8/18/2019 Consigna vs People

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CONSIGNA vs. PEOPLEG.R. Nos. 175750-51/ April 2, 2014 / Perez, J.

FACTS.

• Municipal Treasurer onsi!na o" General #una, $uri!ao%el Nor&e, &o!e&'er (i&' Jose )eras*io, o+&aine% asloan "ro* pria&e respon%en& )er*elina Mole&aMole&a, P20,000, &o pa "or &'e salaries o" &'ee*ploees o" &'e *unicipali& an% &o cons&ruc& &'e*unicipal !*nasiu* as &'e *unicipali&s n&ernalReenue Allo&*en& RA 'a% no& e& arrie%.

•

As pa*en&, onsi!na issue% &'ree #an% 3an o" &'e P'ilippines #3P c'ecs si!ne% + Jai*e RusillonRusillon, &'e incu*+en& *aor.

• A"&er so*e &i*e, Mole&a %e*an%e% pa*en& "ro*pe&i&ioner an% Rusillon, +u& &o no aail. T'us, Mole&a%eposi&e% &'e c'ecs

o 6irs&, s'e %eposi&e% &'e #3P c'ecs &o 'eraccoun& in Me&ro+an-$uri!ao 3ranc' 'o(eer,Me&ro+an re&urne% &'e c'ecs &o Mole&a as &'ec'ecs 'a% no "un%s.

o  T'e "ollo(in! %a, Mole&a a!ain %eposi&e% &'ec'ecs &o 'er #3P accoun& 'o(eer, &'e c'ecs(ere a!ain re&urne% "or &'e reason, 8Signature Not on File.9 :pon eri;ca&ion, #3P in"or*e% Mole&a&'a& &'e *unicipali&s accoun& (as alrea% close%

an% &rans"erre% &o <eelop*en& 3an o" &'eP'ilippines, an% &'a& onsi!na, &'e *unicipal&reasurer, 'as +een reliee% "ro* 'er posi&ion.

• Mole&a ;le% &(o se&s o" in"or*a&ion a!ains& Municipal Treasurer onsi!na an% Maor Rusillon

o =ne "or iola&ion o" $ec. e o" RA01>o =ne "or es&a"a Ar&. 15 o" &'e RP

• onsi!nas %e"enseso  T'e cour& a ?uo $an%i!an+aan 'as no

 @uris%ic&ion +ecause  T'e cri*e as c'ar!e% %i% no& speci" &'e

proision o" la( alle!e%l iola&e%, i.e., &'especi;c &pe o" Estafa

$ec. e o" RA 01> %oes no& "all (i&'in &'e

 @uris%ic&ion o" &'e cour& a quo +ecause &'eoense as c'ar!e% can s&an% in%epen%en&l o" pu+lic oBce an% pu+lic oBce is no& an ele*en& o" &'e cri*e.

o  T'ere (as no "rau% or *isrepresen&a&ion. 3%e*an%in! pa*en& "ro* Rusillon, Mole&a a&&es&e%&'a& &'ere eCis&s no "rau% or *isrepresen&a&ion.

• Rusillons %e"ense )e 'a% no par&icipa&ion in &'e ac&sco**i&&e% + onsi!na.

• $an%i!an+aan onsi!na (as "oun% !uil& o" +o&'

c'ar!es an% Rusillon (as ac?ui&&e% in +o&' c'ar!es.o )ence, &'e pe&i&ion.

ISSUE & RATIO.

WON Consigna is guilty of estafa as penalizedunder Art. 315 (2)(a) of the RC. ! "#$.

