Garcia vs.

Sandiganbayan case, 603 SCRA

Garcia vs. Sandiganbayan Digest (460 SCRA

588)
Garcia vs. Sandiganbayan
460 SCRA 588
June 22, 2005, TINGA

NATURE
Petitioner filed this Petition for certiorari and prohibition under Rule 65 to annul and set aside
public respondent Sandiganbayans Resolution[1] dated 29 October 2004 and Writ of
Preliminary Attachment[2] dated 2 November 2004, and to enjoin public respondents
Sandiganbayan and Office of the Ombudsman from further proceeding with any action relating
to the enforcement of the assailed issuances.
FACTS
-Major General Carlos F. Garcia was the Deputy Chief of Staff for Comptrollership of the AFP.
-On Sept27, 2004, Atty. Maria Olivia Roxas, Graft Investigation and Prosecution Officer of the
Field Investigation Office of the Office of the Ombudsman, after due investigation, filed a
COMPLAINT vs. Garcia for VIOLATION OF
1. SECTION 8 (IN RE Section 11) of RA 6713(Code of Conduct of Ethical Standards for Public
Officials and Employees)
2. Art 183, RPC
3. Sec52(A)(1), (3) & (20) of the Civil Service Law
-based on this complaint, a case was filed vs. Petitioner
-Wife and 3 sons were impleaded for violation of RA 1379 insofar as they acted as conspirators,
conduits, dummies and fronts of petitioner in receiving, accumulating, using and disposing of
ill-gotten wealth
-Also, a PETITION W/ VERIFIED URGENT EX PARTE APPLICATION FOR THE ISSUANCE
OF A WRIT OF PRELIMINARY ATTACHMENT was filed by Ombudsman before the SB vs.
Garcia, his wife and 3 sons: Ombudsman, after conducting inquiry (similar to PI) has
determined a prima facie case exists vs. Maj. Gen Garcia since during his incumbency as a
soldier and public officer he acquired huge amounts of money and properties manifestly out of
proportion to his salary as such public officer and his other lawful income SB GRANTED
PETITION, ISSUED WRIT OF PRELIMINARY ATTACHMENT
-Garcia filed MTD then this PETITION (same day):
a.LACK OF JURISDICTION over forfeiture proceedings (CIVIL ACTION) under RA 1379
should be w/ RTC as provided under SEC2(9) of the law
b. Sandiganbayans jurisdiction in Civil Actions pertains only to separate actions for recovery of
unlawfully acquired property vs. Pres. Marcos etc.
c. SB was intended principally as a criminal court
BASIS: Presidential issuances and laws
d. Granting that SB has jurisdiction, petition for forfeiture is fatally defective for failing to
comply with jurisdictional requirements under RA 1379, SEC2:
i. inquiry similar to a PI
ii. Certification to SOLGEN of prima facie case here: no certification
iii. action filed by SOLGEN - here: by Ombudsman
COMMENT by SB:

1.Republic vs. SB: there is no issue that jurisdiction over violations of [R.A.] Nos. 3019 and 1379
now rests with the Sandiganbayan.
2. Under Consti and prevailing statutes, SB is vested w/ authority and jurisdiction over the
petition for forfeiture under RA 1379
3. Section4a(1), PD 1606, not Section 2(9), RA 1379 should be made the basis of SBs
jurisdiction:
a. Violations of Republic Act No. 3019, as amended, otherwise known as the Anti-Graft and
Corrupt Practices Act, Republic Act No. 1379, and Chapter II, Section 2, Title VII, Book II of the
Revised Penal Code, where one or more of the accused are officials occupying the following
positions in the government, whether in a permanent, acting or interim capacity, at the time of
the commission of the offense:
(1) Officials of the executive branch occupying the positions of regional director and higher, otherwise classified as
Grade 27 and higher of the Compensation and Position Classification Act of 1989 (Republic Act No. 6758),
specifically including:
.
(d) Philippine army and air force colonels, naval captains, and all officers of higher ranks;
.

4. SBs jurisdiction based on PD 1606 encompasses all cases involving violations of RA 3019
IRRESPECTIVE OF WON THESE CASES ARE CIVIL OR CRIMINAL IN NATURE
COMMENT BY OMBUDSMAN:
1. Republic vs. SB
2. Grant of jurisdiction over violations of RA 1379 did not change even under the amendments of
RA7975 and RA 8294, though it came to be limited to cases involving high-ranking public
officials
3. It has authority to investigate and initiate forfeiture proceedings vs. petitioner based on
COnsti and RA 6770: The constitutional power of investigation of the Office of the Ombudsman
is plenary and unqualified; its power to investigate any act of a public official or employee which
appears to be illegal, unjust, improper or inefficient covers the unlawful acquisition of wealth
by public officials as defined under R.A. No. 1379
4. Section 15, RA 6770 expressly empowers Ombudsman to investigate and prosecute such cases
of unlawful acquisition of wealth.
5. ON REQUIREMENTS under RA 1379: inquiry was conducted similar to PI + SOLGENs
participation no longer required since Ombudsman endowed w/ authority to investigate and
prosecute
6. dismiss petition for forum shopping: MTD was already filed before SB
REPLY by Garcia
1. SBs criminal jurisdiction is separate and distinct from its civil jurisdiction : SBs jurisdiction
over forfeiture cases had been removed w/o subsequent amendments expressly restoring such
civil jurisdiction
2. Petition for forfeiture is not an ancilliary action for the criminal action against him, so not
under jurisdiction of Sandiganbayan
ISSUES
1. WON SB has jurisdiction over petitions for forfeiture under RA 1379
2. WON Ombudsman has authority to investigate, initiate and prosecute such petitions for
forfeiture
3. WON petitioner is guilty of forum shopping
HELD
Petition W/O MERIT, dismissed

1. SB HAS JURISDICTION
Reasoning:
*Republic vs. Sandiganbayan: Originally, SOLGEN was authorized to initiate forfeiture
proceedings before then CFI of the city or province where the public officer/employee resides or
holds office [RA 1379, SEC2]
Upon the creation of the Sandiganbayan [PD 1486], original and exclusive jurisdiction over
such violations was vested in SB.
PD 1606: repealed 1486 and modified jurisdiction of SB by removing its jurisdiction over civil
actions brought in connection w/ crimes w/n exclusive jurisdiction of SB, including:
> restitution or reparation for damages
>recovery of instruments and effects of the crime
>civil actions under Art32 and 34 of the Civil Code
>and forfeiture proceedings provided under RA 1379
BP 129: abolished concurrent jurisdiction of SB and regular courts, expanded EOJ of SB over
offenses enumerated in SEC4 of PD1606 to embrace all such offenses irrespective of imposable
penalty.
PD1606 was later amended by PD 1869 and eventually by PD 1861 because of the proliferation
of filing cases w/ penalty not higher than PC or its equivalent and even such cases not serious in
nature
jurisdiction over violations of RA 3019 and 1379 is lodged w/ SB
under RA 8249: SB vested w/ EOJ in all cases involving violations of :
>>RA 3019
>>RA 1379
>>ChapII, Sec2, Title VII, Book II of the RPC
Where 1 or more of the accused are officials occupying the following positions, whether in a
permanent, acting or interim capacity, at the time of the commission of the offense (see above)
ON CIVIL NATUR OF FORFEITURE ACTIONS
-they are actions in rem, therefore, civil in nature BUT FORFEITURE OF AN ILLEGALLY
ACQUIRED PROPERTY PARTAKES THE NATURE OF A PENALTY [as discussed in Cabal vs.
Kapunan]
SB VESTED W/ JURISDICTION OVER VIOLATIONS OF RA 1379 [An Act Declaring
Forfeiture In Favor of the State Any Property Found to Have Been Unlawfully Acquired By Any
Public Officer or Employee and Providing For the Proceedings Therefor.]: the law provides a
procedure for forfeiture in case a public officer has acquired during his incumbency an amount
of property manifestly out of proportion to his salary as such public officer or employee and to
his lawful income and income from legitimately acquired property. No penalty for the public
officer for unlawful acquisition but the law imposes forfeiture as a penalty for unlawfully
acquired properties
2. YES, as resolved in Republic vs. SB (it was the main issue there)
RA 1379, Sec2: SOLGEN authorized to initiate forfeiture proceedings
PD 1486: vested SB w/ jurisdiction over RA 1379 forfeiture proceedings
Sec12: Chief Special Prosecutor has authority to file and prosecute forfeiture cases, not
SOLGEN, to SB, not CFI (BUT THIS IS JUST AN IMPLIED REPEAL as may be derived from the
repealing clause of PD 1486)
PD 1487: created Ombudsman
PD 1606 repealed expressly PD 1486
PD 1607 provided that Office of the Chief Special Prosecutor has exclusive authority to conduct

preliminary investigation of all cases cognizable by the SB, file info therefore, and direct and
control prosecution of said cases
also removed authority to file actions for forfeiture under RA 1379
the repeal of P.D. No. 1486 by P.D. No. 1606 necessarily revived the authority of the Solicitor
General to file a petition for forfeiture under R.A. No. 1379, but not the jurisdiction of the Courts
of First Instance over the case nor the authority of the Provincial or City Fiscals (now
Prosecutors) to conduct the preliminary investigation therefore, since said powers at that time
remained in the Sandiganbayan and the Chief Special Prosecutor.
PD 1630: expanded the Tanodbayans authority: given exclusive authority to conduct PI of all
cases cognizable by SB, to file info therefore and to direct and control the prosecution of said
cases
**1987 CONSTI enacted
RA 6770 + ART XI, SEC 13 of 1987 CONSTI: POWERS OF OMBUDSMAN:
1) Investigate and prosecute on its own or on complaint by any person, any act or omission of
any public officer or employee, office or agency, when such act or omission appears to be illegal,
unjust, improper or inefficient. It has primary jurisdiction over cases cognizable by the
Sandiganbayan and, in the exercise of this primary jurisdiction, may take over, at any stage,
from any investigatory agency of Government, the investigation of such cases;

