how to file stafa case..

Being a single parent of three kids i tried to have a job by an agent delivering gravel and sand in a construction site.May nag order sa akin last june 10,2010 ng nasabing construction material amounting to P27,132.As agreed pumayag ako sa post dated check as payment sa pagbabakasakaling maging ok ang resulta ng ganung uri ng work.June 25 dapat maideposit ang pdc but on June 23 pa lang ay nakiusap si architect/contractor na wag munang ipasok to claim dahil wala pang pondo I text na lang daw ako kung meron ng pondo...Na CLOSED na pala ang dati kong savings account kaya No way akong ma i deposit ang PDC kaya nag request ako kay architect/contractor na pwede ay PAY TO CASH na lang on Monday,june 28 at binigyan ako ng pay to cash check assuming na ma encash ko that day dahil gipit na ako sa tuition ng mga anak ko.Ang check na inisue ay June 30 which was holiday..So July 1 ay nag punta ako sa bank at NO ENOUGH FUND sabi ng teller.I texed the architect/contractor at sabing wait lang daw ako dahil hindi pa nakabayad ang companya na may hawak ng kontrata.Paikot ikot kami sa ganung usapan hanggang nag decide ako na ipasok ang check sa savings account ng friend ko last july 16 at july 18 para ma penalized sya.Last july 30 ay nangako syang magbabayad na in cash this coming Wednesday(aug4,5,6)dahil nagbayad na raw sa kanila ang company(sub con daw po sila kasi)Pero at the end of those 3 days ay hindi man lang nag text to confirm the payment.I called him at 6pm telling him that i am planning to file a STAFA CASE againts him pero mayabang pang magsabing..GO AHEAD.I lost weight and appetite with this matter and was not able to work again dahil savings ng mga anak ko ang puhunan ko dun.I tried to do the best for my kids pero ganito ang kahihinatnan ng pangyayari.Pwede na po ba akong mag file ng case directly to QC prosecutors office kahit hindi na dumaan sa Baranggay? Anu po ba ang pwedeng kong hingiing damyos sa ganitong manloloko?Kaylangan na po ba agad ng lawyer(yan po ang problema ko dahil wala akong perang pang hire)Nasa akin po ang original bouncing check at ang xerox ng PDC nya..Enough na po bang evidence na yun?Waiting for your kind response...thank you po!

greg, you arguably have a case for estafa, but the tricky part is proving that there was malice in issuing the check.

In order to constitute estafa under the statutory provisions, the act of postdating or of issuing a check in payment of an obligation must be the efficient cause of the defraudation; accordingly, it should be either prior to or simultaneous with the act of fraud. In fine, the offender must be able to obtain money or property from the offended party by reason of the issuance, whether postdated or not, of the check. It must be shown that the person to whom the check is delivered would not have parted with his money or property were it not for the issuance of the check by the other party.

You have a strong case of Estafa because the checks given to you were the efficient cause why you agreed to part with your goods.

Better still, you can file both Estafa and BP 22 and let the Prosecutor appreciate your evidence at hand and decide accordingly whether or not to pursue Estafa. BP 22 is much easier to establish. All you need to present are the checks that were dishonored.