470 Phil. 659
AUSTRIA-MARTINEZ, J.:
The Sworn Statement of AFP Major Perfecto Ragil referred to by PNP/P Director Matillano is quoted verbatim, to wit:…
- After a thorough investigation, I found that a crime of coup d’etat was indeed committed by military personnel who occupied Oakwood on the 27th day of July 2003 and Senator Gregorio “Gringo”Honasan, II …
- …
- The said crime was committed as follows:
4.1 On June 4, 2003, at on or about 11 p.m., in a house located in San Juan, Metro Manila, a meeting was held and presided by Senator Honasan. Attached as Annex “B” is the affidavit of Perfecto Ragil and made an integral part of this complaint.
…
4.8 In the early morning of July 27, 2003, Capt. Gerardo Gambala, for and in behalf of the military rebels occupying Oakwood, made a public statement aired on nation television, stating their withdrawal of support to the chain of command of the AFP and the Government of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and they are willing to risk their lives in order to achieve the National Recovery Agenda of Sen. Honasan, which they believe is the only program that would solve the ills of society. . . . (Emphasis supplied).
The affidavit-complaint is docketed as I.S. No. 2003-1120 and the Panel of Investigating Prosecutors of the Department of Justice (DOJ Panel for brevity) sent a subpoena to petitioner for preliminary investigation.
- That I am a member of the Communication –Electronics and Information Systems Services, Armed Forces of the Philippines with the rank of Major;
- That I met a certain Captain Gary Alejano of the Presidential Security Guard (PSG) during our Very Important Person (VIP) Protection Course sometime in last week of March 2003;
- That sometime in May 2003, Captain Alejano gave me a copy of the pamphlet of the National Recovery Program (NRP) and told me that: “Kailangan ng Bansa ng taong kagaya mo na walang bahid ng corruption kaya basahin mo ito (referring to NRP) pamphlet. I took the pamphlet but never had the time to read it;
- That sometime in the afternoon of June 4, 2003, Captain Alejano invited me to join him in a meeting where the NRP would be discussed and that there would be a special guest;
- That Capt. Alejano and I arrived at the meeting at past 9 o’clock in the evening of June 4, 2003 in a house located somewhere in San Juan, Metro Manila;
- That upon arrival we were given a document consisting of about 3-4 pages containing discussion of issues and concerns within the framework of NRP and we were likewise served with dinner;
- That while we were still having dinner at about past 11 o’clock in the evening, Sen. Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan arrived together with another fellow who was later introduced as Capt. Turingan;
- That after Sen. Honasan had taken his dinner, the meeting proper started presided by Sen. Honasan;
- That Sen. Honasan discussed the NRP, the graft and corruption in the government including the military institution, the judiciary, the executive branch and the like;
- That the discussion concluded that we must use force, violence and armed struggle to achieve the vision of NRP. At this point, I raised the argument that it is my belief that reforms will be achieved through the democratic processes and not thru force and violence and/or armed struggle. Sen. Honasan countered that “we will never achieve reforms through the democratic processes because the people who are in power will not give up their positions as they have their vested interests to protect.” After a few more exchanges of views, Sen. Honasan appeared irritated and asked me directly three (3) times: “In ka ba o out?” I then asked whether all those present numbering 30 people, more or less, are really committed, Sen. Honasan replied: “Kung kaya nating pumatay sa ating mga kalaban, kaya din nating pumatay sa mga kasamahang magtataksil.” I decided not to pursue further questions;
- That in the course of the meeting, he presented the plan of action to achieve the goals of NRP, i.e., overthrow of the government under the present leadership thru armed revolution and after which, a junta will be constituted and that junta will run the new government. He further said that some of us will resign from the military service and occupy civilian positions in the new government. He also said that there is urgency that we implement this plan and that we would be notified of the next activities.
- That after the discussion and his presentation, he explained the rites that we were to undergo-some sort of “blood compact”. He read a prayer that sounded more like a pledge and we all recited it with raised arms and clenched fists. He then took a knife and demonstrated how to make a cut on the left upper inner arm until it bleeds. The cut was in form of the letter “I” in the old alphabet but was done in a way that it actually looked like letter “H”. Then, he pressed his right thumb against the blood and pressed the thumb on the lower middle portion of the copy of the Prayer. He then covered his thumb mark in blood with tape. He then pressed the cut on his left arm against the NRP flag and left mark of letter “I” on it. Everybody else followed;
- That when my turn came, I slightly made a cut on my upper inner arm and pricked a portion of it to let it bleed and I followed what Senator HONASAN did;
- That I did not like to participate in the rites but I had the fear for my life with what Senator HONASAN said that “…kaya nating pumatay ng kasamahan”;
- That after the rites, the meeting was adjourned and we left the place;
- That I avoided Captain Alejano after that meeting but I was extra cautious that he would not notice it for fear of my life due to the threat made by Senator HONASAN during the meeting on June 4, 2003 and the information relayed to me by Captain Alejano that their group had already deeply established their network inside the intelligence community;
- That sometime in the first week of July 2003, Captain Alejano came to see me to return the rifle that he borrowed and told me that when the group arrives at the Malacañang Compound for “D-DAY”, my task is to switch off the telephone PABX that serves the Malacañang complex. I told him that I could not do it. No further conversation ensued and he left;
- That on Sunday, July 27, 2003, while watching the television, I saw flashed on the screen Lieutenant Antonio Trillanes, Captain Gerardo Gambala, Captain Alejano and some others who were present during the June 4th meeting that I attended, having a press conference about their occupation of the Oakwood Hotel. I also saw that the letter “I” on the arm bands and the banner is the same letter “I” in the banner which was displayed and on which we pressed our wound to leave the imprint of the letter “I”;
- That this Affidavit is being executed in order to attest the veracity of the foregoing and in order to charge SENATOR GREGORIO “GRINGO” HONASAN, Capt. FELIX TURINGAN, Capt. GARY ALEJANO, Lt. ANTONIO TRILLANES, Capt. GERARDO GAMBALA and others for violation of Article 134-A of the Revised Penal Code for the offense of “coup d’etat”. (Emphasis supplied)
On August 27, 2003, Senator Gregorio B. Honasan II filed through counsel a “Motion to Clarify Jurisdiction”. On September 1, 2003, complainant filed a Comment/Opposition to the said motion.Hence, Senator Gregorio B. Honasan II filed the herein petition for certiorari under Rule 65 of the Rules of Court against the DOJ Panel and its members, CIDG-PNP-P/Director Eduardo Matillano and Ombudsman Simeon V. Marcelo, attributing grave abuse of discretion on the part of the DOJ Panel in issuing the aforequoted Order of September 10, 2003 on the ground that the DOJ has no jurisdiction to conduct the preliminary investigation.
