Gempesaw v. Court of Appeals [G.R. No. 92244.

Febuary 9, 1993]
Ponente: Campos, Sr., J. Facts: Natividad . Gempesa! o!"s #our $ro%ery stores i" Ca&oo%a" City. 'o #a%i&itate payme"t o# debts to (er supp&iers, Gempesa! dra!s %(e%)s a$ai"st (er %(e%)i"$ a%%ou"t !it( *(i&ippi"e +a") o# Commer%e ,*+C- as dra!ee. '(e %ustomary pra%ti%e o# issui"$ %(e%)s i" payme"t o# (er supp&iers !as as #o&&o!s.

de%isio" o# t(e R'C o" t(e $rou"d t(at t(e petitio"er<s $ross "e$&i$e"%e i" issui"$ t(e %(e%)s !as t(e pro1imate %ause o# t(e &oss a"d assumi"$ t(at t(e ba") !as a&so "e$&i$e"t, t(e &oss must be bor"e by t(e party !(ose "e$&i$e"%e !as t(e pro1imate %ause o# t(e &oss0 (e"%e t(is petitio". Issue: =(o s(a&& be &iab&e i" %ase o# #or$ery i" t(e dra!er<s si$"ature> Held: /s a ru&e, a dra!ee ba") !(o (as paid a %(e%) o" !(i%( a" i"dorseme"t (as bee" #or$ed %a""ot %(ar$e t(e dra!er<s a%%ou"t #or t(e amou"t o# said %(e%). /" e1%eptio" to t(e ru&e is !(ere t(e dra!er is $ui&ty o# su%( "e$&i$e"%e !(i%( %auses t(e ba") to (o"or su%( %(e%)s. Gempesa! did "ot e1er%ise prude"%e i" ta)i"$ steps t(at a %are#u& a"d prude"t busi"essma" !ou&d ta)e i" %ir%umsta"%es to dis%over dis%repa"%ies i" (er a%%ou"t. ?er "e$&i$e"%e !as t(e pro1imate %ause o# (er &oss a"d is, t(ere#ore, pre%&uded #rom usi"$ #or$ery as a de#e"se u"der Se%tio" 23 o# t(e Ne$otiab&e 2"strume"ts 7a! ,N27-. " t(e ot(er (a"d, t(e ba")i"$ ru&e ba""i"$ a%%epta"%e o# %(e%)s #or deposit or %as( payme"t

1. 2. 3. 4.

'(e %(e%)s are prepared by (er trusted boo))eeper, /&i%ia Ga&a"$0 '(e %omp&eted %(e%)s are submitted to (er #or (er si$"ature to$et(er !it( t(e %orrespo"di"$ i"voi%e re%eipts0 Gempesa! a##i1es (er si$"ature i" t(e %(e%)s !it(out veri#yi"$ t(e a%%ura%y o# t(e %(e%)s a$ai"st t(e i"voi%e re%eipts0 a"d '(e de&iver a"d issua"%e o# t(e si$"ed %(e%)s !ere &e#t to t(e boo))eeper.

Gempesa! does "ot ma)e a"y veri#i%atio" as to !(et(er or "ot t(e %(e%)s !ere de&ivered to t(eir respe%tive payees "or does s(e veri#y t(e %orre%t"ess o# t(e retur"ed %(e%)s !it( t(e mo"t(&y stateme"t o# (er ba") tra"sa%tio"s.

!it( more t(a" o"e i"dorseme"t u"&ess %&eared by some ba") o##i%ia&s does "ot i"va&idate t(e i"strume"t0 "eit(er does it i"va&idate t(e "e$otiatio" or tra"s#er o# said %(e%)s. '(e o"&y )i"d o# i"dorseme"t !(i%( stops t(e #urt(er "e$otiatio" o# a" i"strume"t is a restri%tive i"dorseme"t !(i%( pro(ibits t(e #urt(er "e$otiatio" t(ereo#, pursua"t to Se%tio" 3: o# t(e N27.

2" t(e %ourse o# (er busi"ess operatio"s, Gempesa!, #o&&o!i"$ (er usua& pra%ti%e stated above, issued ei$(ty3t!o %(e%)s i" #avor o# severa& supp&iers. '(e said %(e%)s !ere (o"ored by t(e dra!ee ba") a"d t(e &atter subse4ue"t&y debited t(e amou"ts t(ereo# a$ai"st (er %(e%)i"$ a%%ou"t. 2t !as o"&y a#ter t!o years t(at s(e #ou"d out about t(e #raudu&e"t ma"ipu&atio"s o# (er boo))eeper. ?o!ever, t(e #a%t t(e Gempesa!<s "e$&i$e"%e !as #ou"d to be t(e pro1imate %ause o# (er &oss does "ot pre%&ude (er #rom re%overi"$ dama$es. @"der Se%tio" 19: o# t(e N27 , a"y %ase "ot provided #or i" t(e /%t t(at is to be $over"ed by t(e provisio"s o# e1isti"$ &e$is&atio"0(e"%e, t(e ba") may be (e&d &iab&e #or dama$es i" a%%orda"%e !it( /rti%&e 1189 o# t(e Civi& Code. '(e dra!ee ba"), i" its #ai&ure to dis%over t(e #raud %ommitted by its emp&oyee a"d i" %o"trave"tio" ba")i"$ ru&es i" a&&o!i"$ a %(ie# a%%ou"ta"t to deposit t(e %(e%)s beari"$ /&& t(e 52 %(e%)s !it( #or$ed si$"atures o# t(e payees !ere brou$(t to 6r"esto 7. +oo", C(ie# /%%ou"ta"t o# *+C3+ue"dia bra"%(, !(o !it(out aut(ority t(ere#ore, a%%epted t(em a&& #or deposit to t(e %redit o# t(e a%%ou"ts o# /&#redo Romero a"d +e"ito 7am. " November 8, 1954, Gempesa! made a !ritte" dema"d o" *+C to %redit (er a%%ou"t !it( t(e va&ue o# t(e 52 %(e%)s tota&i"$ *1,295,:9:.59 but *+C re#used to do so. !e&& as t(e %ou"ter%&aim o# *+C. " Ja"uary 23, 195;, Gempesa! #i&ed a %omp&ai"t !it( t(e Re$io"a& 'ria& Court but t(e &atter dismissed it as " February 22, 19:9, t(e Court o# /ppea&s a##irmed t(e se%o"d i"dorseme"ts, !as adAud$ed &iab&e to s(are t(e &oss !it( Gempesa! o" a #i#ty3#i#ty ratio i" a%%orda"%e !it( /rti%&e 1182 o# t(e Civi& Code.