Corpuz vs. People of the Philippines | G.R. No.

74259 | February 14, 1991

FACTS:
❖ Petitioner Generoso Corpuz, the Supervising Accounting Clerk in the Office of the Provincial
Treasurer of Nueva Vizcaya, was designated as the Acting Supervising Cashier in the said Office
where he received collections, disbursed funds, and made bank deposits and withdrawals
pertaining to government accounts
❖ April 13, 1981: Petitioner’s designation as Acting Supervising Cashier was terminated; a Transfer
of Accountabilities was effected between petitioner and his successor; and the Certificate of
Turnover revealed a shortage in the amount of P72,823.08
❖ Demand letters were sent to the petitioner to produce the missing amount but he was still not able
to pay in full
❖ September 27, 1982: A final letter of demand for the total deficiency of P50,596.07 was sent to
the petitioner
❖ October 11, 1983: Because the demands were not met, an information for malversation of the
said amount was filed against petitioner with the respondent court
❖ Petitioner did not deny the aforementioned facts but insists that he is not guilty of the charge
because the shortage imputed to him was malversed by other persons
➢ Petitioner claims that the shortage represented the unliquidated withdrawal made by
Paymaster Diosdado Pineda through one of the four separate checks issued and
encashed while the petitioner was on official leave of absence
➢ Petitioner also claims that he was made to post the amount in his cash book by Acting
Deputy Provincial Treasurer Bernardo Aluning and he had no choice but to comply
although he had not actually received the said amount
❖ Paymaster Pineda testified that he liquidated all four checks and added that petitioner was not
absent because the latter was the one who prepared the checks
➢ Acting Provincial Treasurer Perfecto Martinez corroborated Pineda's testimony that the
petitioner was not on official leave on the dates in question
❖ Acting Deputy Provincial Treasurer Aluning denied that he had exerted pressure on the petitioner
to post the shortage in the petitioner's cash book because as petitioner’s superior, he has to
require the latter to make the proper entry in the cash book
❖ The Sandiganbayan, through Justice Amante Q. Alconcel, ruled that petitioner Corpuz is guilty
beyond reasonable doubt as principal of the crime of Malversation of Public Funds
❖ The Solicitor General also added that even though petitioner insisted that Paymaster Pineda and
Acting Provincial Treasurer Martinez misappropriated the money, petitioner did not file any case,
whether civil, criminal or otherwise, against either or both Pineda and Martinez
❖ Hence, this petition to seek the reversal of the decision of the respondent court (Sandiganbayan)

ISSUE:
Whether or not petitioner Corpuz can invoke the equipoise rule

RULING:
NO. The equipoise rule invoked by the petitioner is applicable only where the evidence of the parties is
evenly balanced, in which case the constitutional presumption of innocence should tilt the scales in favor
of the accused. There is no such equipoise here. The evidence of the prosecution is overwhelming and
has not been overcome by the petitioner with his nebulous claims of persecution and conspiracy. The
presumed innocence of the accused must yield to the positive finding that he malversed the sum of
P50,310.87 to the prejudice of the public whose confidence he has breached. His conviction must be
affirmed.