Court of Appeals (File photo)
MANILA – The Court of Appeals (CA) has sentenced a woman to up to 36 years imprisonment for stealing PHP3.5 million worth of gift certificates (GCs) from the local supermarket chain where she worked.
The appellate court's 13th Division affirmed on September 7 the Manila Regional Trial Courts’ (RTCs) decision to convict Annaliza Rosales, who stole 7,000 pieces of GCs in 2016.
Rosales, a senior merchandising manager at the time, was found guilty of qualified theft in the two separate cases by the Manila RTC Branches 27 and 16.
The CA, however, reversed the Manila courts and acquitted Rosales' husband, Paul, whom prosecutors alleged to have conspired with her in running off with the GCs and later selling them at an 18 percent discount.
The theft was discovered on Oct. 11, 2016 after a wholesale customer of the company tried to pay her purchases worth PHP470,000 with 940 pieces of gift certificates, arousing suspicion.
The customer said he met a certain Karen, who turned out to be Rosales, and her husband, Boy, at a Manila mall and have been purchasing GCs from the two since 2005.
Rosales denied the accusation, saying there were four other senior merchandising managers at the time.
She claimed that while she signed documents covering the GCs, they were only for filing purposes.
The husband agreed to surrender properties in exchange for the withdrawal of criminal charges for the sake of their children.
"Against all the documentary and testimonial that the prosecution had presented, the records show that Annaliza Rosales was only able to proffer the defense of denial, which is considered inherently weak for being negative and self-serving," the CA said. (PNA)