The motion and comment/opposition are hereby duly noted and shall be passed upon in the resolution of this case.
In the meantime, in view of the submission by complainant of additional affidavits/evidence and to afford respondents ample opportunity to controvert the same, respondents, thru counsel are hereby directed to file their respective counter-affidavits and controverting evidence on or before September 23, 2003.[1]
1) Whether respondent Department of Justice Panel of Investigators has jurisdiction to conduct preliminary investigation over the charge of coup d’etat against petitioner;After the oral arguments, the parties submitted their respective memoranda. The arguments of petitioner are:
2) Whether Ombudsman-DOJ Circular No. 95-001 violates the Constitution and Republic Act No. 6770 or Ombudsman Act of 1989; and
3) Whether respondent DOJ Panel of Investigators committed grave abuse of discretion in deferring the resolution of the petitioner’s motion to clarify jurisdiction considering the claim of the petitioner that the DOJ Panel has no jurisdiction to conduct preliminary investigation.
The arguments of respondent DOJ Panel are:
- The Office of the Ombudsman has jurisdiction to conduct the preliminary investigation over all public officials, including petitioner.
- Respondent DOJ Panel is neither authorized nor deputized under OMB-DOJ Joint Circular No. 95-001 to conduct the preliminary investigation involving Honasan.
- Even if deputized, the respondent DOJ Panel is still without authority since OMB-DOJ Joint Circular No. 95-001 is ultra vires for being violative of the Constitution, beyond the powers granted to the Ombudsman by R.A. 6770 and inoperative due to lack of publication, hence null and void.
- Since petitioner is charged with coup de ‘etat in relation to his office, it is the Office of the Ombudsman which has the jurisdiction to conduct the preliminary investigation.
- The respondent DOJ Panel gravely erred in deferring the resolution of petitioner’s Motion to Clarify Jurisdiction since the issue involved therein is determinative of the validity of the preliminary investigation.
- Respondent DOJ Panel gravely erred when it resolved petitioner’s Motion in the guise of directing him to submit Counter-Affidavit and yet refused and/or failed to perform its duties to resolve petitioner’s Motion stating its legal and factual bases.
The arguments of respondent Ombudsman are:
- The DOJ has jurisdiction to conduct the preliminary investigation on petitioner pursuant to Section 3, Chapter I, Title III, Book IV of the Revised Administrative Code of 1987 in relation to P.D. No. 1275, as amended by P.D. No. 1513.
- Petitioner is charged with a crime that is not directly nor intimately related to his public office as a Senator. The factual allegations in the complaint and the supporting affidavits are bereft of the requisite nexus between petitioner’s office and the acts complained of.
- The challenge against the constitutionality of the OMB-DOJ Joint Circular, as a ground to question the jurisdiction of the DOJ over the complaint below, is misplaced. The jurisdiction of the DOJ is a statutory grant under the Revised Administrative Code. It is not derived from any provision of the joint circular which embodies the guidelines governing the authority of both the DOJ and the Office of the Ombudsman to conduct preliminary investigation on offenses charged in relation to public office.
- Instead of filing his counter-affidavit, petitioner opted to file a motion to clarify jurisdiction which, for all intents and purposes, is actually a motion to dismiss that is a prohibited pleading under Section 3, Rule 112 of the Revised Rules of Criminal Procedure. The DOJ Panel is not required to act or even recognize it since a preliminary investigation is required solely for the purpose of determining whether there is a sufficient ground to engender a well founded belief that a crime has been committed and the respondent is probably guilty thereof and should be held for trial. The DOJ panel did not outrightly reject the motion of petitioner but ruled to pass upon the same in the determination of the probable cause; thus, it has not violated any law or rule or any norm of discretion.
The Court finds the petition without merit.
- The DOJ Panel has full authority and jurisdiction to conduct preliminary investigation over the petitioner for the reason that the crime of coup d’etat under Article No. 134-A of the Revised Penal Code (RPC) may fall under the jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan only if the same is committed “in relation to office” of petitioner, pursuant to Section 4, P.D. No. 1606, as amended by R.A. No. 7975 and R.A. No. 8249.
- Petitioner’s premise that the DOJ Panel derives its authority to conduct preliminary investigation over cases involving public officers solely from the OMB-DOJ Joint Circular No. 95-001 is misplaced because the DOJ’s concurrent authority with the OMB to conduct preliminary investigation of cases involving public officials has been recognized in Sanchez vs. Demetriou (227 SCRA 627 [1993]) and incorporated in Section 4, Rule 112 of the Revised Rules of Criminal Procedure.