(11) Investigate and initiate the proper action for the recovery of ill-gotten and/or unexplained
wealth amassed after 25 February 1986 and the prosecution of the parties involved therein.
It is the Ombudsman who should file petition for forfeiture under RA 1379
BUT powers to investigate and initiate proper action for recovery of ill-gotten and/or
unexplained wealth is restricted only to cases for the recovery of ill-gotten and/or unexplained
wealth amassed AFTER FEB 1986
3. ON FORUM SHOPPING: GUILTY!
Garcia failed to inform the court that he had filed a MTD in relation to the petition for
forfeiture before the SB.
A scrutiny of the Motion to Dismiss reveals that petitioner raised substantially the same issues
and prayed for the same reliefs therein as it has in the instant petition. In fact, the Arguments
and Discussion[89] in the Petition of petitioners thesis that the Sandiganbayan has no
jurisdiction over separate civil actions for forfeiture of unlawfully acquired properties appears to
be wholly lifted from the Motion to Dismiss. The only difference between the two is that in the
Petition, petitioner raises the ground of failure of the petition for forfeiture to comply with the
procedural requirements of R.A. No. 1379, and petitioner prays for the annulment of the
Sandiganbayans Resolution dated 29 October 2004 and Writ of Preliminary Attachment dated
2 November 2004. Nevertheless, these differences are only superficial. Both Petition and
Motion to Dismiss have the same intent of dismissing the case for forfeiture filed against
petitioner, his wife and their sons. It is undeniable that petitioner had failed to fulfill his
undertaking. This is incontestably forum-shopping which is reason enough to dismiss the
petition outright, without prejudice to the taking of appropriate action against the counsel and
party concerned.

MAJOR GENERAL G.R. No. 165835

CARLOS F. GARCIA,
Petitioner, Present:

DAVIDE, JR.,C.J.,
PUNO,
PANGANIBAN,
QUISUMBING,
- versus - YNARES-SANTIAGO,
SANDOVAL-GUTIERREZ,
CARPIO,
AUSTRIA-MARTINEZ,
CORONA,
CARPIO-MORALES CALLEJO, SR.,
SANDIGANBAYAN and AZCUNA,
the OFFICE OF THE TINGA,
OMBUDSMAN, CHICO-NAZARIO, and
Respondents. GARCIA, JJ.
Promulgated:
June 22, 2005
x ------------------------------------------------------------------ x

DECISION
TINGA, J.:
Petitioner Major General Carlos F. Garcia was the Deputy Chief of
Staff for Comptrollership, J6, of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines. Petitioner filed this Petition for certiorari and
prohibition under Rule 65 to annul and set aside public respondent
Sandiganbayans Resolution[1] dated 29 October 2004 and Writ of
Preliminary Attachment[2] dated 2 November 2004, and to enjoin
public respondents Sandiganbayan and Office of the Ombudsman
from further proceeding with any action relating to the enforcement
of the assailed issuances.

On 27 September 2004, Atty. Maria Olivia Elena A. Roxas, Graft

Investigation and Prosecution Officer II of the Field Investigation
Office of the Office of the Ombudsman, after due investigation, filed
a complaint against petitioner with public respondent Office of the
Ombudsman, for violation of Sec. 8, in relation to Sec. 11 of
Republic Act (R.A.) No. 6713, [3] violation of Art. 183 of the Revised
Penal Code, and violation of Section 52 (A)(1), (3) and (20) of the
Civil Service Law. Based on this complaint, a case for Violations of
R.A. No. 1379,[4] Art. 183 of the Revised Penal Code, and Sec. 8 in
relation to Sec. 11 of R.A. No. 6713, docketed as Case
No. OMB-P-C-04-1132-I, was filed against petitioner. [5] Petitioners
wife Clarita Depakakibo Garcia, and their three sons, Ian Carl,
Juan Paolo and Timothy Mark, all surnamed Garcia, were
impleaded in the complaint for violation of R.A. No. 1379 insofar as
they acted as conspirators, conduits, dummies and fronts of
petitioner in receiving, accumulating, using and disposing of his illgotten wealth.
On the same day, 27 October 2004, the Republic of the Philippines,
acting through public respondent Office of the Ombudsman, filed
before the Sandiganbayan, a Petition with Verified Urgent Ex Parte
Application for the Issuance of a Writ of Preliminary
Attachment[6] against petitioner, his wife, and three sons, seeking the
forfeiture of unlawfully acquired properties under Sec. 2 of R.A. No.
1379, as amended. The petition was docketed as Civil Case No.
0193, entitled Republic of the Philippines vs. Maj. Gen. Carlos F.
Garcia, et al. It was alleged that the Office of the Ombudsman, after
conducting an inquiry similar to a preliminary investigation in
criminal cases, has determined that a prima faciecase exists against
Maj. Gen. Garcia and the other respondents therein who hold such
properties for, with, or on behalf of, Maj. Gen. Garcia, since during
his incumbency as a soldier and public officer he acquired huge
amounts of money and properties manifestly out of proportion to

his salary as such public officer and his other lawful income, if any.
[7]

Acting on the Republics prayer for issuance of a writ of preliminary

attachment,
the
Sandiganbayan
issued
the
questioned Resolution granting
the
relief
prayed
for.
The
corresponding writ of preliminary attachment was subsequently
issued on 2 November 2004 upon the filing of a bond by the
Republic. On 17 November 2004, petitioner (as respondent a quo)
filed a Motion to Dismiss[8] in Civil Case No. 0193 on the ground of
lack of jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan over forfeiture proceedings
under R.A. No. 1379. On even date, petitioner filed the
present Petition, raising the same issue of lack jurisdiction on the
part of the Sandiganbayan.

Petitioner argues in this Petition that the Sandiganbayan is without

jurisdiction over the civil action for forfeiture of unlawfully acquired
properties under R.A. No. 1379, maintaining that such jurisdiction
actually resides in the Regional Trial Courts as provided under Sec.
2[9] of the law, and that the jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan in
civil actions pertains only to separate actions for recovery of
unlawfully acquired property against President Marcos, his family,
and cronies as can be gleaned from Sec. 4 of Presidential Decree
(P.D.) No. 1606,[10] as amended, and Executive Orders (E.O.) Nos.
14[11] and 14-A.[12]
Theorizing that the Sandiganbayan, under P.D. No. 1606 or the law
creating it, was intended principally as a criminal court, with no
jurisdiction over separate civil actions, petitioner points to President
Corazon C. Aquinos issuances after the EDSA Revolution, namely:

(1) E.O. No. 1 creating the Presidential Commission on Good

Government (PCGG) for the recovery of ill-gotten wealth amassed by
President Ferdinand E. Marcos, his family and cronies, (2) E.O. No.
14 which amended P.D. No. 1606 and R.A. No. 1379 by transferring
to the Sandiganbayan jurisdiction over civil actionsfiled against
President Marcos, his family and cronies based on R.A. No. 1379,
the Civil Code and other existing laws, and (3) E.O. No. 14-A whch
further amended E.O. No. 14, P.D. No. 1606 and R.A. No. 1379 by
providing that the civil action under R.A. No. 1379 which may be
filed against President Marcos, his family and cronies, may proceed
independently of the criminal action.
Petitioner gathers from the presidential issuances that the
Sandiganbayan has been granted jurisdiction only over the separate
civil actions filed against President Marcos, his family and cronies,
regardless of whether these civil actions were for recovery of
unlawfully acquired property under R.A. No. 1379 or for restitution,
reparation of damages or indemnification for consequential
damages or other civil actions under the Civil Code or other existing
laws. According to petitioner, nowhere in the amendments to P.D.
No. 1606 and R.A. No. 1379 does it provide that the Sandiganbayan
has been vested jurisdiction over separate civil actions other than
those filed against President Marcos, his family and cronies.
[13]
Hence, the Sandiganbayan has no jurisdiction over any separate
civil action against him, even if such separate civil action is for
recovery of unlawfully acquired property under R.A. No. 1379.
Petitioner further contends that in any event, the petition for
forfeiture filed against him is fatally defective for failing to comply
with the jurisdictional requirements under Sec. 2, R.A. No.
1379, [14]namely: (a) an inquiry similar to a preliminary investigation
conducted by the prosecution arm of the government; (b) a
certification to the Solicitor General that there is reasonable ground
to believe that there has been violation of the said law and that

