Facts:

• Metropolitan Bank and Trust Company (Metrobank) is the petitioner.
• Marina B. Custodio, a bank teller at Metrobank's Laoag City branch, is the respondent.
• On June 13, 1995, Custodio was assigned as Teller No. 3 and handled several cash transactions, including a PhP200,000 cash transfer from another teller.
• Custodio took her lunch break alone, carrying a shoulder bag and a paper bag, which were not inspected by the security guard.
• At the end of the banking day, Custodio balanced her transactions and turned over PhP2,113,500 to the cash custodian, Ms. Marinel Castro, who signed a Cash Transfer Slip acknowledging receipt.
• A cash shortage of PhP600,000 was discovered later that day.
• Despite an internal investigation and a search of the premises, the missing money was not found.
• Metrobank filed a complaint against Custodio for the recovery of the missing amount.
• The trial court ordered Custodio to pay PhP600,000 plus interest.
• Custodio appealed, and the Court of Appeals reversed the trial court's decision, dismissing the complaint against her.
• Metrobank then filed a Petition for Review on Certiorari with the Supreme Court.

Issue:

• (Unlock)

Ruling:

• The Supreme Court denied Metrobank's Petition for Review and affirmed the Court of Appeals' decision, which dismis...(Unlock)

Ratio:

• The Supreme Court found that Metrobank failed to prove by a preponderance of evidence that Custodio was responsible for the cash shortage.
• The Cash Transfer Slip, signed by the cash custodian Ms. Castro, was the best evidence that Custodio had properly turned over the funds.
• Ms. Castro's admission of signing the slip without counting the money indicated negligence on her part, which contributed to the loss.
• The security guard's failure to inspect Custodio's bags could have determined whether she carried away the missin...continue reading