- Petitioner’s assertion that the Joint Circular is ultra vires and the DOJ cannot be deputized by the Ombudsman en masse but must be given in reference to specific cases has no factual or legal basis. There is no rule or law which requires the Ombudsman to write out individualized authorities to deputize prosecutors on a per case basis. The power of the Ombudsman to deputize DOJ prosecutors proceeds from the Constitutional grant of power to request assistance from any government agency necessary to discharge its functions, as well as from the statutory authority to so deputize said DOJ prosecutors under Sec. 31 of RA 6770.
- The Joint Circular which is an internal arrangement between the DOJ and the Office of the Ombudsman need not be published since it neither contains a penal provision nor does it prescribe a mandatory act or prohibit any under pain or penalty. It does not regulate the conduct of persons or the public, in general.
Sec. 1. Declaration of policy - It is the declared policy of the State to provide the government with a principal law agency which shall be both its legal counsel and prosecution arm; administer the criminal justice system in accordance with the accepted processes thereof consisting in the investigation of the crimes, prosecution of offenders and administration of the correctional system; …and Section 1 of P.D. 1275, effective April 11, 1978, to wit:
Sec. 3. Powers and Functions - To accomplish its mandate, the Department shall have the following powers and functions:
…
(2) Investigate the commission of crimes, prosecute offenders and administer the probation and correction system; (Emphasis supplied)
SECTION 1. Creation of the National Prosecution Service; Supervision and Control of the Secretary of Justice. – There is hereby created and established a National Prosecution Service under the supervision and control of the Secretary of Justice, to be composed of the Prosecution Staff in the Office of the Secretary of Justice and such number of Regional State Prosecution Offices, and Provincial and City Fiscal’s Offices as are hereinafter provided, which shall be primarily responsible for the investigation and prosecution of all cases involving violations of penal laws. (Emphasis supplied)Petitioner claims that it is the Ombudsman, not the DOJ, that has the jurisdiction to conduct the preliminary investigation under paragraph (1), Section 13, Article XI of the 1987 Constitution, which confers upon the Office of the Ombudsman the power to investigate on its own, or on complaint by any person, any act or omission of any public official, employee, office or agency, when such act or omission appears to be illegal, unjust, improper, or inefficient. Petitioner rationalizes that the 1987 Administrative Code and the Ombudsman Act of 1989 cannot prevail over the Constitution, pursuant to Article 7 of the Civil Code, which provides:
Article 7. Laws are repealed only by subsequent ones, and their violation or non-observance shall not be excused by disuse, or custom or practice to the contrary.and Mabanag vs. Lopez Vito.[2]
When the courts declare a law to be inconsistent with the Constitution, the former shall be void and the latter shall govern.
Administrative or executive acts, orders and regulations shall be valid only when they are not contrary to the laws or the Constitution.
SEC. 13. The Office of the Ombudsman shall have the following powers, functions, and duties:does not exclude other government agencies tasked by law to investigate and prosecute cases involving public officials. If it were the intention of the framers of the 1987 Constitution, they would have expressly declared the exclusive conferment of the power to the Ombudsman. Instead, paragraph (8) of the same Section 13 of the Constitution provides:
- Investigate on its own, or on complaint by any person, any act or omission of any public official, employee, office or agency, when such act or omission appears to be illegal, unjust, improper, or inefficient.
(8) Promulgate its rules of procedure and exercise such other powers or perform such functions or duties as may be provided by law.Accordingly, Congress enacted R.A. 6770, otherwise known as “The Ombudsman Act of 1989.” Section 15 thereof provides:
Sec. 15. Powers, Functions and Duties. - The Office of the Ombudsman shall have the following powers, functions and duties:Pursuant to the authority given to the Ombudsman by the Constitution and the Ombudsman Act of 1989 to lay down its own rules and procedure, the Office of the Ombudsman promulgated Administrative Order No. 8, dated November 8, 1990, entitled, Clarifying and Modifying Certain Rules of Procedure of the Ombudsman, to wit:
(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, it may take over, at any stage, from any investigatory agency of the government, the investigation of such cases.