respondent is guilty thereof; and (c) an action filed by the Solicitor

General on behalf of the Republic of the Philippines. [15] He argues
that only informations for perjury were filed and there has been no
information filed against him for violation of R.A. No. 1379.
Consequently, he maintains, it is impossible for the Office of the
Ombudsman to certify that there is reasonable ground to believe
that a violation of the said law had been committed and that he is
guilty thereof. The petition is also supposedly bereft of the required
certification which should be made by the investigating City or
Provincial Fiscal (now Prosecutor) to the Solicitor General.
Furthermore, he opines that it should have been the Office of the
Solicitor General which filed the petition and not the Office of the
Ombudsman as in this case. The petition being fatally defective, the
same should have been dismissed, petitioner concludes.
In their Comment,[16] respondents submit the contrary, noting that
the issues raised by petitioner are not novel as these have been
settled in Republic vs. Sandiganbayan[17] which categorically ruled
that there is no issue that jurisdiction over violations of [R.A.] Nos.
3019 and 1379 now rests with the Sandiganbayan. [18] Respondents
argue that under the Constitution[19] and prevailing statutes, the
Sandiganbayan is vested with authority and jurisdiction over the
petition for forfeiture under R.A. No. 1379 filed against petitioner.
Respondents point to Sec. 4.a (1) (d) of P.D. 1606, as amended, as
the prevailing law on the jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan, thus:
Sec. 4. Jurisdiction.The Sandiganbayan shall
original jurisdiction in all cases involving:

exercise

exclusive

a.
Violations of Republic Act No. 3019, as amended,
otherwise known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act,
Republic Act No. 1379, and Chapter II, Section 2, Title VII, Book II
of the Revised Penal Code, where one or more of the accused are
officials occupying the following positions in the government,
whether in a permanent, acting or interim capacity, at the time of
the commission of the offense:

(1) Officials of the executive branch occupying the

positions of regional director and higher, otherwise classified
as Grade 27 and higher of the Compensation and Position
Classification Act of 1989 (Republic Act No. 6758), specifically
including:
.
(d) Philippine army and air force colonels, naval
captains, and all officers of higher ranks;
.

As petitioner falls squarely under the category of public positions

covered by the aforestated law, the petition for forfeiture should be
within the jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan.
Respondents also brush off as inconsequential petitioners
argument that the petition for forfeiture is civil in nature and the
Sandiganbayan, having allegedly no jurisdiction over civil actions,
therefore has no jurisdiction over the petition, since the same P.D.
No. 1606 encompasses all cases involving violations of R.A. No.
3019, irrespective of whether these cases are civil or criminal in
nature. The petition for forfeiture should not be confused with the
cases initiated and prosecuted by the PCGG pursuant to E.O. Nos.
14 and 14-A, as these are dealt with under a separate
subparagraph of P.D. No. 1606, as amended, in particular Sec. 4.c
thereof.[20] Further, respondents stress that E.O. Nos. 14 and 14-A
exclusively apply to actions for recovery of unlawfully acquired
property against President Marcos, his family, and cronies. It would
also not be accurate to refer to a petition for forfeiture as a civil
case, since it has been held that petitions for forfeiture are deemed
criminal or penal and that it is only the proceeding for its
prosecution which is civil in nature.[21]
The Office of the Ombudsman filed a separate Comment,[22] likewise
relying on Republic v. Sandiganbayan to argue that the

Sandiganbayan has jurisdiction over the petition for forfeiture filed

against petitioner. The Ombudsman explains that the grant to the
Sandiganbayan of jurisdiction over violations of R.A. No. 1379 did
not change even under the amendments of

R.A. No. 7975[23] and R.A. No. 8294[24], although it came to be

limited to cases involving high-ranking public officials as
enumerated therein, including Philippine army and air force
colonels, naval captains, and all other officers of higher rank, to
which petitioner belongs.[25]
In arguing that it has authority to investigate and initiate
forfeiture proceedings against petitioner, the Office of the
Ombudsman refers to both the Constitution [26] and R.A. No. 6770.
[27]
The constitutional power of investigation of the Office of the
Ombudsman is plenary and unqualified; its power to investigate any
act of a public official or employee which appears to be illegal,
unjust, improper or inefficient covers the unlawful acquisition of
wealth by public officials as defined under R.A. No. 1379.
Furthermore, Sec. 15 (11)[28] of R.A. No. 6770 expressly empowers
the Ombudsman to investigate and prosecute such cases of
unlawful acquisition of wealth. This authority of the Ombudsman
has been affirmed also in Republic vs. Sandiganbayan.[29]
The Office of the Ombudsman then refutes petitioners allegation
that the petition for forfeiture filed against him failed to comply with
the procedural and formal requirements under the law. It asserts
that all the requirements of R.A. No. 1379 have been strictly
complied with. An inquiry similar to a preliminary investigation was
conducted by a Prosecution Officer of the Office of the
Ombudsman. The participation of the Office of the Solicitor
General, claimed by petitioner to be necessary, is actually no longer
required since the Office of the Ombudsman is endowed with the

authority to investigate and prosecute the case as discussed above.

[30]

In addition, the Office of the Ombudsman alleges that the

present Petition should be dismissed for blatant forum-shopping.
Even as petitioner had filed a Motion to Dismiss as regards the
petition for forfeiture (docketed as Civil Case No. 0193) before the
Sandiganbayan on the ground of the Sandiganbayans alleged lack of
jurisdiction, he filed the instant Petition raising exactly the same
issue, even though the Motion to Dismiss in Civil Case No. 0193 is
still pending resolution. Worse, it appears that the Motion to
Dismiss and the instant Petition were filed on the same day, 17
November 2004.
Petitioner refutes these arguments in his Reply[31] and
enunciates that the Sandiganbayans criminal jurisdiction is
separate and distinct from its civil jurisdiction, and that the
Sandiganbayans jurisdiction over forfeiture cases had been removed
without subsequent amendments expressly restoring such civil
jurisdiction. His thesis is that R.A. No. 1379 is a special law which
is primarily civil and remedial in nature, the clear intent of which is
to separate the prima facie determination in forfeiture proceedings
from the litigation of the civil action. This intent is further
demonstrated by Sec. 2 of R.A. No. 1379 which grants the authority
to make an inquiry similar to a preliminary investigation being done
by the City or Provincial Fiscal, and the authority to file a petition
for forfeiture to the Solicitor General.
Petitioner also points out in his Reply[32] to the Comment of the
Office of the Ombudsman, that the use of the phrase violations of
[R.A.] Nos. 3019 and 1379 in P.D. No. 1606, as amended, implies
jurisdiction over cases which are principally criminal or penal in
nature because the concept of violation of certain laws necessarily
carries with it the concept of imposition of penalties for such
violation. Hence, when reference was made to violations of [R.A.]

Nos. 3019 and 1379, the only jurisdiction that can supposedly be
implied is criminal jurisdiction, not civil jurisdiction, thereby
highlighting respondent Sandiganbayans lack of jurisdiction over
the civil case for forfeiture of ill-gotten wealth. Of course, petitioner
does not rule out cases where the crime carries with it the
corresponding civil liability such that when the criminal action is
instituted, the civil action for enforcement of the civil liability is
impliedly instituted with it, and the court having jurisdiction over
the criminal action also acquires jurisdiction over the ancillary civil
action. However, petitioner argues that the action for forfeiture
subject of this case is not the ancillary civil action impliedly
instituted with the criminal action. Rather, the petition for forfeiture
is an independent civil action over which the Sandiganbayan has no
jurisdiction. Petitioner points to P.D. No. 1606, as amended, which
treats of independent civil actions only in the last paragraph of Sec.
4 thereof:
Any provisions of law or Rules of Court to the contrary
notwithstanding, the criminal action and the corresponding civil
action for the recovery of civil liability shall at all times be
simultaneously instituted with, and jointly determined in, the
same proceeding by the Sandiganbayan or the appropriate courts,
the filing of the criminal action being deemed to necessarily carry
with it the filing of the civil action, and no right to reserve the filing
of such civil action separately from the criminal action shall be
recognized: Provided, however, That where the civil action had
heretofore been filed separately but judgment therein has not yet
been rendered, and the criminal case is hereafter filed with the
Sandiganbayan or the appropriate court, said civil action shall be
transferred to the Sandiganbayan or the appropriate court, as the
case may be, for consolidation and joint determination with the
criminal action, otherwise the separate civil action shall be deemed
abandoned.

Petitioner however did not raise any argument to refute the charge
of forum-shopping.

