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GUYS, hindi ngay na‐discuss dito yung impeachment case ni Erap more on
Plunder yung andito, I tried looking for the case mismo ng impeachment di ko
mahanap hahahahah. So yeah criminal case (CRIM PRO?) siya. Basically ang diniscuss
dito ng SC is yung elements ng Plunder and what constitutes as plunder.
People of the Philippines vs. Joseph Ejercito Estrada
G.R. No. 26558 | September 12, 2007
FACTS:
Former president Joseph Ejercito Estrada a.k.a. ʺASIONG SALONGAʺ AND a.k.a.
ʺJOSE VELARDEʺ, together with Jose ‘Jinggoy’ Estrada, Charlie ʺAtongʺ Ang, Edward
Serapio, Yolanda T. Ricaforte, Alma Alfaro, JOHN DOE a.k.a. Eleuterio Tan OR
Eleuterio Ramos Tan or Mr. Uy, Jane Doe a.k.a. Delia Rajas, and John DOES & Jane
Does, were accused of the crime of Plunder, defined and penalized under R.A. No.
7080, as amended by Sec. 12 of R.A. No. 7659. The accused by himself and in
conspiracy with his co‐accused took advantage of his official position, authority,
connection or influence as President of the Republic of the Philippines, did then and
there willfully, unlawfully and criminally amass, accumulate and acquire ill‐gotten
wealth, and unjustly enrich himself in the aggregate amount of P4,097,804,173.17,
more or less, through a combination and series of overt and criminal acts. More
specifically they committed the following acts:
a. by receiving OR collecting, directly or indirectly, on SEVERAL INSTANCES,
MONEY IN THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT OF FIVE HUNDRED FORTY‐FIVE
MILLION PESOS (P545,000,000.00), MORE OR LESS, FROM ILLEGAL
GAMBLING IN THE FORM OF GIFT, SHARE, PERCENTAGE, KICKBACK
OR ANY FORM OF PECUNIARY BENEFIT, BY HIMSELF AND/OR in
connivance with co‐accused CHARLIE ‘ATONG’ ANG, JOSE ‘Jinggoy’
Estrada, Yolanda T. Ricaforte, Edward Serapio, AND JOHN DOES AND JANE
DOES, in consideration OF TOLERATION OR PROTECTION OF ILLEGAL
GAMBLING;
b. by DIVERTING, RECEIVING, misappropriating, converting OR misusing
DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, for HIS OR THEIR PERSONAL gain and benefit,
public funds in the amount of ONE HUNDRED THIRTY MILLION PESOS
[P130,000,000.00], more or less, representing a portion of the TWO HUNDRED
MILLION PESOS [P200,000,000.00] tobacco excise tax share allocated for the
Province of Ilocos Sur under R.A. No. 7171, BY HIMSELF AND/OR in
CONNIVANCE with co‐accused Charlie ‘Atong’ Ang, Alma Alfaro, JOHN
DOE a.k.a. Eleuterio Tan OR Eleuterio Ramos Tan or Mr. Uy, and Jane Doe
a.k.a. Delia Rajas, AND OTHER JOHN DOES AND JANE DOES;
c. by directing, ordering and compelling, FOR HIS PERSONAL GAIN AND
BENEFIT, the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) TO PURCHASE,
351,878,000 SHARES OF STOCKS, MORE OR LESS, and the Social Security
System (SSS), 329,855,000 SHARES OF STOCK, MORE OR LESS, OF THE
BELLE CORPORATION IN THE AMOUNT OF MORE OR LESS ONE
BILLION ONE HUNDRED TWO MILLION NINE HUNDRED SIXTY FIVE
THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED SEVEN PESOS AND FIFTY CENTAVOS
[P1,102,965,607.50] AND MORE OR LESS SEVEN HUNDRED FORTY FOUR
MILLION SIX HUNDRED TWELVE THOUSAND AND FOUR HUNDRED
FIFTY PESOS [P744,612,450.00], RESPECTIVELY, OR A TOTAL OF MORE OR
LESS ONE BILLION EIGHT HUNDRED FORTY SEVEN MILLION FIVE
HUNDRED SEVENTY EIGHT THOUSAND FIFTY SEVEN PESOS AND FIFTY
CENTAVOS [P1,847,578,057.50]; AND BY COLLECTING OR RECEIVING,
DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, BY HIMSELF AND/OR IN CONNIVANCE
WITH JOHN DOES AND JANE DOES, COMMISSIONS OR PERCENTAGES
BY REASON OF SAID PURCHASES OF SHARES OF STOCK IN THE
AMOUNT OF ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY NINE MILLION SEVEN HUNDRED
THOUSAND PESOS [P189,700,000.00], MORE OR LESS, FROM THE BELLE
CORPORATION WHICH BECAME PART OF THE DEPOSIT IN THE
EQUITABLE‐PCI BANK UNDER THE ACCOUNT NAME ʺJOSE VELARDEʺ;
d. by unjustly enriching himself FROM COMMISSIONS, GIFTS, SHARES,
PERCENTAGES, KICKBACKS, OR ANY FORM OF PECUNIARY BENEFITS,
IN CONNIVANCE WITH JOHN DOES AND JANE DOES, in the amount of
MORE OR LESS THREE BILLION TWO HNDRED THIRTY THREE MILLION
ONE HUNDRED FOUR THOUSAND AND ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY
THREE PESOS AND SEVENTEEN CENTAVOS [P3,233,104,173.17] AND
DEPOSITING THE SAME UNDER HIS ACCOUNT NAME ʺJOSE VELARDEʺ
AT THE EQUITABLE‐PCI BANK.
