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I just want to share what happened this afternoon to warn you
to be on guard all the time. Sad to say, even in well-known banks, your
hard-earned money isn’t safe against people who are greedy.
This afternoon, my husband and I decided to go to the bank
to withdraw some cash. Since we opened a Time Deposit account, we had to check
whether this was the right time to get the money or else, we had to pay the
service fee. After several minutes of discussion, we decided not to withdraw
the entire amount: we agreed that we would just get a reasonable amount to
sustain our needs until the next payday comes.
I just had received my salary last week but it was just enough to pay
the house rent and utilities and there was nothing left for food and
transportation.
After several minutes of waiting, I was completely stunned!
The clerk told me that our bank account didn’t have sufficient fund for
withdrawal! We only wanted to get five thousand out of eighteen thousand pesos,
the initial deposit amount. I asked the
clerk again and she explained that somebody might have withdrawn our
hard-earned money. I immediately called my husband and relied to him what the
clerk told me. With our passbook as evidence, we explained that none of us had
transaction of any kind since March 18, 2013, the exact date when the said account had been made. She immediately called the attention of the Bank
Manager who, in turn called somebody from the Main Branch.
After several minutes of waiting again, the manager talked
to us privately and explained that we have to file a complaint addressed to her,
the Bank Manager. Before writing, we asked her how somebody happened to steal
our money under their care. Although we have chosen thirty-five working days as
the fixed term, we chose not to withdraw
on the designated date, and for that reason, we had received a notice once a month for
four consecutive months, stating the
initial amount and the interest. We also asked about bank security and any idea from her how it possibly happened. I knew it was an insult when I
asked her “Does this always happen in this bank?” and I even gave a comment
like “Tsk...tsk...it’s not good to trust this bank anymore”. Nevertheless, the Bank Manager seemed to
understand our sentiments as she patiently answered our questions and displayed professionalism.
My husband, on the other hand, remained calm. I knew he was
analyzing something and after a few minutes, he asked something. I forgot what it
was, but afterwards, he said, “Based on what you said, the person who got our
money IS the same person who assisted us in making our deposit account. At
first, she tried not to react, but after a few moments, I said, “I remembered
his face”. My husband even described the man that I had been thinking, a chubby "chinito" with a lighter complexion (he looked like half Chinese, half Filipino. When heasked where the man was, the manager told us that the person we were describing
had already been fired a month ago. When we asked the reason, she just replied “Marami
na kasi siyang ginawang kalokohan dito”. There! My husband was right. From the
manager’s response, it was implied that the person who stole our money was the
same person who assisted us to open the account. I completed writing the letter
of complaint, and she promised to assist us the best that she could.
Guys, be careful. I don't know if we can get it back. I don't know if justice will be served soon. When I asked the manager how long we have to wait, she couldn't give an exact time frame.As of the moment, I am thinking of filing a lawsuit but I don't know. I have completely lost my trust in our judiciary. I wrote this not to malign the bank since
it is one of the most trusted bank in our country, but to urge everyone to be
vigilant all the time. Just because the institution has a good reputation doesn't mean it's free from unscrupulous ones.
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