The Arroyo Plunder Case: What did the Supreme Court Say? (Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo v. People of the Philippines and the Sandiganbayan ) G.R. No. 220598 On July 19, 2016, the Supreme Court, votn! 11"#, h$% &%m%%e& the plun&er '$%e $!$n%t $!$n%t ormer ormer re%& re%&ent ent $n& re"ele'te re"ele'te& & $mp$n! $mp$n!$ $ Repre%en epre%ent$tv t$tve e Glor$ Glor$ *$'$p$!$l"+rroyo *$'$p$!$l"+rroyo n 'onne'ton th the $lle!e& m%u%e o CSO ntell!en'e un&%. -he '$%e $% le& /y the Om/u&%m$n on July 16, 2012. +rroyo $n& her 'o" $''u%e&, $''u%e&, n'lu&n! n'lu&n! CSO u&!et $n& +''ount +''ount% % O'er en!no en!no +!u$% +!u$% $n& CSO Gener$ Gener$ll *$n$!e *$n$!err $n& 'e 'e Ch$r Ch$rm$n m$n Ro%$r o%$ro o 3r$r 3r$rte, te, ere ere 'h$r! 'h$r!e& e& to h$ve h$ve 'on%pre& n the $m$%%n!, $''umul$tn! $n& $'4urn! o ll"!otten e$lth (pu/l' un&%) $mountn! to more th$n 65 mllon, throu!h $ %ere% o the ollon! $'t% 'ommtte& n 2008"2010 7 vertn! un&% rom the oper$tn! /u&!et o the CSO to t% 'on&ent$l $n& ntell!en'e ntell!en'e un&: (C;<) (C;<) $n& 'onvertn!, 'onvertn!, m%u%n m%u%n! ! $n& lle!$lly lle!$lly 'onveyn! 'onveyn! or tr$n%errn! the un& to them%elve% n the !u%e o 'ttou% e=pen&ture% > or ther per%on$l !$n or /enet. 7 R$& $&n! n! the the pu/l pu/l' ' tre$ tre$%u %ury ry /y th th&r &r$ $n n!, !, re'e e'ev vn! n!,, unl$ unl$ ul ully ly tr$n%er tr$n%errn rn! ! or 'onveyn 'onveyn! ! the %o"'$lle& %o"'$lle& 'on&ent 'on&ent$l $l $n& ntell!e ntell!en'e n'e un&: nto ther po%%e%%on $n& 'ontrol throu!h rre!ul$rly %%ue& &%/ur%ement vou'her% $n& 'ttou% e=pen&ture%. 7 -$?n! $?n! $&v$nt $&v$nt$!e $!e o ther ther re%pe re%pe't 'tve ve o'$l o'$l po%t po%ton% on% $n& $uthor $uthorty ty to un@u%tly enr'h them%elve% n the $orementone& %um. Aere % $ %umm$ry o the ruln!
I.