CONTRARY TO LAW.
In its resolution, the court found that probable cause for the offense of PLUNDER
exists to justify issuance of warrants for the arrest of accused. Consequently the Court
issued an Order of Arrest and Hold Departure Order for all the named accused in the
present information; to which the Philippine National Police (PNP) complied. A
Compliance/Return of Warrant of Arrest was also filed on April 26, 2001 by P/Chief
Superintendent Nestor B. Gualberto.
With the detention of Erap and Jinggoy in Camp Crame in April 2001, both filed an
Urgent Ex‐parte Motion to Place on House Arrest. This was denied, however, the court
issued an Order in June 2001, for their confinement at Fort Sto. Domingo, Sta. Rosa,
Laguna, subject to the need for their continued confinement at the Veterans Memorial
Medical Center (VMMC) where they were then confined. In line with this, Jinggoy
filed in the alternative a Motion for Detention in Tanay, Rizal. Erap also filed a Motion
to Modify Custodial Arrangement. He filed a manifestation informing the court that
he is willing to have his property in Tanay, Rizal placed under the control and
supervision of the Court and the Philippine National Police for the duration of his
detention. This was granted by the court.
Erap, Jinggoy, and Serapio filed a motion for bail, this was denied by the court. Hence,
they filed an omnibus application for bail which was granted by the court. The
opposition filed a motion for reconsideration but was denied.
While the case was already in the trial stage, the counsels for the accused Estradas
wrote a letter to the Acting Presiding Justice requesting for a re‐raffle of the cases
against the accused, citing as grounds the continuing uncertain composition of the
justices handling the cases against the accused Former President, et al., at that time.
Hence, a Special Division of the Sandiganbayan was constituted to try a case.
After the prosecution finished presenting its evidence, FPres. Estrada filed, with leave
of court, a demurrer to evidence. The demurrer, however, was denied by the court.
Accused Serapio opted not to present his own evidence, and instead adopted the
evidence presented by FPres. Estrada and Jinggoy Estrada.
Incidentally, in 2007, the Sandiganbayan approved the Plea Bargaining Agreement
between the prosecution and accused Atong Ang, the latter pleading guilty to a lesser
offense of Corruption of Public Officials under Article 212 in relation to Article 211 of
the Revised Penal Code. Accused Atong Ang was sentenced to two years and four
months of prision correccional minimum, as minimum, to six years of prision
correccional maximum, as maximum, and to pay the amount of P25,000,000.00 to the
Government as his civil liability. Accused Atong Ang is now out of jail under
probation.
After the arraignment of the accused, the pre‐trial was conducted which led to the
issuance of the Amended Pre‐Trial Order. The evidence submitted by the prosecution
and the defense in support of, or in denial, of the speculations of the accusations were
presented.
ISSUE: Whether Joseph Ejercito Estrada (Erap) committed plunder?
RULING:
Yes. Under Sec 2 of R.A. 7080 plunder is defined as: “Any public officer who, by
himself or in connivance with members of his family, relatives by affinity or
consanguinity, business associates, subordinates or other persons, amasses,
accumulates or acquires ill gotten‐wealth through a combination or series of overt
criminal acts as described in Section 1 (d) hereof in the aggregate amount or total value
of at least Fifty Million Pesos (P50,000,000.00) shall be guilty of the crime of plunder
and shall be punished by reclusion perpetua to death. Any person who participated
with the said public officer in the commission of an offense contributing to the crime
of plunder shall likewise be punished for such offense. In the imposition of penalties,
the degree of participation and the attendance of mitigating and extenuating
circumstances, as provided by the Revised Penal Code, shall be considered by the
court. The Court shall declare any and ill‐gotten wealth and their interests and other
incomes and assets including the properties and share of stocks derived from the
deposit or investment thereof forfeited in the favor of the State.”
