 square meters located in Barangay Linao.

It was found that Genon did not participate in the execution of the Deed nor sold the subject property because he died in 1994.

“All told, the court finds the evidence of the prosecution, appreciated in its totality, as sufficiently strong and convincing as to establish the guilt of the accused beyond reasonable doubt and to hold them liable for the crime charged,” Andrino’s decision reads.  Andrino said the acts Fabroa and Gensis were found guilty of is punishable under paragraph 1, Article 172 of the Revised Penal Code.

The complaint was filed originally against Fabroa, Gensis and a certain Virginia Cabayas but the court eventually cleared Cabayas of any liability for failure of the prosecution to prove her guilt.

It was reportedly in 2001 when Fabroa befriended Genon’s wife, Silveria, and she and Cabayas went to the woman’s house to offer that they would help her sell the subject lot.

Silveria then gave the original copy of the title to Fabroa but the latter reportedly did not return the title in months contrary to what she promised. Silveria would find out later from the Talisay City Assessor’s Office that the property had already been sold and her husband’s signature was counterfeited.

The court found that Gensis facilitated the cancellation of Silveria’s tax declaration and had the same transferred under the name of a new owner.

The suspects denied the charges but the court found in favor of the complaint.  (FREEMAN)