The The Pros Prosec ecut utio ion n did did not not prop proper erly ly all alleg ege e and and prov prove e the the exis existe tenc nce e of conspiracy among !A" Aguas and #riarte. $. -he S$n&! S$n&!$n/ $n/$y$ $y$n n 'omm 'ommtte tte& & G++B G++BJ. J. First , t% 'on'lu%on th$t G*+ h$& /een /een the m$%ter m$%termn mn& & o plun& plun&er er $% $% pl$nl pl$nly y 'on@e' 'on@e'tur tur$lD $lD the norm$ton && not $ver $t $ll th$t %he h$& /een the m$%termn&. Second, Second, the tre$tment o G*+E% h$n&rtten un4u$le& OF: $% $n overt $'t o plun&er $% $/%olutely un$rr$nte& 'on%&ern! th$t %u'h $'t $% $% $ 'ommon 'ommon le!$l pr$'t' pr$'t'e e o %! %!n ny yn! n! $pprov$ $pprov$ll o $ un& un& rele$%e /y the re%&ent. /. -he l$ re4ur re4ure% e% n the the 'rm 'rmn$l n$l 'h$r! 'h$r!e e or plun&e plun&err $!$n% $!$n%tt %ever$ %ever$ll n& n&v v&u &u$l $l% % th$t th$t ther there e mu%t mu%t /e $ m$n m$n plun plun&e &errer $n& $n& her her 'o" 'o" 'on%pr$tor%. ;n other or&%, the $lle!$ton o the heel 'on%pr$'y or express 'on%pr$ 'on%pr$'y 'y n the norm$t norm$ton on $% $ppropr $ppropr$te $te /e'$u%e /e'$u%e the m$n plun&erer oul& then /e &ente& n ether m$nner. O 'our%e, implied 'on%pr$'y implied 'on%pr$'y 'oul& $l%o &enty the m$n plun&erer, /ut th$t $'t mu%t mu%t /e prope properly rly $lle!e $lle!e& & $n& &uly &uly prove proven n /y the the ro%e ro%e'u 'uto ton. n. -he ro%e'uton, n $lle!n! mple& 'on%pr$'y, $le& to $lle!e the m$n plun&erer.
'. -he ro%e'uton % n'orre't n n%%tn! th$t G*+, 3r$rte $n& +!u$% 'ommtte& $'t% %hon! the e=%ten'e o $n mple& 'on%pr$'y $mon! them%elve%, there/y m$?n! $ll o them the m$n plun&erer%. . On Uriartes part . G*+% $pprov$l o 3r$rte% re4ue%t% or $&&ton$l C;<% && not m$?e her p$rt o $ny &e%!n to r$& the pu/l' tre$%ury $% the me$n% to $m$%%, $''umul$te $n& $'4ure ll"!otten e$lth. -here $% NO vol$ton o 1. !etter of "nstr#ction $%&% $ " %n'e the re4ue%t% urn%he& the ull &et$l% o the %pe'' purpo%e% or h'h the un&% oul& /e %pentD the e=pl$n$ton% o the 'r'um%t$n'e% !vn! r%e to the ne'e%%ty o the e=pen&tureD $n& the p$rt'ul$r $m% to /e $''ompl%he& (.e. to prote't CSO% m$!e $n& the nte!rty o t% oper$ton%. 2. 'OA 'irc#lar (o. )%-*&+ % " 'on%&ern! th$t the un&% o the CSO ere 'o"mn!le& nto one $''ount $% e$rly $% 200H. Con%e4uently, $lthou!h only 15I o CSO% revenue% $% $ppropr$te& to $n oper$ton un& rom h'h the C;< 'oul& /e %our'e&, the rem$nn! 85I o CSO% revenue%, $lre$&y 'o"mn!le& th the oper$tn! un&, 'oul& %tll %u%t$n the $&&ton$l re4ue%t%. -he &o'trne o command responsibility * '$nnot $pply %n'e th% '$%e nvolve% nether $ pro/e o G*+E% $'ton% $% the Comm$n&er"n"Che o the +<, nor o $ hum$n r!ht% %%ue. ii. On Ag#as part . -he SC &e'l$re& th$t +!u$%E 'ert'$ton% $n& %!n$ture% on the &%/ur%ement vou'her% ere n%u'ent /$%e% to 'on'lu&e th$t he $% nto $ny 'on%pr$'y to 'ommt plun&er or $ny other 'rme. ,itho#t GMAs participation he co#ld not release any money beca#se there /as then no b#dget available for the additional '"Fs. ,hatever irreg#larities he might have committed did not amo#nt to pl#nder or to any implied conspiracy.
II.