Further, in Estrada vs. Sandiganbayan the elements of the crime of plunder, are
enumerated as follows:
(1) That the offender is a public officer who acts by himself or in
connivance with members of his family, relatives by affinity or
consanguinity, business associates, subordinates or other persons;
(2) That he amassed, accumulated or acquired ill‐gotten wealth through a
combination or series of the following overt or criminal acts described in
Section 1 (d) of R.A. No. 7080 as amended; and
(3) That the aggregate amount or total value of the ill‐gotten wealth
amassed, accumulated or acquired is at least P50,000,000.00.
After a thorough evaluation of the established facts, the court hold that the
prosecution has proven beyond reasonable doubt the elements of plunder as follows:
(a) The principal accused Joseph Ejercito Estrada, at the time of the commission
of the acts charged in the Amended Information was the President of the
Republic of the Philippines;
(b) He acted in connivance with then Governor Luis ʺChavitʺ Singson, who was
granted immunity from suit by the Office of the Ombudsman, and with the
participation of other persons named by prosecution witnesses in the course of
the trial of this case, in amassing, accumulating and acquiring ill‐gotten wealth
as follows:
(i) by a series of acts of receiving bi‐monthly collections from ʺjuetengʺ, a
form of illegal gambling, during the period beginning November 1998 to
August 2000 in the aggregate amount of Five Hundred Forty Five Millionh
Two Hundred Ninety One Thousand Pesos (P545,291,000.00), Two
Hundred Million Pesos (P200,000,000.00) of which was deposited in the
Erap Muslim Youth Foundation; and
(ii) by a series consisting of two (2) acts of ordering the GSIS and the SSS
to purchase shares of stock of Belle Corporation and collecting or receiving
commission from the sales of Belle Shares in the amount of One Hundred
Eighty Nine Million Seven Hundred Thousand Pesos (P189,700,000.00)
which was deposited in the Jose Velarde account.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
❖ Section 1 (d) of RA 7080: Ill‐gotten wealth means any asset, property, business
enterprise or material possession of any person within the purview of Section Two
(2) hereof, acquired by him directly or in directly through dummies, nominees,
agents, subordinates and/or business associates by any combination or series of the
following means or similar schemes:
1) Through misappropriation, conversation, mis‐use, or malversation of
public funds or raids on the public treasury;
2) By receiving, directly or indirectly, any commission, gift, share,
percentage, kickbacks or any other form of pecuniary benefit from any
person and/ or entity in connection with any government contract or project
or by reason of the office or position of the public officer concerned;
3) By the illegal or fraudulent conveyance or disposition of asset belonging
to the National Government or any of its subdivision, agencies or
instrumentalities or government‐owned or –controlled corporations and
their subsidiaries;
4) By obtaining, receiving or accepting directly or indirectly any shares of
stock, equity or any other form of interest or participation including
promises of future employment in any business enterprise or undertaking;
5) By establishing agricultural, industrial or commercial monopolies or
other combinations and/or implementation of decrees and orders intended
to benefit particular persons or special interests; or
6) By taking undue advantage of official position, authority, relationship,
connection or influence to unjustly enrich himself or themselves at the
expense and to the damage and prejudice of the Filipino people and the
Republic of the Philippines.
❖ When the Plunder Law speaks of ʺcombination,ʺ it is referring to at least two (2) acts
falling under different categories of enumeration provided in Sec. 1, par. (d), e.g.,
raids on the public treasury in Sec.1, par. (d), subpar. (1), and fraudulent conveyance
of assets belongings to the National Government under Sec.1, par. (d), subpar. (3).
❖ On the other hand, to constitute a ʺseriesʺ, there must be two (2) or more overt or
criminal acts falling under the same category of enumeration found in Sec. 1, par.
(d), say, misappropriation , malversation and raids on the public treasury, all of
which fall under Sec. 1, par. (d), subpar. (1). Verily, had the legislature intended a
technical or distinctive meaning for ʺcombinationʺ and ʺseries,ʺ it would have taken
greater pains in specifically providing for it in the law. (emphasis supplied)