Case Digest Miriam Santiago v. Sandiganbayan

G. R.NO. DATEDECI DED CASETOPI C PONENTE

:G. R.No.128055 :Apr i l18,2001 :DI SCI PLI NEOFMEMBERS :VI TUG,J.

FACTS  TheCour ti scal l edupont or evi ewt heactoft heSandi ganbayan,andhowf ari tcango,i n or der i ngt hepr event i v esuspensi onofpet i t i oner ,Mme.Senat orMi r i am Def ensor Sant i ago,i n connect i onwi t hpendi ngcr i mi nalcasesf i l edagai nstherf oral l egedvi ol at i onofRepubl i cActNo. 3019,asamended,ot her wi seknownast heAnt i Gr af tandCor r uptPr act i cesAct .  Thei ns t antcasear osef r om compl ai nt sf i l edbyagr oupofempl oyeesoft heCommi ssi onof I mmi gr at i onandDepor t at i on( CI D)agai nstpet i t i oner ,t henCI DCommi ssi oner ,f oral l eged vi ol at i onoft heAnt i Gr af tandCor r uptPr act i cesAct .Thei nvest i gat i ngpanel ,t hatt ookovert he casef r om I nvest i gat orGual ber t odel al i anaaf t erhavi ngbeenconst i t ut edbyt heDeput y Ombudsmanf orLuzonuponpet i t i oner ’ sr equest ,c ameupwi t har esol ut i onwhi chi tr ef er r ed,f or appr oval ,t ot heOf f i c eoft heSpeci alPr osecut or( OSP)andt heOmbudsman.I nhi s Memor andum,dat ed26Apr i l1991,t heOmbudsmandi r ect edt heOSPt of i l et heappr opr i at e i nf or mat i onsagai nstpet i t i oner .On13May1991,OSPsubmi t t edt ot heOmbudsmant he i nf or mat i onsf orcl ear ance;appr oved,f or t hwi t h,t hr eei nf or mat i onswer ef i l edonevendat e.  I nCr i mi nalCaseNo.16698f i l edbef or et heSandi ganbayan,pet i t i onerwasi ndi ct edt husl y: “ ThatonoraboutOct ober17,1988,orsomet i mepr i ororsubsequentt her et o,i nMani l a, Phi l i ppi nesandwi t hi nt hej ur i sdi ct i onoft hi sHonor abl eCour t ,accusedMI RI AM DEFENSORSANTI AGO,apubl i cof f i cer ,bei ngt hent heCommi si oneroft heCommi si ononI mmi gr at i onand Depor t at i on,wi t hevi dentbadf ai t handmani f estpar t i al i t yi nt heexer ci seofherof f i ci alf unct i ons, di dt henandt her ewi l l f ul l y,unl awf ul l yandcr i mi nal l yappr ovet heappl i cat i onf orl egal i zat i onoft he st ayoft hef ol l owi ngal i ens:Jhamt aniShal i niNar endr a,Ti ngSi okHun,Chi ngSuatLi ongTi ng,Cu KuiPei nUy,CuKuiPweUy,HongShaoGuan,HongXi aoYuan,XuLiXuan,QuiMi ngXi aOng, WuSuiXi nQui u,WuHongGuanQui@ Bet t yGo,WuHongRuQui@ Mar yGoXuYi nYi nKua, HongShaoHuaXu,HongShaoWeiXu,LuShi ngQi ng,LuShiTi an,LuSeChong,ShiQi ngYu, XuAngun@ XuAnCi n,XuPi nt i ng,WangXi uJi n,CaiPi anPl an,CaiWenXu,CaiMi nMi n,Cai Pi ngPi ng,ChoiKi nKwok@ Ber nar doSuar ez,YenLi angJu@ Jesl ynGan,CaiYanNan,Yen Li ngChi en@ Chr i smayneGan,SoChenYuehO,CaiYaRong,whoar r i vedi nt hePhi l i ppi nes af t erJanuar y1,1984i nvi ol at i onofExecut i veOr derNo.324dat edApr i l13,1988whi chpr ohi bi t s t hel egal i zat i onofsai ddi squal i f i edal i ensknowi ngf ul l ywel lt hatsai dal i ensar edi squal i f i ed, t her ebygi vi ngunwar r ant edbenef i t st osai dal i enswhosest ayi nt hePhi l i ppi neswasunl awf ul l y l egal i zedbysai daccused. ”  Twoot hercr i mi nalcases,onef orvi ol at i onoft hepr ovi si onsofPr esi dent i alDecr eeNo.46andt he ot herf orl i bel ,wer ef i l edwi t ht heRegi onalTr i alCour tofMani l a,docket ed,r espect i vel y,No.9194555andNo.9194897.  On24May1991,pet i t i onerf i l ed,concur r ent l y,aPet i t i onf orCer t i or ar iwi t hPr ohi bi t i onand Pr el i mi nar yI nj unct i onbef or et heCour t ,docket edG. R.No.9928990,seeki ngt oenj oi nt he Sandi ganbayanf r om pr oceedi ngwi t hCr i mi nalCaseNo.16698andamot i onbef or et he

