Some people still have this misplaced confidence in the deterrent effect of Batas Pambansa (BP) Blg. 22, also known as the Bouncing Checks Law (full text here). Here are some things a layman should know:
1. The issuer is not automatically liable simply because the check “bounced”. A check generally “bounces” when dishonored upon presentment (reasons include, account closed, drawn against insufficient funds or DAIF). However, it is indispensable that the issuer must be notified in WRITING about the fact of dishonor, and he has 5 days from receipt to pay the value of the check or make arrangements for the payment thereof. (Please see update on this matter at the Philippine e-Legal Forum).
2. Filing fees are generally not required for criminal cases. For B.P. 22 cases, however, the complainant is required to pay the filing fees (based on the value of the check/s and the damages claimed, just like in civil cases) upon filing of the case in court.
3. One major deterrent against bouncing checks is the threat of a warrant of arrest being issued once the criminal case is filed in court. This is no longer true. No warrant of arrest is issued unless the accused fails to appear when required by the court.
4. Even if a criminal case under B.P. 22 is filed, the court can’t issue a hold-departure order (HDO). All violations of the Bouncing Checks Law, regardless of the amount involved, are filed only with the municipal/metropolitan trial courts. These courts cannot issue an HDO.
5. Courts have the discretion of imposing: (a) imprisonment only; (b) fine only; OR (c) both. It is entirely possible that only a fine, without imprisonment, is imposed.
(See also: Basic Reminders in Preventing Check Fraud)
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Tinkering with internet tools comes with the bonus of better understanding how existing laws apply to the third wave - that of technology, particularly the internet. This is also a great medium to disseminate and discuss ideas across borders, time, color or creed. 
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mikee,
Kung estafa nga offense mo, ang complainant ay nag file na sana sa Prosecutor’s office. Isa pa, kung utang lang talaga iyan, hindi puwedeng maging estafa. Nag issue ka ba ng post dated check? Kund hindi, utang lang iyan at malamang, may kilalang pulis ang inutangan mo at tinatakot ka lang para mapilitan kang magbayad. Magpasama ka sa abogado kung pupunta ka sa cidg.
In total, myself, my wife and 2 friends of ours, invested a total of 5 x Php1M into ‘V8 Motorcycles & Parts Dealer’, owned by Catherine L. Soronio.
The Checks she issued as a ROI started bouncing from January 16th 2009 due to her BPI Account getting closed following 3 checks having bounced due ‘DAIF’.
Soronio asked us for 3 month Moratoruim, but come April she was not good to her word, instead expecting us to cancel the Contracts she had enticed us in with and take out new ones where she repays over 5 years not 1 year.
I had my Atty issue a demand letter for the checks bouncing from April 16 2009. Soronio ignored that Demand Letter so my Atty filed Syndicated Estafa Case with Cebu City Prosecutors Office in May 2009.
Here we are more than 12 months on, and still no case been issued by Cebu City Prosecutors Office. Soem others whofiled the same, have been informed the Case was reduced to Estafa.
Why it take 12 months to process the case and then to Estafa? What happens to the Civil Claim to get our money back for all the Bounced checks of Php5M+
David,
Follow-up with the Prosecutor’s office since the case can now be filed in court. Your civil claim is deemed included in the criminal case. Coordinate with the prosecutor’s office if you can still file a separate complaint vs. Soronio for violation of BP 22. Coordinate also with the same office for possible travel ban on suspected criminal Soronio.
It would take quite long for complaints to be resolved at the Prosecutor’s office due to numerous cases being handled by the office. Normally, the prosecutor is advised to complete the resolution of complaints in 90 days counted from the time the case was submitted for decision.
dear,atty..nangutang po yong pinsan ng asawa ko na nasa dubia sa isang lending company dito po sa ortigas,isa po ako sa co-maker niya,ang problema tinawagan po ako ng lending company na ka kasuhan daw po nila ako kung hindi po daw ako maka ka pag bayad ng halagang buwanan na utang niya,oo nga po co-maker po niya ako pero ng makuha niya yung pera ni singko hindi po ako naka kuha nun,at ako pa po ang parang tina takot ng lending agency ng mag didimanda po daw sila ng bp.22,na hindi po man lang nila hinanap yong principal na nangutang sa kanila,sabit din po ba ako sa kaso….maraming salamat po
fitz,
Wala kang kaso. Ang tamang procedure, habulin nil muna ang principal na siyang may utang. Idemanda nila at kung talagang hindi na makabayad ang ulol na pinsan ng misis mo, saka ka lang nila dapat habulin, pero hindi sa kaso na violation ng BP 22, lalo na kung hindi ka naman nakapirma sa tseke. Sa susunod huwag ka nang mag co-maker. Mahirap ang buhay sa ngayon kaya iwasan mo na maging uto-uto. Huwag mong intindihin ang sinasabi sa iyo ng lending company. Pananakot lang iyon.
atty,
Tulungan po sana ako magkaroon ng knowledge sa case ko po na bp22,kasi po 8yrs ago yung ninang namin sa kasal niloko po nya ako ginamit ang check ko in the amount of 30,000…………pina rediscount po nya na alam naman nya na walang pundo,wala po akong utang sa ninang ko kaso sa friend namin in that time mas close sila sya yung sumingil daw dahil sa buntis ako umaga,tanghali gabi ng dahil sa 30,000 nakunan ako and by the time na irediscount nya yung check nasa hospital na ako na niraraspa wala ako knowledge na o hnd sya nagpaalam na rediscounted na,isang beses naglalakad ako dun nya sinabi and but that time wala akong trabaho wala akong income ,isang araw yung nagparediscount nya siningil na ako,hnd ko naman utang,tinakot ako na ikukulong lahat ng pananakot hanggang nakapagbgay ako ng 23000,naging 3t monthly na gusto interest lang yun ayaw npa magbigay ng na recievables….sobrang pressure 2003 denemanda ako ng estafa at bp22,na dismiss yung estafa then 2006 na dismiss yung bp22…..and last yr 2009 biglang nagising yung case at ngayon kasalukuyan po akong pumupunta sa korte uli kht takot na takot ako humaharap ako sa kadahilanang gusto ko iparamdam na hind ako yung dapat singilin dahil ako pa dehado nakunan at sobrang bigat na prblema po sa akin ito…tulungan po sana ninyo ako
Hot debate. What do you think?