 T'e ele*en&s o" estafa + *eans o" %ecei&,('e&'er co**i&&e% + "alse pre&enses or conceal*en&,are &'e "ollo(in! a &'ere *us& +e a "alse pre&ense,"rau%ulen& ac& or "rau%ulen& *eans + suc' "alsepre&ense, "rau%ulen& ac& or "rau%ulen& *eans *us& +e*a%e or eCecu&e% prior &o or si*ul&aneousl (i&' &'eco**ission o" &'e "rau% c &'e oen%e% par& *us&'ae relie% on &'e "alse pre&ense, "rau%ulen& ac& or

"rau%ulen& *eans, &'a& is, 'e (as in%uce% &o par& (i&''is *one or proper& +ecause o" &'e "alse pre&ense"rau%ulen& ac& or "rau%ulen& *eans an% % as a resul&&'ereo", &'e oen%e% par& suere% %a*a!e.

onsi!nas represen&a&ions (ere ou&ri!'%is&or&ions o" &'e &ru&' perpe&ra&e% "or &'e sole purposeo" in%ucin! Mole&a &o 'an% &o 'er &'e a*oun& oP20,000.00 purpor&e%l "or &'e Municipali& o" Genera#una. 3ein! &'e Municipal Treasurer, &'ere (as reason"or Mole&a &o rel on onsi!nas represen&a&ions &'a&*one is nee%e% "or &'e pa*en& o" &'e e*ploeessalar as (ell as "or &'e cons&ruc&ion o" &'e!*nasiu*. T'ere (as also a rin! o" &ru&' &o &'e%ecep&ion &'a& &'e s'are o" &'e *unicipali& "ro* &'eRA is "or&'co*in!. A%%e% &o &'is, pe&i&ionersrepresen&a&ions (ere een suppor&e% + &'e issuanceo" &'ree #3P c'ecs &o !uaran&ee pa*en& &aen"ro* &'e accoun& o" &'e *unicipali& an% si!ne% + noless &'an &'e *unicipal *aor, !iin! &'e i*pression&'a& &'e loane% a*oun& (oul% in%ee% +e u&ilize% "orpu+lic purposes.

WON Consigna is guilty of $e%. 3 (e) of RA 3&1'! "#$.

 T'e "ollo(in! are &'e essen&ial ele*en&s o

iola&ion o" $ec. e o" RA 01>1. T'e accuse% *us& +e a pu+lic oBcer %isc'ar!in!

a%*inis&ra&ie, @u%icial or oBcial "unc&ions2. )e *us& 'ae ac&e% (i&' *ani"es& par&iali&

ei%en& +a% "ai&' or ineCcusa+le ne!li!ence an%. T'a& 'is ac&ion cause% an un%ue in@ur &o an

par&, inclu%in! &'e !oern*en&, or !iin! anpria&e par& un(arran&e% +ene;&s, a%an&a!e orpre"erence in &'e %isc'ar!e o" 'is "unc&ions.onsi!na, +ein! a *unicipal &reasurer, (as a pu+lic

oBcer %isc'ar!in! oBcial "unc&ions ('en s'e *isuse%suc' posi&ion &o +e a+le &o &ae ou& a loan "ro* Mole&a('o (as *isle% in&o &'e +elie" &'a& pe&i&ioner, as*unicipal &reasurer, (as ac&in! on +e'al" o" &'e*unicipali&.

onsi!nas oBcial "unc&ion crea&e% in 'er "aor ani*pression o" au&'ori& &o &ransac& +usiness (i&'Mole&a inolin! !oern*en& ;nancial concerns. T'ereis, &'ere"ore, a %irec& rela&ion +e&(een &'e co**issiono" &'e cri*e an% pe&i&ioners oBceD&'e la&&er +ein!&'e er reason or consi%era&ion &'a& le% &o &'eun(arran&e% +ene;& s'e !aine% "ro* Mole&a, "or ('ic'&'e la&&er suere% %a*a!es in &'e a*oun& o" P20,000

WON the %ourt a quo ($andiganayan%oitted a re*ersile error for +ndingpetitioner guilty of estaf a, ased on inforation-hi%h does not spe%i+%ally designate thepro*ision allegedly *iolated. ! NO.

 T'e real na&ure o" &'e cri*inal c'ar!e is%e&er*ine% no& "ro* &'e cap&ion or prea*+le o" &'ein"or*a&ion, or "ro* &'e speci;ca&ion o" &'e proisiono" la( alle!e% &o 'ae +een iola&e%, ('ic' are *ereconclusions o" la(, +u& + &'e ac&ual reci&al o" &'e "ac&sin &'e co*plain& or in"or*a&ion.

DECISION. T'e pe&i&ion is #N/#. T'e <ecision o" &'e$an%i!an+aan is A00/R#.