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SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 585 2/17/17, 2:10 PM
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* EN BANC.
617
was made and whether the offender profited or hoped to profit from
such falsification are no longer material.
Same; Same; The fact that the Employees Clearance was
circulated to the different division heads for their signatures is
already considered use of falsified documents as contemplated in
Article 172.The records further show that petitioner used or
uttered the Employees Clearance. The fact that the same was
circulated to the different division heads for their signatures is
already considered use of falsified documents as contemplated in
Article 172. The lack of the stamp mark Received in the
Employees Clearance does not mean that said document was not
received by the Office of the Regional Governor. We find the
certification signed by Atty. Randolph C. Parcasio, Executive
Secretary of Office of the Regional Governor-ARMM, as contained in
the Employees Clearance, to be sufficient proof that the same was
submitted to the Office of the Regional Governor. It must be
stressed that the Executive Secretary is part of the Office of the
Regional Governor.
Same; Same; Denials; Denial, when unsubstantiated by clear
and convincing evidence, is negative and self-serving evidence,
which deserves no greater evidentiary value than the testimony of
credible witnesses who testify on affirmative matters.Petitioners
denial, unsubstantiated and uncorroborated, must certainly fail.
Denial, when unsubstantiated by clear and convincing evidence, is
negative and self-serving evidence, which deserves no greater
evidentiary value than the testimony of credible witnesses who
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CHICO-NAZARIO,J.:
Before Us is a petition for review on certiorari which
seeks to set aside the Decision1 of the Sandiganbayan in
Crim. Case No. 27483 promulgated on 7 August 2007
which found petitioner Normallah A. Pacasum guilty of
Falsification under Article 171, paragraph 1 of the Revised
Penal Code, and its Resolution2 dated 22 October 2007
denying petitioners Motion for Reconsideration and Motion
for New Trial/Reception of Newly Discovered Evidence.
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1 Penned by Associate Justice Rodolfo A. Ponferrada with Associate
Justices Gregory S. Ong and Jose R. Hernandez, concurring; Records,
Vol. 1, pp. 527-555.
2 Records, Vol. 2, pp. 41-50.
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3 Should be Employees Clearance. See Exh. A-2, Folder of
Exhibits.
4 Records, Vol. 1, p. 1.
5 Id., at pp. 23-24.
6 Id., at pp. 48-51.
7 Id., at pp. 114-115.
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8 Id., at pp. 129-130.
9 Id., at pp. 180-183.
10 Id., at p. 182.
11 TSN, 6 April 2005.
12 Id.
13 TSN, 14 June 2005.
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14 Exh. A-5, Folder of Exhibits.
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16 Exhs. A-2-b to A-2-g, Folder of Exhibits.
17 Spelled as Maricris by the Sandiganbayan.
18 Exh. A-2-a, Folder of Exhibits.
19 Exh. A-1, Folder of Exhibits.
20 Exh. A-3, Folder of Exhibits.
21 Exh. A-4, Folder of Exhibits.
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22 Exh. A-4-a, Folder of Exhibits.
23 Exhs. A-6 and A-7, Folder of Exhibits.
24 Exhs. A-8 and A-9, Folder of Exhibits.
25 Records, Vol. 1, pp. 260-265.
26 Id., at pp. 268-276.
27 Id., at p. 284.
626
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28 TSN, 5 February 2007, p. 17.
29 Id., at p. 19.
627
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Clearance was necessary, and for this reason she had this
document prepared by her staff. She said her Employees
Clearance was always in the possession of Marie Cris, her
assistant secretary. It was Marie Cris who showed her the
document twice.31
Atty. Jose I. Lorena, former ARMM Solicitor General,
testified that he was familiar with the Memorandum dated
8 August 2000 issued by Gov. Misuari because the same
was the product of consultation among him, Gov. Misuari
and ARMM Executive Secretary Parcasio. He explained
that this memorandum pertained only to outstanding cash
advances. He added that an Employees Clearance was not
a requirement and was not sufficient to comply with the
directive contained in the memorandum, because what was
required for the purpose of release of salaries was a credit
notice from the Resident Auditors of the Commission on
Audit.
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30 Id., at p. 29.
31 Id., at p. 50.
628
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32 Records, Vol. 1, pp. 451-453
33 Id., Exh. 1 is the same as Exh. A-5; Exh. 2 is the same as Exh.
A-2, Folder of Exhibits.
34 Id., at p. 554.
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35 Records, Vol. 2, pp. 5-11.
36 Id., at pp. 18-24.
37 Id., at pp. 25-31.
38 Id., at pp. 35-39.
39 Id., at pp. 41-50.
40 Rollo, p. 188.
41 Id.
42 Id., at pp. 195-218.
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43 Id., at p. 219.
44 Id., at pp. 226-237.
45 Id., at pp. 242-265, 266-279.
46 Id., at p. 14.
632
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47 Exhibit A-5, Folder of Exhibits.
