Woman indicted for duping rice dealer

THE Office of the Cebu Provincial Prosecutor has indicted a woman from Liloan town who allegedly duped a rice dealer by altering her order to get more kilos of rice.

Prosecutor Rosemarie Pabatao found evidence to charge Jovelyn Rosalita Awanan with estafa for pretending to have paid 580 kilos of rice amounting to P24,940.

“Defraudation was indubitably established when it was discovered that respondent had no intention to pay more or pay at all for the rice she claimed from the helper in charge,” said Pabatao in her resolution.

A P16,000 bail was recommended for Awanan's temporary freedom.

Rice dealer Edwin Manubag filed a criminal complaint before the Provincial Prosecutor's Office accusing Awanan of estafa.

In his complaint-affidavit, Manubag, 49, of Barangay Poblacion, Liloan, Cebu said Awanan bought 10 kilos of rice from his store.

Manubag, who owns Jemarkin General Merchandise Store, said he issued a note to the boy helper stating that Awanan bought only 10 kilos of rice.

But Awanan allegedly altered the note and made 40 kilos of rice after paying only 10 kilos of rice.

After Awanan was arrested, Manubag reviewed the video footage of their store and found out the accused would come to the store almost every night at 9 p.m. from February 19, to March 8, 2016.

The video showed that Awanan would give her own prepared notes to the boy helper in-charge of weighing the rice for their customers instead of paying the notes given by the saleslady.

Awanan took a total of 580 kilos of rice amounting to P24,940.

In the resolution, Prosecutor Pabatao gave credence to the evidence presented by the complainant.

“By using an altered note from the salesgirl...respondent (Awanan) employed false pretense in securing more than she paid for or for free,” said Pabatao. (GMD/SunStar Cebu)