Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Bank employee files raps v. appliance firm execs
By Joy Romares-Sevilla
A BANK employee filed two criminal charges against six officers and personnel of an appliance company for allegedly defrauding her in June last year.
Bai Puti Montanes, employee of the Land Bank of the Philippines, and resident of Midsayap in North Cotabato filed theft charges and other charges for violation of the deceptive sales practices act against Precita Ngo, corporate secretary of the Aowa Electronics Philippines; Edgar Geollegue, customer service officer of the Aowa; Beth Requeza; Lordita Hagutin, Richelle Pazon, all sales representatives of Aowa, and a still unidentified man who is Aowa's branch manager.
Montanes executed an affidavit claiming that she and her daughter went to a mall in Davao City at around 6:30 p.m. on June 14, 2005.
As they enter the mall, Montanes said three sales representatives, later identified as Requeza, Pazon, and Hagutin, allegedly offered her gift stickers and enticed her to join a raffle draw, which they said could give her a chance to win a microwave oven, a vacuum cleaner, and a hand massage.
She added that the three brought her and her daughter to Aowa Electronics located at the third floor of the mall and oriented her with the products of the
company.
Montanes claimed she joined in the raffle draw and won, but the ladies, upon the instruction of the officers of the company, did not allow her and her daughter to leave the premises with the items she won.
She said the ladies prodded her to purchase any item from the company. She added that Pazon even told her to purchase a water purifier amounting to P31,800.
Montanes refused and told the ladies that she did not have enough money.
The ladies were persistent and even told her that she could purchase the water purifier using her credit card.
She said Pazon, Requeza, and Hagutin requested her to hand to them her credit card for verification. She said she was forced to give the credit card only for the reason of verification and not for a sales transaction.
Moments later, Montanes said Pazon went out of the office and informed her that she already swiped her credit card.
Pazon allegedly told her that the company already got a total amount of P24,000 from her credit card and further said she still owe P7,800 to the company. Pazon allegedly added that she could not bring the water purifier home because it was still not totally paid.
Montanes said she and her daughter only took home the prizes she won in the raffle draw. She said she already paid the balance for the water purifier, but, still, the item was not delivered to her.
The prosecution ruled probable cause exists to hold respondents for trial for the two criminal charges filed against them since they used a disguised gift giving for the victim to indulge in its trap.
It also offered participation to a coupon draw, but prizes cannot be awarded if there would be no subsequent purchase of an item from the company.
On June 27, 2005, Montanes filed her complaint for deceptive sales practices against Aowa Electronics Philippines before the Department of Trade and Industry.
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