G.R. No. 171998, 20 October 2010

FACTS:

J.Y. Brothers Marketing (J.Y. Bros., for short) is a corporation engaged in the business of selling sugar, rice and other commodities. Anamer Salazar, a freelance sales agent, was approached by Isagani Calleja and Jess Kallos, if she knew a supplier of rice. Answering in the positive, Salazar accompanied the two to J.Y. Bros. As a consequence, Salazar with Calleja and Kallos procured from J. Y. Bros. 300 cavans of rice worth P214,000.00. As payment, Salazar negotiated and indorsed to J.Y. Bros. Prudential Bank Check No. 067481 dated October 15, 1996 issued by Nena Jaucian Timario in the amount of P214,000.00 with the assurance that the check is good as cash. On that assurance, J.Y. Bros. parted with 300 cavans of rice to Salazar. However, upon presentment, the check was dishonored due to “closed account.”

Informed of the dishonor of the check, Calleja, Kallos and Salazar delivered to J.Y. Bros. a replacement cross Solid Bank Check, again issued by Nena Jaucian Timario in the amount of P214,000.00 but which, just the same, bounced due to insufficient funds. When despite the demand letter dated February 27, 1997, Salazar failed to settle the amount due J.Y. Bros., the latter charged Salazar and Timario with the crime of estafa. Salazar was acquitted but ordered to pay J.Y. Brothers Marketing Corporation the sum of P214,000.00.

Salazar attempted a reconsideration on the civil aspect of the order and to allow her to present evidence thereon. The motion was denied. Accused went up to the Supreme Court on a petition for review on certiorari under Rule 45 of the Rules of Court.

ISSUE:

Is the issuance of Solidbank a crossed check discharged petitioner from liability?

RULING:

No. Section 119 of the Negotiable Instrument Law provides, thus:

SECTION 119. Instrument; how discharged. – A negotiable instrument is discharged:

(a) By payment in due course by or on behalf of the principal debtor;
(b) By payment in due course by the party accommodated, where the instrument is made or accepted for his accommodation;
(c) By the intentional cancellation thereof by the holder;
(d) By any other act which will discharge a simple contract for the payment of money;
(e) When the principal debtor becomes the holder of the instrument at or after maturity in his own right.

And, under Article 1231 of the Civil Code, obligations can be extinguished by novation. Petitioner’s claim that respondent’s acceptance of the Solid Bank check which replaced the dishonored Prudential bank check resulted to novation which discharged the latter check is unmeritorious.

The obligation to pay a sum of money is not novated by an instrument that expressly recognizes the old, changes only the terms of payment, adds other obligations not incompatible with the old ones or the new contract merely supplements the old one. In this case, respondent’s acceptance of the Solid Bank check, which replaced the dishonored Prudential Bank check, did not result to novation as there was no express agreement to establish that petitioner was already discharged from his liability to pay respondent the amount of P214,000.00 as payment for the 300 bags of rice.

As we said, novation is never presumed, there must be an express intention to novate. In fact, when theSolid Bank check was delivered to respondent, the same was also indorsed by petitioner which shows petitioner’s recognition of the existing obligation to respondent to pay P214,000.00 subject of the replaced Prudential Bank check.

*Case digest by April Rose B. Tuanda, JD-IV, Andres Bonifacio Law School, SY 2019-2020