The issues for resolution are: (a) whether the Sandiganbayan has
jurisdiction over petitions for forfeiture under R.A. No. 1379; (b)
whether the Office of the Ombudsman has the authority to
investigate, initiate and prosecute such petitions for forfeiture; and
(c) whether petitioner is guilty of forum-shopping.
The petition is patently without merit. It should be dismissed.
The seminal decision of Republic v. Sandiganbayan[33] squarely rules
on the issues raised by petitioner concerning the jurisdiction of the
Sandiganbayan and the authority of the Office of the Ombudsman.
After reviewing the legislative history of the Sandiganbayan and the
Office of the Ombudsman, the Court therein resolved the question
of jurisdiction by the Sandiganbayan over violations of R.A. No.
3019 and R.A. No. 1379. Originally, it was the Solicitor General who
was authorized to initiate forfeiture proceedings before the then
Court of First Instance of the city or province where the public
officer or employee resides or holds office, pursuant to Sec. 2 of R.A.
No. 1379. Upon the creation of the Sandiganbayan pursuant to P.D.
No. 1486,[34] original and exclusive jurisdiction over such violations
was vested in the said court. [35] P.D. No. 1606[36] was later issued
expressly repealing P.D. No. 1486, as well as modifying the
jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan by removing its jurisdiction over
civil actions brought in connection with crimes within the exclusive
jurisdiction of said court.[37] Such civil actions removed from the
jurisdiction of the Sandigabayan include those for restitution or
reparation of damages, recovery of instruments and effects of the
crime, civil actions under Articles 32 and 34 of the Civil Code, and
forfeiture proceedings provided for under R.A. No. 1379. [38]
Subsequently, Batas Pambansa Blg. 129[39] abolished the
concurrent jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan and the regular
courts and expanded the exclusive original jurisdiction of the

Sandiganbayan over the offenses enumerated in Sec. 4 of P.D. No.

1606 to embrace all such offenses irrespective of the imposable
penalty. Since this change resulted in the proliferation of the filing
of cases before the Sandiganbayan where the offense charged is
punishable by a penalty not higher than prision correccional or its
equivalent, and such cases not being of a serious nature, P.D. No.
1606 was again amended by P.D. No. 1860 [40] and eventually by P.D.
No. 1861.[41]
On the foregoing premises alone, the Court in Republic v.
Sandiganbayan, deduced that jurisdiction over violations of R.A. No.
3019 and 1379 is lodged with the Sandiganbayan. [42] It could not
have taken into consideration R.A. No. 7975 [43] and R.A. No.
8249[44] since both statutes which also amended the jurisdiction of
the Sandiganbayan were not yet enacted at the time. The
subsequent enactments only serve to buttress the conclusion that
the Sandiganbayan indeed has jurisdiction over violations of R.A.
No. 1379.
Under R.A. No. 8249, the Sandiganbayan is vested with
exclusive original jurisdiction in all cases involving violations of R.A.
No. 3019, R.A. No. 1379, and Chapter II, Sec. 2, Title VII, Book II of
the Revised Penal Code, where one or more of the accused are
officials occupying the following positions whether in a permanent,
acting or interim capacity, at the time of the commission of the
offense: (1) Officials of the executive branch occupying the positions
of regional director and higher, otherwise classified as Grade '27'
and higher, of the Compensation and Position Classification Act of
989 (R.A. No. 6758), specifically including: (a) Provincial governors,
vice-governors, members of the sangguniang panlalawigan, and
provincial treasurers, assessors, engineers, and other city
department heads; (b) City mayor, vice-mayors, members of the
sangguniang panlungsod, city treasurers, assessors, engineers, and
other city department heads; (c) Officials of the diplomatic service

occupying the position of consul and higher; (d) Philippine army and
air force colonels, naval captains, and all officers of higher rank; (e)
Officers of the Philippine National Police while occupying the
position of provincial director and those holding the rank of senior
superintended or higher; (f) City and provincial prosecutors and
their assistants, and officials and prosecutors in the Office of the
Ombudsman and special prosecutor; (g) Presidents, directors or
trustees, or managers of government-owned or controlled
corporations, state universities or educational institutions or
foundations; (2) Members of Congress and officials thereof classified
as Grade '27' and up under the Compensation and Position
Classification Act of 1989; (3) Members of the judiciary without
prejudice to the provisions of the Constitution; (4) Chairmen and
members of Constitutional Commission, without prejudice to the
provisions of the Constitution; and (5) All other national and local
officials classified as Grade '27' and higher under the Compensation
and Position Classification Act of 1989.[45]
In the face of the prevailing jurisprudence and the present state of
statutory law on the jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan, petitioners
argumentthat the Sandiganbayan has no jurisdiction over the
petition for forfeiture it being civil in nature and the Sandiganbayan
allegedly having no jurisdiction over civil actionscollapses
completely.
The civil nature of an action for forfeiture was first recognized
in Republic v. Sandiganbayan, thus: [T]he rule is settled that
forfeiture proceedings are actions in rem and, therefore, civil in
nature.[46] Then, Almeda, Sr.
v. Perez,[47] followed, holding that the proceedings under R.A. No.
1379 do not terminate in the imposition of a penalty but merely in
the forfeiture of the properties illegally acquired in favor of the
State. It noted that the

procedure outlined in the law leading to forfeiture is that provided

for in a civil action.[48]
However, the Court has had occasion to rule that forfeiture of
illegally acquired property partakes the nature of a penalty.
In Cabal v. Kapunan, Jr.,[49] the Court cited voluminous authorities
in support of its declaration of the criminal or penal nature of
forfeiture proceedings, viz:
In a strict signification, a forfeiture is a divestiture of
property without compensation, in consequence of a default or an
offense, and the term is used in such a sense in this article. A
forfeiture, as thus defined, is imposed by way of punishment not by
the mere convention of the parties, but by the lawmaking power, to
insure a prescribed course of conduct. It is a method deemed
necessary by the legislature to restrain the commission of an
offense and to aid in the prevention of such an offense. The effect
of such a forfeiture is to transfer the title to the specific thing from
the owner to the sovereign power. (23 Am. Jur. 599)
"In Black's Law Dictionary a 'forfeiture' is defined to be 'the
incurring of a liability to pay a definite sum of money as the
consequence of violating the provisions of some statute or refusal
to comply with some requirement of law.' It may be said to be a
penalty imposed for misconduct or breach of duty.'" (Com. vs.
French, 114 S.W. 255.)
.
"Generally speaking, informations for the forfeiture of goods
that seek no judgment of fine or imprisonment against any person
are deemed to be civil proceedings in rem. Such proceedings are
criminal in nature to the extent that where the person using the
res illegally is the owner of rightful possessor of it the forfeiture
proceeding is in the nature of a punishment. They have been held
to be so far in the nature of
criminal proceedings that a general verdict on several counts in an
information is upheld if one count is good. According to the

authorities such proceedings, where the owner of the property

appears, are so far considered as quasicriminal proceedings as to
relieve the owner from being a witness against himself and to
prevent the compulsory production of his books and papers. . . ."
(23 Am. Jur. 612)
.
Proceedings for forfeitures are generally considered to be civil
and in the nature of proceedings in rem. The statute providing that
no judgment or other proceedings in civil causes shall be arrested
or reversed for any defect or want of form is applicable to them. In
some aspects, however, suits for penalties and forfeitures are of
quasi-criminal nature and within the reason of criminal
proceedings for all the purposes of . . . that portion of the Fifth
Amendment which declares that no person shall be compelled in
any criminal case to be a witness against himself. The proceeding
is one against the owner, as well as against the goods; for it is his
breach of the laws which has to be proved to establish the
forfeiture and his property is sought to be forfeited." (15 Am. Jur.,
Sec. 104, p. 368)[50]

Cabal v. Kapunan modified the earlier ruling in Almeda, Sr. v. Perez.

[51]
The Court in Cabal held that the doctrine laid down
in Almeda refers to the purely procedural aspect of the forfeiture
proceedings and has no bearing on the substantial rights of
respondents, particularly their constitutional right against selfincrimination.[52] This was reaffirmed and reiterated in
Republic v. Agoncillo[53] and Katigbak v. Solicitor General.[54]
The Sandiganbayan is vested with jurisdiction over violations
of R.A. No. 1379, entitled An Act Declaring Forfeiture In Favor of the
State Any Property Found to Have Been Unlawfully Acquired By Any
Public Officer or Employee and Providing For the Proceedings
Therefor. What acts would constitute a violation of such a law? A

reading of R.A. No. 1379 establishes that it does not enumerate any
prohibited acts the commission of which would necessitate the
imposition of a penalty. Instead, it provides the procedure for
forfeiture to be followed in case a public officer or employee has
acquired during his incumbency an amount of property manifestly
out of proportion to his salary as such public officer or employee
and to his lawful income and income from legitimately acquired
property.[55] Section 12[56] of the law provides a penalty but it is only
imposed upon the public officer or employee who transfers or
conveys the unlawfully acquired property; it does not penalize the
officer or employee for making the unlawful acquisition. In effect, as
observed in Almeda, Sr. v. Perez, it imposes the penalty of forfeiture
of the properties unlawfully acquired upon the respondent public
officer or employee.[57]
It is logically congruent, therefore, that violations of R.A. No. 1379
are placed under the jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan, even
though the proceeding is civil in nature, since the forfeiture of the
illegally acquired property amounts to a penalty. The soundness of
this reasoning becomes even more obvious when we consider that
the respondent in such forfeiture proceedings is a public officer or
employee and the violation of R.A. No. 1379 was committed during
the respondent officer or employees incumbency and in relation to
his office. This is in line with the purpose behind the creation of the
Sandiganbayan as an anti-graft courtto address the urgent problem
of dishonesty in public service.[58]
Following the same analysis, petitioner should therefore abandon
his erroneous belief that the Sandiganbayan has jurisdiction only
over petitions for forfeiture filed against President Marcos, his family
and cronies.
We come then to the question of authority of the Office of the
Ombudsman to investigate, file and