…. (Emphasis supplied)
A reading of the foregoing provision of the Constitution does not show that the power of investigation including preliminary investigation vested on the Ombudsman is exclusive.[3]Interpreting the primary jurisdiction of the Ombudsman under Section 15 (1) of the Ombudsman Act, the Court held in said case:
Under Section 15 (1) of Republic Act No. 6770 aforecited, the Ombudsman has primary jurisdiction over cases cognizable by the Sandiganbayan so that it may take over at any stage from any investigatory agency of the government, the investigation of such cases. The authority of the Ombudsman to investigate offenses involving public officers or employees is not exclusive but is concurrent with other similarly authorized agencies of the government. Such investigatory agencies referred to include the PCGG and the provincial and city prosecutors and their assistants, the state prosecutors and the judges of the municipal trial courts and municipal circuit trial court.A little over a month later, the Court, in Deloso vs. Domingo,[5] pronounced that the Ombudsman, under the authority of Section 13 (1) of the 1987 Constitution, has jurisdiction to investigate any crime committed by a public official, elucidating thus:
In other words the provision of the law has opened up the authority to conduct preliminary investigation of offenses cognizable by the Sandiganbayan to all investigatory agencies of the government duly authorized to conduct a preliminary investigation under Section 2, Rule 112 of the 1985 Rules of Criminal Procedure with the only qualification that the Ombudsman may take over at any stage of such investigation in the exercise of his primary jurisdiction.[4] (Emphasis supplied)
The reason for the creation of the Ombudsman in the 1987 Constitution and for the grant to it of broad investigative authority, is to insulate said office from the long tentacles of officialdom that are able to penetrate judges’ and fiscals’ offices, and others involved in the prosecution of erring public officials, and through the exertion of official pressure and influence, quash, delay, or dismiss investigations into malfeasances and misfeasances committed by public officers. It was deemed necessary, therefore, to create a special office to investigate all criminal complaints against public officers regardless of whether or not the acts or omissions complained of are related to or arise from the performance of the duties of their office. The Ombudsman Act makes perfectly clear that the jurisdiction of the Ombudsman encompasses “all kinds of malfeasance, misfeasance, and non-feasance that have been committed by any officer or employee as mentioned in Section 13 hereof, during his tenure of office” (Sec. 16, R.A. 6770).At first blush, there appears to be conflicting views in the rulings of the Court in the Cojuangco, Jr. case and the Deloso case. However, the contrariety is more apparent than real. In subsequent cases, the Court elucidated on the nature of the powers of the Ombudsman to investigate.. . . . . . . . .Indeed, the labors of the constitutional commission that created the Ombudsman as a special body to investigate erring public officials would be wasted if its jurisdiction were confined to the investigation of minor and less grave offenses arising from, or related to, the duties of public office, but would exclude those grave and terrible crimes that spring from abuses of official powers and prerogatives, for it is the investigation of the latter where the need for an independent, fearless, and honest investigative body, like the Ombudsman, is greatest.[6]
The Ombudsman is indeed empowered under Section 15, paragraph (1) of RA 6770 to investigate and prosecute any illegal act or omission of any public official. However as we held only two years ago in the case of Aguinaldo vs. Domagas,[8] this authority “is not an exclusive authority but rather a shared or concurrent authority in respect of the offense charged.”In Natividad vs. Felix,[10] a 1994 case, where the petitioner municipal mayor contended that it is the Ombudsman and not the provincial fiscal who has the authority to conduct a preliminary investigation over his case for alleged Murder, the Court held:
Petitioners finally assert that the information and amended information filed in this case needed the approval of the Ombudsman. It is not disputed that the information and amended information here did not have the approval of the Ombudsman. However, we do not believe that such approval was necessary at all. In Deloso v. Domingo, 191 SCRA 545 (1990), the Court held that the Ombudsman has authority to investigate charges of illegal acts or omissions on the part of any public official, i.e., any crime imputed to a public official. It must, however, be pointed out that the authority of the Ombudsman to investigate “any [illegal] act or omission of any public official” (191 SCRA 550) is not an exclusive authority but rather a shared or concurrent authority in respect of the offense charged, i.e., the crime of sedition. Thus, the non-involvement of the office of the Ombudsman in the present case does not have any adverse legal consequence upon the authority of the panel of prosecutors to file and prosecute the information or amended information.
In fact, other investigatory agencies of the government such as the Department of Justice in connection with the charge of sedition, and the Presidential Commission on Good Government, in ill gotten wealth cases, may conduct the investigation.[9] (Emphasis supplied)
The Deloso case has already been re-examined in two cases, namely Aguinaldo vs. Domagas and Sanchez vs. Demetriou. However, by way of amplification, we feel the need for tracing the history of the legislation relative to the jurisdiction of Sandiganbayan since the Ombudsman’s primary jurisdiction is dependent on the cases cognizable by the former.R.A. No. 8249 which amended Section 4, paragraph (b) of the Sandiganbayan Law (P.D. 1861) likewise provides that for other offenses, aside from those enumerated under paragraphs (a) and (c), to fall under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan, they must have been committed by public officers or employees in relation to their office.
In the process, we shall observe how the policy of the law, with reference to the subject matter, has been in a state of flux.
These laws, in chronological order, are the following: (a) Pres. Decree No. 1486, -- the first law on the Sandiganbayan; (b) Pres. Decree No. 1606 which expressly repealed Pres. Decree No. 1486; (c) Section 20 of Batas Pambansa Blg. 129; (d) Pres. Decree No. 1860; and (e) Pres. Decree No. 1861.
The latest law on the Sandiganbayan, Sec. 1 of Pres. Decree No. 1861 reads as follows:“SECTION 1. Section 4 of Presidential Decree No. 1606 is hereby amended to read as follows:A perusal of the aforecited law shows that two requirements must concur under Sec. 4 (a) (2) for an offense to fall under the Sandiganbayan’s jurisdiction, namely: the offense committed by the public officer must be in relation to his office and the penalty prescribed be higher then prision correccional or imprisonment for six (6) years, or a fine of P6,000.00.[11]‘SEC. 4. Jurisdiction. – The Sandiganbayan shall exercise:‘(a) Exclusive original jurisdiction in all cases involving:. . .
(2) Other offenses or felonies committed by public officers and employees in relation to their office, including those employed in government-owned or controlled corporation, whether simple or complexed with other crimes, where the penalty prescribed by law is higher that prision correccional or imprisonment for six (6) years, or a fine of P6,000: 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 shall be tried by the proper Regional Trial Court, Metropolitan Trial Court, Municipal Trial Court and Municipal Circuit Trial Court.”