0
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hi,
my lending busssiness po kmi ng partner ko tapos after 8 month di ok cya and ngamit ko yong pera tapos laki ng interest 15% pr month ng issue po ako ng 8 check and bounce cya and ng close account now i recieved demand letter and settle for 5 days ano pa dapat kong gawin answer the demand letter or ignored it yong frnd ko po nghati kmi sa pera knya check ginamit tapos po ngamit ko din yong pera same kmi my demand letter ano po ba dapat kong gawin until tomorrow po deadline thanz po
1. May tanong lang po ako…may pautang ako, he issued postdated checks….when i presented to the bank…all of teh checks were bounced due to account closed…..nagpadala ako ng Final Demand Letter..pero indi tinatanggap ng mga tao duon sa bahay ng respondent…Refuse to Accept, how can i do to file action….in the proper court…
2. Same scenario nuong number 1,,eto naman lumipat na ng bahay,,di matagpuan,,,,sa demand letter…..moved out na……paano po ang gagawin…..
Question:
I have partial amount of the check that did not clear the bank (check was payment for credit card debt).
Can i pay the partial amount to the credit card company? Then arrange an agreed terms to complete the payment?
This is only one out of 7 issued check the has insufficient funds.
Will this act still impose me a BP22?
I was not given a payment terms option, instead, I was forced to pay at the terms set by the collecting law firm.
Can I still ask to renew my payment terms? I asked for a lower monthly payment many times but the law firm stated that it is not possible and told me all the activities ( visit to my house, getting valuables in my house, filling a case, garnishing my salary, etc…) if did not agree to their terms.
Thanks!
gusto ko lang malaman kung magkano ang filing fee or ilang percent pagmafifile ka ng demanda sa court 8.5 million ang inutang ( 50thousand per check na nagbounced )
Hello
I got a bounced check now
I don’t know the form of demand letter
Pls, send me the form of that
Thank you
do i need to give the demand letter personally to the debtor mismo o kahit family member nya lang (husband, children)? e pano kung nagtago n sya?
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Dear Atty.
year 2002 nag loan po ako, in an amount of P25 thousand and nag issue po ako ng checks which I forgot na po kung ilan. Ang natatandaan ko ay 2 checks a month (15th and 30th). Nakapag bayad po ako ng 3 months. due to financial problems nag miss po ako ng pag pondo kasunod ang pagkakatanggal ng company namin sa isang government institution due to change of officials nung nagpalit ng president ng pilipinas. simula 2002 hanggang 2004 ay wala po akong trabaho. Nagkaron ako ng work march 2005 na po. ang perang inutang ko ay ginamit ng aking naging 2nd husband. nangako siyang babayaran namin ang inutang ko pag nakaluwag na kami. nagkahiwalay kami at hindi na namin napagtulungan bayaran ang inutang ko na may checke. nakakatanggap po ako ng demand letter from the loan company at nakiki pag coordinate naman po ako. Infact binigay ko pa ang new contact number ko at home address dahil nagrerent lang ako. Pero hindi na maganda ang mga salitang binibitawan ng naniningil sakin at nanakot pa. ng mga panahon na yun ay kinupkop lang ako at ang mga anak ko ng aking ina at kapatid sa kanilang bahay dahil nawalan ako ng kakayahang umupa at walang trabaho. May 2008 ay may nagpuntang mga pulis sa bahay ng aking magulang at may dalang warrant of arrest. Ang sabi nila ay nagtatago daw ako at may pinirmahang subpoena. Tinawagan ko ang lending office at sinabi kong wala akong natatanggap na subpoena. Ang sabi ng lending agency ay pinirmahan ko daw po ng buong pangalan ko samantalang college pa lang upto now po ang pirma ko ay ang initials ko lamang ang ginagamit ko kahit pirma sa id ng company na aking pinagtatrabahuhan ngayon.
Ano po ba ang dapat kong gawin atty.? wala na po akong katahimikan gabi gabi simula noong May 2008.
Dear Atty.
6 years na po ako nag wowork sa isang local call center (sales-loan offer). my first year as probationary and the next five years regular po. Nung ma regular ako ay contract lang as regular ang pinirmahan ko. 2010 my ginawang new policy ang company ko na kapag hindi naka quota ng straight two consecutive months and ma final chance on the 3rd month. at kapag hindi pa rin na ka quota ay iteterminate na. every month po ay meron kaming performance evaluation na kung saan nakalagay kung kami ay pasado or bagsak. nakalagay din dun na if two months under quota ay materminate na on the following month. Ayaw ko sanang pirmahan pero obliged kami to receive and sign the performance evaluation. for the past 4 years ay binibigyan kami ng copy. Ngayon ay hindi na daw kami dapat bigyan.
gusto ko pong malaman kung ano po ang magiging benefits ko if tanggalin nila ako dahil hindi ako maka quota sales sa third month ko? nagtanong na po ako sa labor thru phone, ang sagot sakin ay wala daw ako matatanggap dahil sales daw kami. totoo po ba yun?
Emilia D.