prosecute petitions for forfeiture under R.A. No. 1379. This was the
main issue resolved in Republic v. Sandiganbayan.[59]
Under Sec. 2 of R.A. No. 1379, it was the Solicitor General who
was authorized to initiate forfeiture proceedings before the then
Courts of First Instance. P.D. No. Decree No. 1486 was later issued
on 11 June 1978 vesting the Sandiganbayan with jurisdiction over
R.A. No. 1379 forfeiture proceedings. Sec. 12 of P.D. No. 1486 gave
the Chief Special Prosecutor the authority to file and prosecute
forfeiture cases. This may be taken as an implied repeal by P.D. No.
1486 of the jurisdiction of the former Courts of First Instance and
the authority of the Solicitor General to file a petition for forfeiture
under Sec. 2 of R.A. No. 1379 by transferring said jurisdiction and
authority to the Sandiganbayan and the Chief Special Prosecutor,
respectively.[60] An implied repeal is one which takes place when a
new law contains some provisions which are contrary to, but do not
expressly repeal those of a former law. [61] As a rule, repeals by
implication are not favored and will not be so declared unless it be
manifest that the legislature so intended. Before such repeal is
deemed to exist, it must be shown that the statutes or statutory
provisions deal with the same subject matter and that the latter be
inconsistent with the former. The language used in the latter statute
must be such as to render it irreconcilable with what had been
formerly enacted. An inconsistency that falls short of that standard
does not suffice. What is needed is a manifest indication of the
legislative purpose to repeal.[62]
P.D. No. 1486 contains a repealing clause which provides that
[A]ny provision of law, order, rule or regulation inconsistent with the
provisions of this Decree is hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
[63]
This is not an express repealing clause because it fails to identify
or designate the statutes that are intended to be repealed. Rather, it

is a clause which predicates the intended repeal upon the condition

that a substantial conflict must be found in existing and prior laws.
[64]

The conflict between P.D. No. 1486 and R.A. No. 1379 refers to
the jurisdiction over the forfeiture proceeding and the authority to
file the petition for forfeiture. As P.D. No. 1486 grants exclusive
jurisdiction and authority to the Sandiganbayan and the Chief
Special Prosecutor, the then Courts of First Instance and Solicitor
General cannot exercise concurrent jurisdiction or authority over
such cases. Hence, P.D. No. 1486 and Sec. 2, R.A. No. 1379 are
inconsistent with each other and the former should be deemed to
have repealed the latter.
On 11 June 1978, the same day that P.D. No. 1486 was enacted,
P.D. No. 1487[65] creating the Office of the Ombudsman (then known
as the Tanodbayan) was passed. The Tanodbayan initially had no
authority to prosecute cases falling within the jurisdiction of the
Sandiganbayan as provided in Sec. 4 of P.D. No. 1486, such
jurisdiction being vested in the Chief Special Prosecutor as earlier
mentioned.
On 10 December 1978, P.D. No. 1606 was enacted expressly
repealing P.D. No. 1486. Issued on the same date was P.D. No.
1607[66] which amended the powers of the Tanodbayan to investigate
administrative complaints[67] and created the Office of the Chief
Special Prosecutor.[68] P.D. No. 1607 provided said Office of the Chief
Special Prosecutor with exclusive authority to conduct preliminary
investigation of all cases cognizable by the Sandiganbayan, file
informations therefor, and direct and control the prosecution of said
cases.[69] P.D. No. 1607 also removed from the Chief Special
Prosecutor the authority to file actions for forfeiture under R.A. No.
1379.[70]

The rule is that when a law which expressly repeals a prior law
is itself repealed, the law first repealed shall not be thereby revived
unless expressly so provided. From this it may fairly be inferred
that the old rule continues in force where a law which repeals a
prior law, not expressly but by implication, is itself repealed; and
that in such cases the repeal of the repealing law revives the prior
law, unless the language of the repealing statute provides otherwise.
[71]
Hence, the repeal of P.D. No. 1486 by P.D. No. 1606 necessarily
revived the authority of the Solicitor General to file a petition for
forfeiture under R.A. No. 1379, but not the jurisdiction of the
Courts of First Instance over the case nor the authority of the
Provincial or City Fiscals (now Prosecutors) to conduct the
preliminary investigation therefore, since said powers at that time
remained in the Sandiganbayan and the Chief Special Prosecutor. [72]
The Tanodbayans authority was further expanded by P.D. No.
1630[73] issued on 18 July 1990. Among other things, the
Tanodbayan was given the exclusive authority to conduct
preliminary investigation of all cases cognizable by the
Sandiganbayan, to file informations therefore and to direct and
control the prosecution of said cases. [74] The power to conduct the
necessary investigation and to file and prosecute the corresponding
criminal and administrative cases before the Sandiganbayan or the
proper court or administrative agency against any public personnel
who has acted in a manner warranting criminal and disciplinary
action or proceedings was also transferred from the Chief Special
Prosecutor to the Tanodbayan.[75]
Thereafter, P.D. No. 1606 was amended by P.D. Nos. 1860 and
1861[76] which granted the Tanodbayan the same authority. The
present Constitution was subsequently ratified and then the
Tanodbayan became known as the Office of the Special Prosecutor
which continued to exercise its powers except those conferred on
the Office of the Ombudsman created under the Constitution. [77]The

Office of the Ombudsman was officially created under R.A. No.

6770.[78]
At present, the powers of the Ombudsman, as defined by R.A. No.
6770, corollary to Sec. 13, Art. XI of the Constitution, include the
authority, among others, to:
(1) Investigate and prosecute on its own or on complaint by
any person, any act or omission of any public officer or employee,
office or agency, when such act or omission appears to be illegal,
unjust, improper or inefficient. It has primary jurisdiction over
cases cognizable by the Sandiganbayan and, in the exercise of this
primary jurisdiction, may take over, at any stage, from any
investigatory agency of Government, the investigation of such
cases;[79]
(11) Investigate and initiate the proper action for the recovery
of ill-gotten and/or unexplained wealth amassed after 25 February
1986 and the prosecution of the parties involved therein.[80]

Ostensibly, it is the Ombudsman who should file the petition

for forfeiture under R.A. No. 1379. However, the Ombudsmans
exercise of the correlative powers to investigate and initiate the
proper action for recovery of ill-gotten and/or unexplained wealth is
restricted only to cases for the recovery of ill-gotten and/or
unexplained wealth amassed after 25 February 1986.[81] As regards
such wealth accumulated on or before said date, the Ombudsman
is without authority to commence before the Sandiganbayan such
forfeiture actionsince the authority to file forfeiture proceedings on
or before 25
February
1986
belongs
to
the
Solicitor
Generalalthough he has the authority to investigate such cases for
forfeiture even before 25 February 1986, pursuant to the
Ombudsmans general investigatory power under Sec. 15 (1) of R.A.
No. 6770.[82]
It is obvious then that respondent Office of the Ombudsman
acted well within its authority in conducting the investigation of

petitioners illegally acquired assets and in filing the petition for

forfeiture against him. The contention that the procedural
requirements under Sec. 2 of R.A. No. 1379 were not complied with
no longer deserve consideration in view of the foregoing discussion.
Now to the charge that petitioner is guilty of forum-shopping.
Forum-shopping is manifest whenever a party repetitively avail[s] of
several judicial remedies in different courts, simultaneously or
successively, all substantially founded on the same transactions
and the same essential facts and circumstances, and all raising
substantially the same issues either pending in, or already resolved
adversely by, some other court.[83] It has also been defined as an act
of a party against whom an adverse judgment has been rendered in
one forum of seeking and possibly getting a favorable opinion in
another forum, other than by appeal or the special civil action of
certiorari, or the institution of two or more actions or proceedings
grounded on the same cause on the supposition that one or the
other court would make a favorable disposition. [84] Considered a
pernicious evil, it adversely affects the efficient administration of
justice since it clogs the court dockets, unduly burdens the
financial and human resources of the judiciary, and trifles with and
mocks judicial processes.[85] Willful and deliberate forum-shopping
is a ground for summary dismissal of the complaint or initiatory
pleading with prejudice and constitutes direct contempt of court, as
well as a cause for administrative sanctions, which may both be
resolved and imposed in the same case where the forum-shopping
is found.[86]
There is ample reason to hold that petitioner is guilty of forumshopping. The present petition was filed accompanied by the
requisite Verification and Certification Against Forum Shopping [87] in
which petitioner made the following representation:
.

3.] As Petitioner, I have not heretofore commenced any other action

or proceeding in the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, or
any other tribunal or agency, involving the same issues as that
in the above-captioned case.
4.] To the best of my knowledge, no such action or proceeding is
pending in the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, or any
other tribunal or agency.
5.] If I should hereafter learn that such proceeding has been
commenced or is pending before the Supreme Court, the Court
of Appeals, or any other tribunal or agency, I undertake to
report that fact to this Honorable Court within five (5) days from
knowledge thereof.