Applying the law to the case at bench, we find that although the second requirement has been met, the first requirement is wanting. A review of these Presidential Decrees, except Batas Pambansa Blg. 129, would reveal that the crime committed by public officers or employees must be “in relation to their office” if it is to fall within the jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan. This phrase which is traceable to Pres. Decree No. 1468, has been retained by Pres. Decree No. 1861 as a requirement before the Ombudsman can acquire primary jurisdiction on its power to investigate.
It cannot be denied that Pres. Decree No. 1861 is in pari materia to Article XI, Sections 12 and 13 of the 1987 Constitution and the Ombudsman Act of 1989 because, as earlier mentioned, the Ombudsman’s power to investigate is dependent on the cases cognizable by the Sandiganbayan. Statutes are in pari materia when they relate to the same person or thing or to the same class of persons or things, or object, or cover the same specific or particular subject matter.
It is axiomatic in statutory construction that a statute must be interpreted, not only to be consistent with itself, but also to harmonize with other laws on the same subject matter, as to form a complete, coherent and intelligible system. The rule is expressed in the maxim, “interpretare et concordare legibus est optimus interpretandi,” or every statute must be so construed and harmonized with other statutes as to form a uniform system of jurisprudence. Thus, in the application and interpretation of Article XI, Sections 12 and 13 of the 1987 Constitution and the Ombudsman Act of 1989, Pres. Decree No. 1861 must be taken into consideration. It must be assumed that when the 1987 Constitution was written, its framers had in mind previous statutes relating to the same subject matter. In the absence of any express repeal or amendment, the 1987 Constitution and the Ombudsman Act of 1989 are deemed in accord with existing statute, specifically, Pres. Decree No. 1861.[12] (Emphasis supplied)
OMB-DOJ JOINT CIRCULAR NO. 95-001
Series of 1995
TO: ALL GRAFT INVESTIGATION/SPECIAL PROSECUTION OFFICERS OF THE OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN
ALL REGIONAL STATE PROSECUTORS AND THEIR ASSISTANTS, PROVINCIAL/CITY PROSECUTORS AND THEIR ASSISTANTS, STATE PROSECUTORS AND PROSECUTING ATTORNEYS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.SUBJECT: HANDLING COMPLAINTS FILED AGAINST PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES, THE CONDUCT OF PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION, PREPARATION OF RESOLUTIONS AND INFORMATIONS AND PROSECUTION OF CASES BY PROVINCIAL AND CITY PROSECUTORS AND THEIR ASSISTANTS. x---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------x
In a recent dialogue between the OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN and the DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, discussion centered around the latest pronouncement of the SUPREME COURT on the extent to which the OMBUDSMAN may call upon the government prosecutors for assistance in the investigation and prosecution of criminal cases cognizable by his office and the conditions under which he may do so. Also discussed was Republic Act No. 7975 otherwise known as “AN ACT TO STRENGTHEN THE FUNCTIONAL AND STRUCTURAL ORGANIZATION OF THE SANDIGANBAYAN, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1606, AS AMENDED” and its implications on the jurisdiction of the office of the Ombudsman on criminal offenses committed by public officers and employees.
Concerns were expressed on unnecessary delays that could be caused by discussions on jurisdiction between the OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN and the DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, and by procedural conflicts in the filing of complaints against public officers and employees, the conduct of preliminary investigations, the preparation of resolutions and informations, and the prosecution of cases by provincial and city prosecutors and their assistants as DEPUTIZED PROSECUTORS OF THE OMBUDSMAN.
Recognizing the concerns, the OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN and the DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, in a series of consultations, have agreed on the following guidelines to be observed in the investigation and prosecution of cases against public officers and employees:
- Preliminary investigation and prosecution of offenses committed by public officers and employees IN RELATION TO OFFICE whether cognizable by the SANDIGANBAYAN or the REGULAR COURTS, and whether filed with the OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN or with the OFFICE OF THE PROVINCIAL/CITY PROSECUTOR shall be under the control and supervision of the office of the OMBUDSMAN.
- Unless the Ombudsman under its Constitutional mandate finds reason to believe otherwise, offenses NOT IN RELATION TO OFFICE and cognizable by the REGULAR COURTS shall be investigated and prosecuted by the OFFICE OF THE PROVINCIAL/CITY PROSECUTOR, which shall rule thereon with finality.
- Preparation of criminal information shall be the responsibility of the investigating officer who conducted the preliminary investigation. Resolutions recommending prosecution together with the duly accomplished criminal informations shall be forwarded to the appropriate approving authority.
- Considering that the OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN has jurisdiction over public officers and employees and for effective monitoring of all investigations and prosecutions of cases involving public officers and employees, the OFFICE OF THE PROVINCIAL/CITY PROSECUTOR shall submit to the OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN a monthly list of complaints filed with their respective offices against public officers and employees.
Manila, Philippines, October 5, 1995.
(SGD.) | (SGD.) |
TEOFISTO T. GUINGONA, JR. | ANIANO A. DESIERTO |
Secretary | Ombudsman |
Department of Justice | Office of the Ombudsman |
SEC. 2. Officers authorized to conduct preliminary investigations-confirm the authority of the DOJ prosecutors to conduct preliminary investigation of criminal complaints filed with them for offenses cognizable by the proper court within their respective territorial jurisdictions, including those offenses which come within the original jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan; but with the qualification that in offenses falling within the original jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan, the prosecutor shall, after their investigation, transmit the records and their resolutions to the Ombudsman or his deputy for appropriate action. Also, the prosecutor cannot dismiss the complaint without the prior written authority of the Ombudsman or his deputy, nor can the prosecutor file an Information with the Sandiganbayan without being deputized by, and without prior written authority of the Ombudsman or his deputy.