Sandi ganbayant omeanwhi l edef erherar r ai gnment .TheCour tt aki ngcogni zanceoft hepet i t i on i ssuedat empor ar yr est r ai ni ngor der .  TheSandi ganbayan,t husi nf or med,i ssuedanor derdef er r i ngpet i t i oner ’ sar r ai gnmentandt he consi der at i onofhermot i ont ocancelt hecashbondunt i lf ur t heradvi cef r om t heCour t .  On13Januar y1992,t heCour tr ender edi t sdeci si ondi smi ssi ngt hepet i t i onandl i f t i ngt he t empor ar yr est r ai ni ngor der .Thesubsequentmot i onf orr econsi der at i onf i l edbypet i t i onerpr oved unavai l i ng.  On06Jul y1992,i nt hewakeofmedi ar epor t sannounci ngpet i t i oner ’ si nt ent i ont oaccepta f el l owshi pf r om t heJohnF.KennedySchoolofGover nmentatHar var dUni ver si t y,t he Sandi ganbayani ssuedanor dert oenj oi npet i t i onerf r om l eavi ngt hecount r y.  On15Oct ober1992,pet i t i onermovedt oi nhi bi tSandi ganbayanPr esi di ngJust i ceGar chi t or ena f r om t hecaseandt odef erherar r ai gnmentpendi ngact i ononhermot i ont oi nhi bi t .On09 November1992,hermot i onwasdeni edbyt heSandi ganbayan.Thef ol l owi ngday,shef i l ed anewaPet i t i onf orCer t i or ar iandPr ohi bi t i onwi t hur gentPr ayerf orPr el i mi nar yI nj unct i onwi t ht he Cour t ,docket edG. R.No.9928990.  Att hesamet i me,pet i t i onerf i l edamot i onf orbi l lofpar t i cul ar swi t ht heSandi ganbayan assever at i ngt hatt henamesoft heal i enswhoseappl i cat i onsshepur por t edl yappr ovedand t her ebysupposedl yext endedundueadvant agewer econspi cuousl yomi t t edi nt hecompl ai nt .  On07December1992,t heOSPandt heOmbudsmanf i l edwi t ht heSandi ganbayanamot i ont o admi tt hi r t yt woamendedi nf or mat i ons.Pet i t i onermovedf ort hedi smi ssaloft he32i nf or mat i ons. Thecour t ,i ni t s11t hMar ch1993r esol ut i on,deni edhermot i ont odi smi sst hesai di nf or mat i ons anddi r ect edhert opostbai lont hecr i mi nalcases,docket edCr i mi nalCaseNo.1837118402, f i l edagai nsther .

PRAYERFORRELI EF  Pet i t i onermovedf ort hecancel l at i onofhercashbondandpr ayedt hatshebeal l owedpr ov i si onal l i ber t yuponar ecogni zance.  PETI TI ONf orr evi ewoncer t i or ar iofadeci si onoft heSandi ganbayan LAW I NQUESTI ON LOWERCOURTSDECI SI ONS  Pur suantt ot hei nf or mat i onf i l edwi t ht heSandi ganbayan,Pr esi di ngJust i ceFr anci sE. Gar chi t or enai ssuedanor derf ort hear r estofpet i t i oner ,f i xi ngt hebai latFi f t eenThousand ( P15, 000. 00)Pesos.  Pet i t i onerpost edcashbai lwi t houtneedf orphysi calappear anceasshewast henr ecuper at i ng f r om i nj ur i essust ai nedi navehi cul aracci dent .TheSandi ganbayangr ant edherpr ovi si onall i ber t y unt i l05June1991orunt i lherphysi calcondi t i onwoul dwar r antherphysi calappear ancei ncour t . Uponmani f est at i onbyt heOmbudsman,however ,t hatpet i t i onerwasabl et ocomeunai dedt ohi s of f i ceon20May1991,Sandi ganbayani ssuedanor derset t i ngt hear r ai gnmenton27May1991.