However, petitioner failed to inform the Court that he had filed

a Motion to Dismiss[88] in relation to the petition for forfeiture before
the Sandiganbayan. The existence of this motion was only brought
to the attention of this Court by respondent Office of the
Ombudsman in its Comment. A scrutiny of the Motion to
Dismiss reveals that petitioner raised substantially the same issues
and prayed for the same reliefs therein as it has in the instant
petition. In fact, the Arguments and Discussion[89] in the Petition of
petitioners thesis that the Sandiganbayan has no jurisdiction over
separate civil actions for forfeiture of unlawfully acquired properties
appears to be wholly lifted from the Motion to Dismiss. The only
difference between the two is that in the Petition, petitioner raises
the ground of failure of the petition for forfeiture to comply with the
procedural requirements of R.A. No. 1379, and petitioner prays for
the annulment of the Sandiganbayans Resolution dated 29 October
2004 and Writ of Preliminary Attachment dated 2 November 2004.
Nevertheless,
these
differences
are
only
superficial.
Both Petition and Motion to Dismiss have the same intent of
dismissing the case for forfeiture filed against petitioner, his wife

and their sons. It is undeniable that petitioner had failed to fulfill

his undertaking. This is incontestably forum-shopping which is
reason enough to dismiss the petition outright, without prejudice to
the taking of appropriate action against the counsel and party
concerned.[90] The brazenness of this attempt at forum-shopping is
even demonstrated by the fact that both the Petition and Motion to
Dismiss were filed on the same day, 17 November 2004. Petitioner
should have waited for the resolution of his Motion to Dismiss before
resorting to the petition at hand.

Petitioners counsel of record, Atty. Constantino B. De Jesus,

needs to be reminded that his primary duty is to assist the courts
in the administration of justice. As an officer of the court, his duties
to the court are more significant and important than his obligations
to his clients. Any conduct which tends to delay, impede or obstruct
the administration thereof contravenes his oath of office. [91]Atty. De
Jesus failed to accord due regard, as he must, the tenets of the legal
profession and the mission of our courts of justice. For this, he
should be penalized. Penalties imposed upon lawyers who engaged
in forum-shopping range from severe censure to suspension from
the practice of law.[92] In the instant case, we deem the imposition of
a fine in the amount of P20,000.00 to be sufficient to make Atty. De
Jesus realize the seriousness of his naked abuse of the judicial
process.
WHEREFORE, in view of the foregoing, the Petition is DISMISSED.
Atty. Constantino B. De Jesus is DECLARED in CONTEMPT of this
Court and meted a fine of Twenty Thousand Pesos (P20,000.00) to
be paid within ten (10) days from the finality of this Decision. Costs
against petitioner.

SO ORDERED.
DANTE O. TINGA
Associate Justice

WE CONCUR:

HILARIO G. DAVIDE, JR.

Chief Justice

REYNATO S. PUNO
Associate Justice

ARTEMIO V. PANGANIBAN
Associate Justice

LEONARDO A. QUISUMBING
Associate Justice

CONSUELO YNARES-SANTIAGO
Associate Justice

ANGELINA SANDOVAL-GUTIERREZ
Associate Justice

ANTONIO T. CARPIO
Associate Justice

MA. ALICIA AUSTRIA-MARTINEZ

Associate Justice

RENATO C. CORONA
Associate Justice

CONCHITA CARPIO-MORALES
Associate Justice

ROMEO J. CALLEJO, SR.

Associate Justice

ADOLFO S. AZCUNA
Associate Justice

MINITA V. CHICO-NAZARIO
Associate Justice

CANCIO C. GARCIA
Associate Justice

CERTIFICATION
Pursuant to Article VIII, Section 13 of the Constitution, it is hereby
certified that the conclusions in the above decision were reached in
consultation before the case was assigned to the writer of the
opinion of the Court.

HILARIO G. DAVIDE, JR.

Chief Justice

[1]

Approved by Associate Justices Greory S. Ong, Jose R. Hernandez, and Rodolfo A.

Ponferrada of the Fourth Division. Rollo, pp. 35-39.
Id. at 41-42.

[2]

[3]

Code of Conduct of Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees; 20 February

1989.
[4]

An Act Declaring Forfeiture In Favor of the State Any Property Found to Have Been
Unlawfully Acquired By Any Public Officer or Employee and Providing for the Proceedings
Therefor; 18 June 1955.
[5]

Based on the same Complaint, Case No. OMB-P-A-04-093501 for Dishonesty, Grave
Misconduct and Conduct Prejudicial to the Best Interest of the Service was also filed against
petitioner. Petitioner further avers that on 21 October 2004, Atty. Roxas filed another complaint
against him with the same respondent Office of the Ombudsman, charging dishonesty, conduct
unbecoming of a public officer under E.O. No. 292, perjury under Art. 183 of the Revised Penal
Code and violation of R.A. No. 3019. Based on this complaint, Case No. OMB-P-C-04-1230-J
for Violation of Art. 183 of the Revised Penal Code and Violation of R.A. No. 3019 was filed
against petitioner, his wife, and three sons. Case No. OMB-P-A-04-1030-J was filed against
petitioner alone for Dishonesty, Grave Misconduct, and Conduct Unbecoming of a Public Officer
under E.O. 292. In addition, four Informations for perjury were also filed with public
respondent Sandiganbayan against petitioner. Rollo, pp. 9-12.
Id. at 59-87.

[6]

Id. at 61.

[7]

Id. at 915-938. At the time of filing of respondent Office of the Ombudsmans

Comment on 7 December 2004, the Motion to Dismisswas still pending. Id. at 581. At the time
of the promulgation of this decision, it could not be determined from the records if the Motion
to Dismiss had already been resolved.
[8]

[9]

Sec. 2. Filing of petition.Whenever any public officer or employee has acquired during
his incumbency an amount of property which is manifestly out of proportion to his salary as

such public officer or employee and to his other lawful income and the income from legitimately
acquired property, said property shall be presumed prima facie to have been unlawfully
acquired. The Solicitor General, upon complaint by any taxpayer to the city or provincial fiscal
who shall conduct a previous inquiry similar to preliminary investigations in criminal cases
and shall certify to the Solicitor General that there is reasonable ground to believe that there
has been committed a violation of this Act and the respondent is probably guilty thereof, shall
file, in the name and on behalf of the Republic of the Philippines, in the Court of First Instance
of the city or province where said public officer or employee resides or holds office, a petition for
a writ commanding said officer or employee to show cause why the property aforesaid, or any
part thereof, should not be declared property of the State: Provided, That no such petition shall
be filed within one year before any general election or within three months before any special
election.
.
[10]

Revising Presidential Decree No. 1486 Creating A Special Court to be Known As

Sandiganbayan and For Other Purposes; 10 December 1978.
[11]

Defining the Jurisdiction Over Cases Involving the Ill-gotten Wealth of Former
President Ferdinand E. Marcos, Mrs. Imelda R. Marcos, Members of the Immediate Family,
Close Relatives, Subordinates, Close and/or Business Associates, Dummies, Agents and
Nominees; 7 May 1986.
[12]

Amending Executive Order No. 14; 18 August 1986.

[13]

Rollo, pp. 13-27.

See note 9.

[14]

[15]

Rollo, p. 29.

[16]

Dated 24 January 2005. Rollo, pp. 1483-1498.

[17]

G.R. No. 90529, 16 August 1991, 200 SCRA 667.

Rollo, p. 1489, citing Republic v. Sandiganbayan, id. at 676.

[18]

[19]

Art. XI, Sec. 4: The present anti-graft court known as the Sandiganbayan shall
continue to function and exercise its jurisdiction as now or hereafter may be provided by law.
The 1973 Constitution, Art. XIII, Sec. 5, provided for the creation of a special court
known as the Sandiganbayan and defined the jurisdiction thereof. It states: The National
Assembly shall create a special court, to be known as Sandiganbayan, which shall have
jurisdiction over criminal and civil cases involving graft and corrupt practices and such other
offenses committed by public officers and employees, including those in government-owned or
controlled corporations, in relation to their office as may be determined by law."
[20]

.c. Civil and Criminal cases filed pursuant to and in connection with Executive
Orders Nos. 1, 2, 14, and 14-A, issued in 1986.

Rollo, p. 1493, citing Almeda, Sr. v. Perez, 5 SCRA 970 (1962); Cabal v. Kapunan, 6
SCRA 1059 (1962); Republic v. Agoncillo, 40 SCRA 579 (1971); and Republic v.
Sandiganbayan, supra.
[21]

Id. at 564-584.

[22]

[23]

An Act to Strengthen the Functional and Structural Organization of the

Sandiganbayan, Amending for that Purpose Presidential Decree No. 1606, as Amended; 30
March 1995.
[24]
An Act Further Defining the Jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan, Amending for the
Purpose Presidential Decree No. 1606, as Amended, Providing Funds Therefor, and for Other
Purposes; 5 February 1997.
Id. at 572-573.

