CA JUNKS IMELDA PAPIN’S COMPLAINT FOR DAMAGES

THE Court of Appeals ( CA) upheld a Quezon City Regional Trial Court ( RTC) decision dismissing the complaint for damages of singer Imelda Papin filed against Golden 7 ( G7) Bank and its officers. In a decision by Associate Justice Zenaida Galapate- Laguilles, the CA’s Special Seventh Division denied Papin’s appeal as it affirmed the order of RTC Branch 226 on March 9, 2012. Papin averred that on May 7, 2004, she obtained an agricultural loan worth P4 million from G7 secured by a real estate mortgage over a parcel of land in Concepcion Grande, Naga City registered in her name and covered by a certificate of title submitted as full payment of the loan. G7 then issued a certification that Papin has no outstanding loan account with the firm as of January 9, 2006. But she received information that the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas filed a complaint for syndi- cated estafa against her, along with G7 Bank and its officers and members, in connection with the Electronic Rediscounting Participation Program the defendant- bank entered into with the BSP. Papin alleged that the bank made it appear that she secured a new loan application and issued a promissory note in order for it to avail of rediscounting privileges with BSP under the ERPA. The RTC dismissed the case in March 2012 for failure of Papin and her counsel to appear in court despite notice until it reached the appeals court. Papin argued that her lawyer Zenaida Reyes was not able to appear before the trial court for several hearings over to her disbarment. The RTC ruled with finality on May 31, 2017 which the CA affirmed.