 At t ent i onmi ghtbecal l edt ot hef actt hatCr i mi nalCaseNo.16698hasbeendeci dedbyt heFi r st Di vi si onoft heSandi ganbayanon06December1999,acqui t t i ngher ei npet i t i oner .

I SSUES 1. Whet herornott her ehasbeenagr aveabuseofdi scr et i onamount i ngt ol ackorexcessof j ur i sdi ct i onont hepar tofanybr anchori nst r ument al i t yoft heGover nment . HELD RULI NGS  Thepr ovi si onal l owi ngt heCour tt ol ooki nt oanypossi bl egr aveabuseofdi scr et i oncommi t t edby anygover nmenti nst r ument al i t yhasevi dent l ybeencouchedi ngener alt er msi nor dert omakei t mal l eabl et oj udi ci ali nt er pr et at i oni nt hel i ghtofanyemer gi ngmi l i eu.I ni t snor malconcept ,t he t er m hasbeensai dt oi mpl yanar bi t r ar y,despot i c,capr i ci ousorwhi msi calexer ci seofj udgment amount i ngt ol ackorexcessofj ur i sdi ct i on.Whent hequest i on,however ,per t ai nst oanaf f ai r i nt er nalt oei t herofCongr essort heExecut i ve,t heCour tsubscr i best ot hevi ew19t hatunl essan i nf r i ngementofanyspeci f i cConst i t ut i onalpr oscr i pt i ont her ebyi nher est heCour tshoul dnotdei gn subst i t ut ei t sownj udgmentovert hatofanyoft heot hert wobr anchesofgover nment .I ti san i mpai r mentoracl eardi sr egar dofaspeci f i cconst i t ut i onalpr eceptorpr ovi si ont hatcanunbol tt he st eeldoorf orj udi ci ali nt er vent i on.I fanypar toft heConst i t ut i oni snot ,orceasest obe, r esponsi vet ocont empor ar yneeds,i ti st hepeopl e,nott heCour t ,whomustpr ompt l yr eacti nt he mannerpr escr i bedbyt heChar t eri t sel f .  Republ i cActNo.3019doesnotexcl udef r om i t scover aget hemember sofCongr essandt hat , t her ef or e,t heSandi ganbayandi dnoter ri nt husdecr eei ngt heassai l edpr event i vesuspensi on or der .  Congr essi onalDi sci pl i ne;Theor derofsuspensi onpr escr i bedbyRepubl i cActNo.3019i sdi st i nct f r om t hepowerofCongr esst odi sci pl i nei t sownr anksundert heConst i t ut i on. —Theor derof suspensi onpr escr i bedbyRepubl i cActNo.3019i sdi st i nctf r om t hepowerofCongr esst o di sci pl i nei t sownr anksundert heConst i t ut i onwhi chpr ovi dest hateach—“ xxxhousemay det er mi net her ul esofi t spr oceedi ngs,puni shi t sMember sf ordi sor der l ybehavi or ,and,wi t ht he concur r enceoft wot hi r dsofal li t sMember s,suspendorexpelaMember .Apenal t yof suspensi on,wheni mposed,shal lnotexceedsi xt ydays. ”Thesuspensi oncont empl at edi nt he aboveconst i t ut i onalpr ovi si oni sapuni t i vemeasur et hati si mposedupondet er mi nat i onbyt he Senat eort heHouseofRepr esent at i ves,ast hecasemaybe,uponaner r i ngmember . DECI SI ONS  TheCour t ,never t hel ess,deemsi tappr opr i at et or endert hi sdeci si onf orf ut ur egui danceont he si gni f i canti ssuer ai sedbypet i t i oner .

 WHEREFORE,t hei nst antpet i t i onf orcer t i or ar ii sDI SMI SSED.Nocost s.SOORDERED. CASENOTES RELATED/ FOUNDDOCTRI NESORPRI NCI PLESI NTHECASE TOBEMEMORI ZED  Sect i on16( 3) ,Ar t i cl eVIoft heConst i t ut i on DI SSENTI NGOPI NI ONS OTHERS