The following may conduct preliminary investigations:
(a) Provincial or City Prosecutors and their assistants;
(b) Judges of the Municipal Trial Courts and Municipal Circuit Trial Courts;
(c) National and Regional State Prosecutors; and
(d) Other officers as may be authorized by law.
Their authority to conduct preliminary investigation shall include all crimes cognizable by the proper court in their respective territorial jurisdictions.
SEC. 4. Resolution of investigating prosecutor and its review. -If the investigating prosecutor finds cause to hold the respondent for trial, he shall prepare the resolution and information, He shall certify under oath in the information that he, or as shown by the record, an authorized officer, has personally examined the complainant and his witnesses; that there is reasonable ground to believe that a crime has been committed and that the accused is probably guilty thereof; that the accused was informed of the complaint and of the evidence submitted against him; and that he was given an opportunity to submit controverting evidence. Otherwise, he shall recommend the dismissal of the complaint.
Within five (5) days from his resolution, he shall forward the record of the case to the provincial or city prosecutor or chief state prosecutor, or to the Ombudsman or his deputy in cases of offenses cognizable by the Sandiganbayan in the exercise of its original jurisdiction. They shall act on the resolution within ten (10) days from their receipt thereof and shall immediately inform the parties of such action.
No complaint or information may be filed or dismissed by an investigating prosecutor without the prior written authority or approval of the provincial or city prosecutor or chief state prosecutor or the Ombudsman or his deputy.
Where the investigating prosecutor recommends the dismissal of the complaint but his recommendation is disapproved by the provincial or city prosecutor or chief state prosecutor or the Ombudsman or his deputy on the ground that a probable cause exists, the latter may, by himself file the information against the respondent, or direct another assistant prosecutor or state prosecutor to do so without conducting another preliminary investigation.
If upon petition by a proper party under such rules as the Department of Justice may prescribe or motu proprio, the Secretary of Justice reverses or modifies the resolution of the provincial or city prosecutor or chief state prosecutor, he shall direct the prosecutor concerned either to file the corresponding information without conducting another preliminary investigation, or to dismiss or move for dismissal of the complaint or information with notice to the parties. The same Rule shall apply in preliminary investigations conducted by the officers of the Office of the Ombudsman. (Emphasis supplied)
Petitioner appears to be of the belief, although NOT founded on a proper reading and application of jurisprudence, that OMB-DOJ Joint Circular No. 95-001, an internal arrangement between the DOJ and the Office of the Ombudsman, has to be published.Petitioner insists that the Ombudsman has jurisdiction to conduct the preliminary investigation because petitioner is a public officer with salary Grade 31 so that the case against him falls exclusively within the jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan. Considering the Court’s finding that the DOJ has concurrent jurisdiction to investigate charges against public officers, the fact that petitioner holds a Salary Grade 31 position does not by itself remove from the DOJ Panel the authority to investigate the charge of coup d’etat against him.
As early as 1954, the Honorable Court has already laid down the rule in the case of People vs. Que Po Lay, 94 Phil. 640 (1954) that only circulars and regulations which prescribe a penalty for its violation should be published before becoming effective, this, on the general principle and theory that before the public is bound by its contents, especially its penal provision, a law, regulation or circular must first be published and the people officially and specifically informed of said contents and its penalties: said precedent, to date, has not yet been modified or reversed. OMB-DOJ Joint Circular No. 95-001 DOES NOT contain any penal provision or prescribe a mandatory act or prohibit any, under pain or penalty.
What is more, in the case of Tanada v. Tuvera, 146 SCRA 453 (1986), the Honorable Court ruled that:
Interpretative regulations and those merely internal in nature, that is, regulating only the personnel of the administrative agency and not the public, need not be published. Neither is publication required of the so-called letters of instructions issued by administrative superiors concerning the rules or guidelines to be followed by their subordinates in the performance of their duties. (at page 454. emphasis supplied)
OMB-DOJ Joint Circular No. 95-001 is merely an internal circular between the DOJ and the Office of the Ombudsman, outlining authority and responsibilities among prosecutors of the DOJ and of the Office of the Ombudsman in the conduct of preliminary investigation. OMB-DOJ Joint Circular No. 95-001 DOES NOT regulate the conduct of persons or the public, in general.
Accordingly, there is no merit to petitioner’s submission that OMB-DOJ Joint Circular No. 95-001 has to be published.[14]
“Article 134-A. Coup d’etat. – How committed. – The crime of coup d’etat is a swift attack accompanied by violence, intimidation, threat, strategy or stealth, directed against duly constituted authorities of the Republic of the Philippines, or any military camp or installation, communications networks, public utilities or other facilities needed for the exercise and continued possession of power, singly or simultaneously carried out anywhere in the Philippines by any person or persons, belonging to the military or police or holding any public office or employment with or without civilian support or participation for the purpose of seizing or diminishing state power.”There is no question that Senator Honasan, herein petitioner, holds a high public office. If he is charged with coup d’etat, it has to be in his capacity as a public officer committing the alleged offense in relation to his public office.