[25]

[26]

CONSTITUTION, Art. XI, Sec. 13, par. (1).

[27]

The Ombudsman Act of 1989; 17 November 1989.

Sec. 15. Powers, Functions and Duties.The Office of the Ombudsman shall have the
following powers, functions and duties: (11) Investigate and initiate the proper action for the
recovery of ill-gotten wealth and/or unexplained wealth amassed after February 25, 1986 and
the prosecution of the parties involved therein.
[28]

[29]

Rollo, pp. 573-577.

Id. at 577-579.

[30]

Id. at 1470 to 1480.

[31]

Id. at 1511-1518.

[32]

Supra note 17.

[33]

[34]

Creating a Special Court to be Known as Sandiganbayan and for Other Purposes;

11 June 1978.
Id., Sec. 4, which reads:
SECTION 4. Jurisdiction.Except as herein provided, the Sandiganbayan shall have
original and exclusive jurisdiction to try and decide:
(a) Violations of Republic Act No. 3019, as amended, otherwise known as the AntiGraft and Corrupt Practices Act and Republic Act No. 1379;
(b) Crimes committed by public officers or employees, including those employed in
government-owned or controlled corporations, embraced in Title VII of the Revised Penal
Code;
(c) Other crimes or offenses committed by public officers or employees including
those employed in government-owned or controlled corporations in relation to their
[35]

office; Provided, that, in case private individuals are accused as principals, accomplices
or accessories in the commission of the crimes hereinabove mentioned, they shall be
tried jointly with the public officers or employees concerned.
Where the accused is charged of an offense in relation to his office and the evidence
is insufficient to establish the offense so charged, he may nevertheless be convicted and
sentenced for the offense included in that which is charged.
(d) Civil suits brought in connection with the aforementioned crimes for restitution
or reparation of damages, recovery of the instruments and effects of the crimes, or
forfeiture proceedings provided for under Republic Act No. 1379;
(e) Civil actions brought under Articles 32 and 34 of the Civil Code.
Exception from the foregoing provisions during the period of material law are
criminal cases against officers and members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines,
and all others who fall under the exclusive jurisdiction of the military tribunals.
See note 10.

[36]

[37]

Sec. 4 of P.D. No. 1606 reads:

SECTION 4. Jurisdiction. The Sandiganbayan shall have jurisdiction over:

(a) Violations of Republic Act No. 3019, as amended, otherwise, known as the AntiGraft and Corrupt Practices Act, and Republic Act No. 1379;
(b) Crimes committed by public officers and employees including those employed in
government-owned or controlled corporations, embraced in Title VII of the Revised Penal
Code, whether simple or complexed with other crimes; and
(c) Other crimes or offenses committed by public officers or employees, including
those employed in government-owned or controlled corporations, in relation to their
office.
The jurisdiction herein conferred shall be original and exclusive if the offense
charged is punishable by a penalty higher than prision correccional, or its equivalent,
except as herein provided; in other offenses, it shall be concurrent with the regular
courts.
In case private individuals are charged as co-principals, accomplices or accessories
with the public officers or employees including those employed in government-owned or
controlled corporations, they shall be tried jointly with said public officers and
employees.
Where an accused is tried for any of the above offenses and the evidence is
insufficient to establish the offense charged, he may nevertheless be convicted and
sentenced for the offense proved, included in that which is charged.
Any provision of law or the Rules of Court to the contrary notwithstanding, the
criminal action and the corresponding civil action for the recovery of civil liability
arising from the offense charged shall at all times be simultaneously instituted with,
and jointly determined in the same proceeding by, the Sandiganbayan, the filing of the
criminal action being deemed to necessarily carry with it the filing of the civil action,
and no right to reserve the filing of such action shall be recognized; Provided, however,
that, in cases within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan, where the civil
action had theretofore been filed separately with a regular court but judgment therein
has not yet been rendered and the criminal case is hereafter filed with the
Sandiganbayan, said civil action shall be transferred to the Sandiganbayan for

consolidation and joint determination with the criminal action, otherwise, the criminal
action may no longer be filed with the Sandiganbayan, its exclusive jurisdiction over the
same notwithstanding, but may be filed and prosecuted only in the regular courts of
competent jurisdiction; Provided, further, that, in cases within the concurrent
jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan and the regular courts, where either the criminal or
civil action is first filed with the regular courts, the corresponding civil or criminal
action, as the case may be, shall only be filed with the regular courts of competent
jurisdiction.
Excepted from the foregoing provisions, during martial law, are criminal cases
against officers and members of the armed forces in the active service.
Id. See also Republic v. Sandiganabayan, supra note 17 at 675.

[38]

[39]

The Judiciary Reorganization Act of 1980; 14 August 1981. Sec. 20 thereof

provides: Sec. 20. Jurisdiction in criminal cases. - Regional Trial Courts shall exercise
exclusive original jurisdiction in all criminal cases not within the exclusive jurisdiction of any
court, tribunal or body, except those now falling under the exclusive and concurrent
jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan which shall hereafter be exclusively taken cognizance of by
the latter.
[40]

Amending the Pertinent Provisions of Presidential Decree No. 1606 and Batas
Pambansa Blg. 129 Relative to the Jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan and for Other Purposes;
14 January 1983. Sec. 1 thereof reads:
SECTION 1. Section 4 of Presidential Decree No. 1606 is hereby amended to read as
follows:
"Sec. 4. Jurisdiction. The Sandiganbayan shall have jurisdiction over:
"(a) Violations of Republic Act No. 3019, as amended, otherwise known as the AntiGraft and Corrupt Practices Act, and Republic Act No. 1379;
"(b) Crimes committed by public officers and employees, including those employed in
government-owned or controlled corporations, embraced in Title VII of the Revised Penal
Code, whether simple or complexed with other crimes; and
"(c) Other crimes or offenses committed by public officers or employees, including
those employed in government-owned or controlled corporations, in relation to their
office.
"The jurisdiction herein conferred shall be original and exclusive if the offense
charged is punishable by a penalty higher than prision correccional or its equivalent. In
all other offenses, original and exclusive jurisdiction shall vest in the appropriate court
in accordance with the provisions of Batas Pambansa Blg. 129.
"In case private individuals are charged as co-principals, accomplices or accessories
together with the public officers or employees, including those employed in governmentowned or controlled corporations, they shall be tried jointly with said public officers and
employees.
"Where an accused is tried of any of the above offenses and the evidence is
insufficient to establish the offense charged, he may nevertheless be convicted of and
sentenced for the offense proved, included in that which is charged.
"Any provision of law or the Rules of Court to the contrary notwithstanding, the
criminal action and the corresponding civil action for the recovery of civil liability

arising from the offense charged shall at all times be simultaneously instituted with,
and jointly determined in the same proceeding by, the Sandiganbayan or the
appropriate court. The filing of the criminal action shall be deemed to necessarily carry
with it the filing of the civil action, and no right to reserve the filing of such civil action
separately from the criminal action shall be recognized; PROVIDED, however, That, in
cases within the exclusive original jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan, where the civil
action had been filed separately with a regular court but judgment therein has not been
rendered and the criminal case is hereafter filed with the Sandiganbayan, said civil
action shall be transferred to the Sandiganbayan for consolidation and joint
determination with the criminal action, otherwise, the criminal action may no longer be
filed with the Sandiganbayan, its exclusive jurisdiction over the same notwithstanding,
but may be filed and prosecuted only in the regular courts of competent jurisdiction."
[41]

Amending the Pertinent Provisions of Presidential Decree No. 1606 and Batas
Pambansa Blg. 129 Relative to the Jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan and for Other Purposes;
23 March 1983. Section 1 thereof states:
SECTION 1. Section 4 of Presidential Decree No. 1606 is hereby amended to read as
follows:
"Sec. 4. Jurisdiction. The Sandiganbayan shall exercise:
"(a) Exclusive original jurisdiction in all cases involving:
(1) Violations of Republic Act No. 3019, as amended, otherwise known as the
Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, Republic Act No. 1379, and Chapter II,
Section 2, Title VII of the Revised Penal Code;
(2) Other offenses or felonies committed by public officers and employees in
relation to their office, including those employed in government-owned or controlled
corporations, whether simple or complexed with other crimes, where the penalty
prescribed by law is higher than prision correccional or imprisonment for six (6)
years, or a fine of P6,000.00: PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that offenses or felonies
mentioned in this paragraph where the penalty prescribed by law does not exceed
prision correccional or imprisonment for six (6) years or a fine of P6,000.00 shall be
tried by the proper Regional Trial Court, Metropolitan Trial Court, Municipal Trial
Court and Municipal Circuit Trial Court.
"(b) Exclusive appellate jurisdiction:
(1) On appeal, from the final judgments, resolutions or orders of the Regional
Trial Courts in cases originally decided by them in their respective territorial
jurisdiction.
(2) By petition for review, from the final judgments, resolutions or orders of the
Regional Trial Courts in the exercise of their appellate jurisdiction over cases
originally decided by the Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts and
Municipal Circuit Trial Courts, in their respective jurisdiction.
"The procedure prescribed in Batas Pambansa Blg. 129, as well as the implementing
rules the Supreme Court has promulgated and may hereinafter promulgate, relative to
appeals/petitions for review to the Intermediate Appellate Court shall apply to appeals
and petitions for review filed with the Sandiganbayan. In all cases elevated to the
Sandiganbayan, the Office of the Tanodbayan shall represent the People of the
Philippines.