633
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48Ramon C. Aquino, THE REVISED PENAL CODE (1997 Edition), Vol. II,
p. 233, citing US v. Viloria, 1 Phil. 682, 684-685 (1903).
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50 TSN, 6 February 2007, p. 20.
51 TSN, 5 February 2007, p. 17.
52 Id., at p. 42.
53 Id., at p. 44.
635
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54 Caubang v. People, G.R. No. 62634, 26 June 1992, 210 SCRA 377,
392.
55 Lumancas v. Intas, 400 Phil. 785, 798; 347 SCRA 22, 33-34 (2000),
citing People v. Po Giok To, 96 Phil. 913, 918 (1955).
636
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56People v. Maglente, G.R. No. 179712, 27 June 2008, 556 SCRA 447,
468.
57 People v. Agsaoay, Jr., G.R. Nos. 132125-26, 3 June 2004, 430
SCRA 450, 466.
58 Pre-Trial Order, Records, Vol. 1, p. 181.
637
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59 Caubang v. People, supra note 51 at p. 390.
638
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that she is the material author of the falsification. And despite full
opportunity, she was not able to rebut such presumption by failing
to show that it was another person who forged or falsified the
signature of Laura Pangilan or that at least another person and not
she alone, had the reason or motive to commit the forgery or
falsification, or was or could have been benefited by such
falsification/forgery.60
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60 Rollo, pp. 546-549.
61 Nierva v. People, G.R. No. 153133, 26 September 2006, 503 SCRA
114, 124-125.
639
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62 Republic v. Vda. de Neri, 468 Phil. 842, 862-863; 424 SCRA 676,
692-693 (2004), citing Francisco, The Revised Rules of Court in the
Philippines (Vol. VII, Part II), p. 7.
63Fullero v. People, G.R. No. 170583, 12 September 2007, 533 SCRA
97, 113.
64 Mangangey v. Sandiganbayan, G.R. Nos. 147773-74, 18 February
2008, 546 SCRA 51, 65.
640
Section 3, Rule 130 of the Rules of Court provides that when the
subject of inquiry is the contents of a document, no evidence shall
be admissible other than the original document itself. The purpose
of the rule requiring the production by the offeror of the best
evidence if the prevention of fraud, because if a party is in
possession of such evidence and withholds it and presents inferior
or secondary evidence in its place, the presumption is that the latter
evidence is withheld from the court and the adverse party for a
fraudulent or devious purpose which its production would expose
and defeat. Hence, as long as the original evidence can be had, the
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65 Rollo, pp. 550-552.
66 Sec.3.Original document must be produced; exceptions.When
the subject of inquiry is the contents of a document, no evidence shall be
admissible other than the original document itself, except in the
following cases: (a) When the original has been lost or
642
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destroyed, or cannot be produced in court, without bad faith on the part of
the offeror; (b) When the original is in the custody or under the control of the
party against whom the evidence is offered, and the latter fails to produce it
after reasonable notice; (c) When the original consists of numerous accounts or
other documents which cannot be examined in court without great loss of time
and the fact sought to be established from them is only the general result of the
whole; and (d) When the original is a public record in the custody of a public
officer or is recorded in a public office.
643
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accused.
As prayed for by the accused, she is given the last chance
to present her evidence on October 9 and 10, 2006, both at 8:30
644
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QWould you know where (sic) the whereabouts of this Sec. Parcasio
would be (sic) at this time?
AHe lives in Davao but after what happened to Gov. Misuari, we have
not got together with the other members of the cabinet of Gov.
Misuari, but he lives in Davao, sir.
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68 TSN, 5 February 2007, pp. 21-22.
648
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69 Fullero v. People, supra note 63 at p. 114.
649
DISSENTING OPINION
QUISUMBING,J.:
With due respect, I dissent from the majority opinion. I
vote to grant the petition and reverse the decision of the
Sandiganbayan finding petitioner Normallah A. Pacasum
guilty beyond reasonable doubt of the crime of falsification
under Article 171, paragraph 1, of the Revised Penal Code.
In my view, it is erroneous to convict petitioner because
of the following grounds:
First, there is lack of sufficient evidence to prove
petitioners guilt beyond reasonable doubt. Article 171,
paragraph1 of the Revised Penal Code punishes any public
officer, employee, or notary who, taking advantage of
his/her official position shall falsify a document by
counterfeiting or imitating any handwriting, signature, or
rubric.
The elements of falsification of public document are as
follows:
(a)the offender is a public officer, employee or
notary public;
(b)s/he takes advantage of his/her official
position;
(c)s/he falsifies a document by committing any of
the acts mentioned in Article 171 of the Revised Penal
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1 Art.171.Falsification by public officer, employee or notary or
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2Flores v. Layosa, G.R. No. 154714, August 12, 2004, 436 SCRA 337,
349.
3 Eugenio v. People of the Philippines, G.R. No. 168163, March 26,
2008, 549 SCRA 433, 447.
4 Id., at p. 449.
651
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