$o proof of amassing" or accumulating" or ac%uiring ill&gotten 'ealth of at least Php() !illion 'as adduced against !A and Aguas. $. -he element% o plun&er $re () -h$t the o0ender is a p#blic o1cer /ho acts by herself or in connivance th mem/er% o her $mly, rel$tve% /y $nty or 'on%$n!unty, /u%ne%% $%%o'$te%, %u/or&n$te% or other per%on%D () -h$t the o0ender amasses acc#m#lates or ac2#ires ill-gotten /ealth throu!h $ 'om/n$ton or %ere% o the overt
1 re4ure& re4ue%t% or $&&ton$l C;<% to /e $''omp$ne& th detailed speci3c pro4ect proposals and speci3cations 2 $lloe& the re%&ent to $pprove the rele$%e o $&&ton$l C;<% only if there /as an existing b#dget to 'over the re4ue%t. to mpute the $'ton% o %u/or&n$te o'er% to $ %uperor o'er
or 'rmn$l $'t% &e%'r/e& un&er Se'. 1(&) o the +nt"lun&er B$D $n& () -h$t the $!!re!$te $mount or tot$l v$lue o the ll"!otten e$lth $m$%%e&, $''umul$te& or $'4ure& % at least Php+5 Million. /. -he corp#s delicti o plun&er % the $m$%%ment, $''umul$ton or $'4u%ton o ll"!otten e$lth v$lue& $t not le%% th$n hp50 *llon. -he ro%e'uton $&&u'e& no ev&en'e %hon! th$t G*+, +!u$% or 3r$rte h$& $m$%%e&, $''umul$te& or $'4ure& ll"!otten e$lth o $ny $mount. -here $% $l%o no ev&en'e %hon! even the remote%t po%%/lty th$t the C;<% o the CSO h$& /een &verte& to ether G*+ or +!u$%, or 3r$rte.
III.
The Prosecution failed to prove the predicate act of raiding the pu*lic treasury. $. -he S$n&!$n/$y$n o/%erve& th$t the ro%e'uton e%t$/l%he& the pre&'$te $'t o raiding the p#blic treas#ry un&er Se'. 1(&) o the +nt" lun&er B$.# ;t 'onten&e& th$t the ro%e'uton nee& not e%t$/l%h th$t the pu/l' o'er h$& bene3ted rom %u'h $'tD $n& th$t h$t $% ne'e%%$ry $% provn! th$t the pu/l' o'er h$& r$&e& the pu/l' 'oer%. /. -he SC &%$!ree& th th% $n& %$& th$t to &%'ern the proper mport o the phr$%e raids on the p#blic treas#ry the ?ey % to loo? $t the $''omp$nyn! or&% misappropriation conversion mis#se or malversation of p#blic f#nds. -he 'ommon thre$& th$t /n&% $ll the our term% to!ether % th$t the pu/l' o'er #sed the property t$?en. '. +l%o, the ro%e'uton % n'orre't n $%%ertn! th$t the Sen$te &el/er$ton% remove& personal bene3t $% $ re4urement or plun&er. -he e='h$n!e% /eteen Sen$tor nrle $n& Sen$tor -$n$&$ reve$l th$t h$t $% remove& rom the 'over$!e o the /ll $n& $% $ person /ho personally bene3ted from the pl#nderers action NO- the per%on$l /enet on the p$rt o the m$n plun&erer or h% 'o"'on%pr$tor%.
S <3BB C;S;ON AR leKKKKGRI20220598.p& rou!ht to you /y S-* e/$te $n& +&vo'$'y So'ety LS-*Stron! LS-*rou& LG*+lun&erC$%e
# Se'ton ; .6e3nition of 7erms. " == = == == &) ;ll"!otten e$lth me$n% $ny $%%et, property, /u%ne%% enterpr%e or m$ter$l po%%e%%on o $ny per%on thn the purve o Se'ton -o hereo, $'4ure& /y hm &re'tly or n&re'tly throu!h &umme%, nomnee%, $!ent%, %u/or&n$te% $n&Kor /u%ne%% $%%o'$te% /y $ny 'om/n$ton or %ere% o the ollon! me$n% or %ml$r %'heme% 1) -hrou!h misappropriation conversion mis#se or malversation of p#blic f#nds or raids on the p#blic treas#ry D