“SECTION 4. Jurisdiction. – The Sandiganbayan shall exercise exclusive original jurisdiction in all cases involving:Section 15 of Republic Act 6770, or the Ombudsman Act of 1989, provides:
“a. Violations of Republic 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 Compensations and Position Classification Act of 1989 (Republic Act No. 67 58), specifically including:“b. Other offenses or felonies whether simple or complexed with other crimes committed by the public officials and employees mentioned in Subsection a of this section in relation to their office.(a) Provincial governors, vice-governors, members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, and provincial treasurers , assessors, engineers, and other provincial department heads;(2) Members of Congress or officials thereof classified as Grade ‘27’ and up under the Compensation and Position Classification Act of 1989;
(b) City mayors, 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 superintendent 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;
(3) Members of the judiciary without prejudice to the provisions of the Constitution;
(4) Chairman and members of the Constitutional Commissions, without prejudice to the provisions of the Constitution;
(5) All other national and local officials classified as Grade ‘27’ or higher under the Compensation and Position Classification Act of 1989.
“c. Civil and criminal cases filed pursuant to and in connection with Executive Order Nos. 1, 2, 14 and 14-A, issued in 1986.”
“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 his primary jurisdiction, it may take over, at any stage, from any investigatory agency of Government, the investigation of such cases; x x x” (Emphasis supplied)Under the above provisions, what determines the Sandiganbayan’s jurisdiction is the official position or rank of the offender, that is, whether he is one of those public officers enumerated therein.
First, on July 27, 2003 when the Oakwood incident was just starting, DILG Secretary Lina and National Security Adviser Roilo Golez went on a media barrage accusing petitioner of complicity without a shred of evidence.The petitioner states that the DOJ is constitutionally and factually under the control of the President. He argues that:
Second, petitioner was approached by Palace emissaries, Velasco, Defensor, Tiglao, and Afable to help defuse the incident and ask mutineers to surrender. Then the request was distorted to make it appear that he went there to save his own skin.
Third, even before any charge was filed, officials of the DOJ were on an almost daily media program prematurely proclaiming petitioner’s guilt. How can the DOJ conduct an impartial and fair investigation when it has already found him guilty?
Fourth, petitioner was given five days to answer Matillano’s complaint but later on, it was shortened to three days.
Fifth, petitioner filed a 30 page Reply but the DOJ Order was issued at once, or only after two days, or on Sept. 10, 2003. The Order did not discuss the Reply, but perfunctorily glossed over and disregarded it.
“No questionable prosecution of an opposition Senator who has declared himself available for the Presidency would be initiated without the instigation, encouragement or approval of officials at the highest levels of the Administration. Justice requires that the Ombudsman, an independent constitutional office, handle the investigation and prosecution of this case. The DOJ cannot act fairly and independently in this case. In fact, all of the actions the DOJ has taken so far have been marked by bias, hounding and persecution.Prosecutors, like Caesar’s wife, must be beyond suspicion. Where the test of the cold neutrality required of them cannot be met, they must yield to another office especially where their jurisdiction is under question. The tenacious insistence of respondents in handling the investigation of the case and their unwillingness to transfer it to the Ombudsman in the face of their questionable jurisdiction are indications of marked bias.
And finally, the charges laid against Senator Honasan are unfounded concoctions of fertile imaginations. The petitioner had no role in the Oakwood mutiny except the quell and pacify the angry young men fighting for a just cause. Inspiration perhaps, from his National Recovery Program, but no marching orders whatsoever.”
Sec. 4. Jurisdiction.- The Sandiganbayan shall exercise exclusive original jurisdiction in all cases involving:In the case of Lacson v. Executive Secretary,[1] we clarified the exclusive original jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan pursuant to Presidential Decree (“PD”) No. 1606, as amended by Republic Act (“RA”) Nos. 7975 and 8249, and made the following definitive pronouncements:
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:
x x x x x x x x x
(2) Members of Congress and officials thereof classified as Grade “27” and up under the Compensation and Position Classification Act of 1989;
x x x x x x x x x.
Considering that herein petitioner and intervenors are being charged with murder which is a felony punishable under Title VIII of the Revised Penal Code, the governing provision on the jurisdictional offense is not paragraph but paragraph b, Section 4 of R.A. 8249. This paragraph b pertains to “other offenses or felonies whether simple or complexed with other crimes committed by the public officials and employees mentioned in subsection a of [Section 4, R.A. 8249] in relation to their office.” The phrase “other offenses or felonies” is too broad as to include the crime of murder, provided it was committed in relation to the accused’s official functions. Thus, under said paragraph b, what determines the Sandiganbayan’s jurisdiction is the official position or rank of the offender – that is, whether he is one of those public officers or employees enumerated in paragraph a of Section 4. The offenses mentioned in paragraphs a, b and c of the same Section 4 do not make any reference to the criminal participation of the accused public officer as to whether he is charged as a principal, accomplice or accessory. In enacting R.A. 8249, the Congress simply restored the original provisions of P.D. 1606 which does not mention the criminal participation of the public officer as a requisite to determine the jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan.As worded, the Sandiganbayan Law requires that for a felony, coup d’etat in this case, to fall under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan, two requisites must concur, namely: (1) that the public officer or employee occupies the position corresponding to Salary Grade 27 or higher; and (2) that the crime is committed by the public officer or employee in relation to his office. Applying the law to the case at bar, the Majority found that although the first requirement has been met, the second requirement is wanting. I disagree.
