CELSAP.ACUÑAvs.DEPUTYOMBUDSMANFOR LUZON ON,PEDRO PASCUAandRON ONNI NI ETURL RLA
TOPI C:PERJURY A/ N:Akor anggi changeangdocketnos.t oCASE1,2,and3par adi l il i bog. FACTS: Pet i t i onerAcuñai saf or mert eacheroft heAngel esCi t yNat i onalTr adeSchool( “ ACNTS” ) .RespondentPascuawas ACNTS’Officer I nChar gewhi l er espondentTur l awasamemb mberofi t sf acul t y. On13Jul y1998,acer t ai nEr l i ndaYabut( “ Yabut ” ) ,anot herACNTSt eacher ,t oget herwi t hot herschoolpersonnel , r equest edadi al oguewi t hr espondentPascuaonsome meunspeci fiedmat t er .RespondentPascuaagr eedt ot her equest andt hemeet i ngt ookpl aceon16Jul y1998.RespondentTur l aat t endedt hemeet i nguponr espondentPascua’ s di r ect i ve.Pet i t i oner ,whom Yabutappar ent l yi nvi t ed,al soat t endedt heme meet i ng. Asanoffshoott oani nci dentdur i ngt he16Jul y1998meet i ng,pet i t i onerchargedr espondentPascuawi t hmi mi sconduct ( CASE1)andwi wi t hvi ol at i onofAr t i cl e131oft heRevi sedPenalCode( CASE2)bef or et heOfficeoft heOmbudsma man ( “ Ombudsma man” ) . I nhi sswor ncount er affid ffidavi ti nCASE1,r espondentPascuaal l eged,amo mongot her s,t hat :( 1)CASE1i sa“ r ehashand adupl i cat i onwi t hasl i ghtdevi at i onoff act ”ofanadmi ni st r at i vecasependi ngwi wi t ht heDepar t mentofEducat i on, Cul t ur eandSpor t s( “ DECS” )whi chpet i t i onerandYabutearl i erfil edagai nsthi m and ( 2)Yabuthadnoaut hor i t yt oi nvi t et ot he16Jul y1998meet i nganon-emp mpl oyeeofACN CNTSl i kepet i t i onerconsi der i ng t hathe( r espondentPascua)wast heonewhocal l edt hemeet i ng.RespondentPascuaal sosubmi mi t t edaswor n st at eme mentofr espondentTur l aconfir mi ngt hatr espondentPascuaandnotYabutcal l edt he16Jul y1998meet i ng. TheOmbudsmandi smi ssedBOTHCASES. Cont endi ngt hatpri vat er espondent sperj uredt hemsel vesi nt hei rswornst at eme ment si nCASE1,pet i t i onerchar ged pr i vat er espondent swi t hper j ur y( CASE3)bef or et heoffic fficeoft heDeput yOm Ombudsma manf orLuzon( “ publ i c r espondent ” ) .Pet i t i oneral l egedt hatpr i vat erespondent swer el i abl ef orper j ur ybecause:( 1)t hecompl ai ntsheand Yabutfil edagai nstr espondentPascuabef or et heCi vi lSer vi ceComm mmi ssi on,l at erendor sedt ot heDECS,wasnot “ t hesame me”ashercomp mpl ai nti nCASE1and( 2)i twasYabutandnotr espondentPascuawhocal l edt he16Jul y1998 meet i ng. Pr i vat er espondent sdeni edt hechar geagai nstt hem andsoughtt hedi smi mi ssaloft hecompl ai nt . RULI NG: Theel eme ment sofper j uryunderAr t i cl e183oft heRevi sedPenalCodear e: ( a)t hatt heaccusedma madeast at eme mentunderoat horexecut edanaffid ffidavi tuponama mat eri almat t er ; ( b)t hatt hest at eme mentoraffidavi twasmadebef or eacompet entoffic fficer ,aut hor i zedt or ecei veandadmi ni st eroat h; ( c)t hati nt hatst at ementoraffid ffidavi t ,t heaccusedmadeawi l l f ulanddel i ber at easser t i onofaf al sehood;and,
( d)t hatt heswornst at ementoraffidavi tcont ai ni ngt hef al si t yi sr equi r edbyl aw ormadef oral egalpurpose. Publ i cr espondentcor r ect l yrul edt hatt hefirstandt hi r del ement sar eabsenther ei nt hatpr i vat er espondent s’ st at ement si nt hei rcount er affidavi t si nCASE1werenotmat er i alt ot hatcasenordot heyconst i t ut ewi l l f uland del i ber at easser t i onoff al sehood. FI RSTEl ement :Mat er i al i t y I npr os ec ut i onsf orper j ur y ,amat t eri smat er i ali fi ti st he“ mai nf ac twhi c hwast hes ubj ec toft hei nqui r y ,orany ci r cumst ancewhi cht endst opr ovet hatf actxxx. ”Tohol dpr i vat er espondent sl i abl e,t her emustbeevi dencet hatt hei r assai l edst at ement si nCASE1wer et hesubj ectofi nqui r yi nt hatcase.Pet i t i onerhaspresent ednosuchevi dence. THI RDEl ement :Del i ber at eAssert i onofFal sehood Thet hi r del ementofper j ur yr equi r est hatt heaccusedwi l l f ul l yanddel i ber at el yasser taf al sehood.Goodf ai t horl ack ofmal i cei saval i ddef ense.Here,t heCour tfindst hatr espondentPascua’ sst at ementi nhi scount er affidavi tt hathe cal l edt he16Jul y1998meet i ngdoesnotconst i t ut eadel i ber at easser t i onoff al sehood.Whi l ei twasYabutandsome uni dent i fiedACNTSper sonnelwhor equest edadi al oguewi t hr espondentPascua,i twasr espondentPascua’ s consentt ot hei rr equestwhi chl edt ot hehol di ngoft hemeet i ng.Thus,r espondentPascua’ sst at ementi nquest i oni s notf al semuchl essmal i ci ous.I ti sagoodf ai t hi nt er pr et at i onofevent sl eadi ngt ot hehol di ngoft hemeet i ng. RespondentTur l a’ sst at ementt hatr espondentPascuacal l edt he16Jul y1998meet i ngwasamerer ei t er at i onofwhat r espondentPascuat ol dhi m.Consequent l y,i twascor r ectf orpubl i cr espondentt ohol dt hatsi ncer espondentTur l a mer el yr epeat edwhatheheardf r om r espondentPascua,hecoul dnotbehel dl i abl ef ormaki ngaf al seandmal i ci ous st at ement .