"In case private individuals are charged as co-principals, accomplices or accessories

with the public officers or employees, including those employed in government-owned or
controlled corporations, they shall be tried jointly with said public officers and
employees.
"Any provision of law or the Rules of Court to the contrary notwithstanding, the
criminal action and the corresponding civil action for the recovery of civil liability
arising from the offense charged shall at all times be simultaneously instituted with,
and jointly determined in the same proceeding by the Sandiganbayan or the appropriate
courts, the filing of the criminal action being deemed to necessarily carry with it the
filing of the civil action, and no right to reserve the filing of such civil action separately
from the criminal action shall be recognized: PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that where the
civil action had heretofore been filed separately but judgment therein has not yet been
rendered, and the criminal case is hereafter filed with the Sandiganbayan or the
appropriate court, said civil action shall be transferred to the Sandiganbayan or the
appropriate court, as the case maybe, for consolidation and joint determination with the
criminal action, otherwise the separate civil action shall be considered abandoned."
Republic v. Sandiganbayan, supra note 17 at 674-676.

[42]

See note 23.

[43]

See note 24.

[44]

[45]

R.A. No. 8249, Sec. 4.

Republic v. Sandiganbayan, supra note 17 at 681.

[46]

116 Phil. 120 (1962), cited in Republic v. Sandiganbayan, Ferdinand E. Marcos, et. al.,
G.R. No. 152154, 18 November 2003, 416 SCRA 133, 142.
[47]

Ibid.

[48]

[49]

116 Phil. 1361 (1962).

Id. at 1366-1367.

[50]

See note 47.

[51]

Id. at 1369.

[52]

[53]

148-B Phil. 366 (1971).

[54]

G.R. No. 19328, 22 December 1989, 180 SCRA 540.

See Sec. 2, R.A. 1379, supra note 9.

[55]

[56]

SECTION 12. Penalties.Any public officer or employee who shall, after the effective
date of this Act, transfer or convey any unlawfully acquired property shall be repressed with

imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years, or a fine not exceeding ten thousand pesos,
or both such imprisonment and fine. The same repression shall be imposed upon any person
who shall knowingly accept such transfer or conveyance.
Supra note 47 at 126.

[57]

See 1973 CONSTITUTION, Art. XIII,

Sandiganbayan, 197 Phil. 407, 420-421 (1982).
[58]

Sec.

5, supra note

19. See

also Nuez

v.

Supra note 17.

[59]

Republic v. Sandiganbayan, supra note 17 at 683.

[60]

School District No. 45 v. Board of Country Comira, 141 Kan. 108, cited in R. MARTIN,
STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION (1979) 171.
[61]

[62]

Villegas v. Subido, 148-B Phil. 668, 675-676 (1971).

[63]

P.D. No. 1486, Sec. 16.

[64]

Iloilo Palay and Corn Planters Assoc., Inc. v. Feliciano, 121 Phil. 358 (1965).

[65]

Creating The Office Of The Ombudsman, To Be Known As Tanodbayan.

[66]

Revising Presidential Decree No. 1487 Creating The Office Of The Ombudsman, To Be
Known As Tanodbayan.
[67]

Sec. 10. Powers. The Tanodbayan shall have the following powers:
(a) He may investigate, on complaint by any person or on his own motion or initiative,
any administrative act whether amounting to any criminal offense or not of any administrative
agency including any government-owned or controlled corporation;
(b) He shall prescribe the methods by which complaints are to be made, received, and
acted upon; he may determine the scope and manner of investigations to be made; and, subject
to the requirements of this Decree, he may determine the form, frequency, and distribution of
his conclusions and recommendations;
(c) He may request and shall be given by each administrative agency the assistance and
information he deems necessary to the discharge of his responsibilities; he may examine the
records and documents of all administrative agencies; and he may enter and inspect premises
within any administrative agency's control, provided, however, that where the President in
writing certifies that such information, examination or inspection might prejudice the national
interest, the Tanodbayan shall desist. All information so obtained shall be confidential, unless
the President, in the interest of public service, decides otherwise;
(d) He may issue a subpoena to compel any person to appear, give sworn to testimony,
or produce documentary or other evidence the Tanodbayan deems relevant to a matter under
his inquiry;
(e) He may undertake, participate in, cooperate with general studies or inquiries,
whether or not related to any particular administrative agency or any particular administrative

act; if he believes that they may enhance knowledge about or lead to improvements in the
functioning of administrative agencies.
[68]

Sec. 17. Office of the Chief Special Prosecutor. There is hereby created in the Office of
the Tanodbayan an Office of the Chief Special Prosecutor composed of a Chief Special
Prosecutor, an Assistant Chief Special Prosecutor, and nine (9) Special Prosecutors, who shall
have the same qualifications as provincial and city fiscals and who shall be appointed by the
President; .
The Chief Special Prosecutor, the Assistant Chief Special Prosecutor, and the Special
Prosecutors shall have the exclusive authority to conduct preliminary investigation of all cases
cognizable by the Sandiganbayan; to file informations thereof and to direct and control the
prosecution of said cases therein; .
The Chief Special Prosecutor, Assistant State Prosecutor, Special Prosecutor and those
designated to assist them as herein provided for shall be under the control and supervision of
the Tanodbayan and their resolutions and actions shall not be subject to review by any
administrative agency.
.
Sec. 19. Prosecution of Public Personnel or Other person.If the Tanodbayan has reason
to believe that any public official, employee, or other person has acted in a manner warranting
criminal or disciplinary action or proceedings, he shall cause him to be investigated by the
Office of the Chief Special Prosecutor who shall file and prosecute the corresponding criminal
or administrative case before the Sandiganbayan or the proper court or before the proper
administrative agency. In case of failure of justice, the Sandiganbayan shall make the
appropriate recommendations to the administrative agency concerned.
Id.

[69]

Id. On the premise that a forfeiture proceeding under R.A. No. 1379 is a civil action in

[70]

rem.
[71]

United States v. Soliman, 36

Sandiganbayan, supra note 17 at 683-684.

Phil.

5,

10-11

(1917), cited

in Republic

v.

Republic v. Sandiganbayan, supra note 17 at 684.

[72]

[73]

Further Revising Presidential Decree No. 1487, As Revised By Presidential Decree No.
1607, Creating The Office Of The Tanodbayan.
[74]

P.D. No. 1630, Sec. 17: Sec. 17. Investigation and Prosecution of Cases. The Office of
the Tanodbayan shall have the exclusive authority to conduct preliminary investigation of all
cases cognizable by the Sandiganbayan; to file information therefor and to direct and control
the prosecution of said cases. The Tanodbayan may utilize the personnel of his office and/or
with the approval of the President, designate or deputize any fiscal, state prosecutor or lawyer
in the government service to act as special investigator or prosecutor to assist him in the
investigation and prosecution of said cases. Those designated or deputized to assist him as
herein provided shall be under his supervision and control.

[75]

Sec. 18. Prosecution of Public Personnel or Other Person.If the Tanodbayan has
reason to believe that any public official, employee, or other person has acted in a manner
warranting criminal or disciplinary action or proceedings, he shall conduct the necessary
investigation and shall file and prosecute the corresponding criminal or administrative case
before the Sandiganbayan or the proper court or before the proper administrative agency.
See notes 38 and 39.

[76]

[77]

Art. XI, Sec. 7.

[78]

17 November 1989.

[79]

R.A. No. 6770, Sec. 15(1).

Id., Sec. 15 (11).

[80]

Id.

[81]

Republic v. Sandiganbayan, supra note 17 at 682-683.

[82]

[83]

Gatmaytan v. Court of Appeals, 335 Phil. 155, 167 (1997).

[84]

Sto. Tomas University Hospital v. Surla, 355 Phil. 804, 813 (1998).

[85]

Progressive Development Corporation, Inc. v. Court of Appeals, 361 Phil. 566, 584

(1999).
[86]

Rule 7, Sec. 5, Revised Rules of Civil Procedure; Top Rate Construction and General
Services, Inc. v. Paxton Development Corporation, G.R. No. 151081, 11 September 2003, 410
SCRA 604, 620-621.
[87]

Rollo, p. 32.
See note 8.

[88]

[89]

Rollo, pp. 13- 28.

Gatmaytan v. CA, supra note 83.

[90]

[91]

Top Rate Construction

Corporation, supra note 86 at 621.
[92]

and

General

Services,

Inc.

v.

Paxton

Development

Benguet Electrical Cooperative, Inc., v. National Electrification Administration, G.R.

No. 93924, 23 January 1991, 193 SCRA 250; Vda. de Tolentino v. De Guzman, G.R. No. 61756,
19 April 1989, 171 SCRA 555; E. Razon, Inc. v. Philippine Ports Authority, G.R. No. 75197, 31
July 1986 [unreported Resolution].