Article 134-A. Coup d’etat. – How committed. – The crime of coup d’etat is a swift attack accompanied by violence, intimidation, threat, strategy or stealth, directed against duly constituted authorities of the Republic of the Philippines, or any military camp or installation, communications network, public utilities or other facilities needed for the exercise and continued possession of power, singly or simultaneously carried out anywhere in the Philippines by any person or persons, belonging to the military or police or holding any public office or employment, with or without civilian support or participation for the purpose of seizing or diminishing state power.A coup consists mainly of the military personnel and public officers and employees seizing the controlling levers of the state, which is then used to displace the government from its control of the remainder. As defined, it is a swift attack directed against the duly constituted authorities or vital facilities and installations to seize state power. It is therefore inherent in coup d’etat that the crime be committed “in relation to” the office of a public officer or employee. The violence, intimidation, threat, strategy or stealth which are inherent in the crime can only be accomplished by those who possess a degree of trust reposed on such person in that position by the Republic of the Philippines. It is by exploiting this trust that the swift attack can be made. Since the perpetrators take advantage of their official positions, it follows that coup d’etat can be committed only through acts directly or intimately related to the performance of official functions, and the same need not be proved since it inheres in the very nature of the crime itself.
SECTION 15. Powers, Functions and Duties. – The Office of the Ombudsman shall have the following powers, functions and duties:In Uy v. Sandiganbayan,[5] the extent and scope of the jurisdiction of the Office of the Ombudsman to conduct investigations was described as:
- 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, it may take over, at any stage, from any investigatory agency of Government, the investigation of such cases; x x x.[4]
The power to investigate and to prosecute granted by law to the Ombudsman is plenary and unqualified. It pertains to any act or omission of any public officer or employee when such act or omission appears to be illegal, unjust, improper or inefficient. The law does not make a distinction between cases cognizable by the Sandiganbayan and those cognizable by regular courts. It has been held that the clause “any illegal act or omission of any public official” is broad enough to embrace any crime committed by a public officer or employee.The “primary jurisdiction” of the Office of the Ombudsman in cases cognizable by the Sandiganbayan was reiterated in Laurel v. Desierto:[6]
The reference made by RA 6770 to cases cognizable by the Sandiganbayan, particularly in Section 15 (1) giving the Ombudsman primary jurisdiction over cases cognizable by the Sandiganbayan, and Section 11 (4) granting the Special Prosecutor the power to conduct preliminary investigation and prosecute criminal cases within the jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan, should not be construed as confining the scope of the investigatory and prosecutory power of the Ombudsman to such cases.
Section 15 of RA 6770 gives the Ombudsman primary jurisdiction over cases cognizable by the Sandiganbayan. The law defines such primary jurisdiction as authorizing the Ombudsman “to take over, at any stage, from any investigatory agency of the government, the investigation of such cases.” The grant of this authority does not necessarily imply the exclusion from its jurisdiction of cases involving public officers and employees cognizable by other courts. The exercise by the Ombudsman of his primary jurisdiction over cases cognizable by the Sandiganbayan is not incompatible with the discharge of his duty to investigate and prosecute other offenses committed by public officers and employees. Indeed, it must be stressed that the powers granted by the legislature to the Ombudsman are very broad and encompass all kinds of malfeasance, misfeasance and non-feasance committed by public officers and employees during their tenure of office.“Primary Jurisdiction” usually refers to cases involving specialized disputes where the practice is to refer the same to an administrative agency of special competence in observance of the doctrine of primary jurisdiction. This Court has said that it cannot or will not determine a controversy involving a question which is within the jurisdiction of the administrative tribunal before the question is resolved by the administrative tribunal, where the question demands the exercise of sound administrative discretion requiring the special knowledge, experience and services of the administrative tribunal to determine technical and intricate matters of fact, and a uniformity of ruling is essential to comply with the premises of the regulatory statute administered.[7] The objective of the doctrine of primary jurisdiction is “to guide a court in determining whether it should refrain from exercising its jurisdiction until after an administrative agency has determined some question or some aspect of some question arising in the proceeding before the court.”[8] It applies where a claim is originally cognizable in the courts and comes into play whenever enforcement of the claim requires the resolution of issues which, under a regulatory scheme, has been placed within the special competence of an administrative body; in such case, the judicial process is suspended pending referral of such issues to the administrative body for its view.[9]
The prosecution of offenses committed by public officers and employees is one of the most important functions of the Ombudsman. In passing RA 6770, the Congress deliberately endowed the Ombudsman with such power to make him a more active and effective agent of the people in ensuring accountability n public office. A review of the development of our Ombudsman laws reveals this intent.These pronouncements are in harmony with the constitutional mandate of he Office of the Ombudsman, as expressed in Article XI of the Constitution.
SECTION 12. The Ombudsman and his Deputies, as protectors of the people, shall act promptly on complaints filed in any form or manner against public officials or employees of the Government, or any agency, subdivision or instrumentality thereof, including government-owned or controlled corporations, and shall, in appropriate cases, notify the complainants of the actions taken and the result thereof. (Underscoring supplied.)Coupled with these provisions, Section 13 of the Ombudsman Act of 1989 provides:
SECTION 13. The Office of the Ombudsman shall have the following powers, functions, and duties:
(1) Investigate on its own, or on complaint by any person, any act or omission of any public official, employee, office or agency, when such act or omission appears to be illegal, unjust, improper, or inefficient. x x x.
SECTION 13. Mandate. – The Ombudsman and his Deputies, as protectors of the people, shall act promptly on complaints filed in any form or manner against officers or employees of the Government, or of any subdivision, agency or instrumentality thereof, including government-owned or controlled corporations, and enforce their administrative, civil and criminal liability in every case where the evidence warrants in order to promote efficient service by the Government to the people. (Underscoring supplied)The Constitution and the Ombudsman Act of 1989 both mention, unequivocally, that the Office of the Ombudsman has the duty and mandate to act on the complaints filed against officers or employees of the Government. It is imperative that this duty be exercised in order to make real the role of the Office of the Ombudsman as a defender of the people’s interest specially in cases like these which have partisan political taint.