Rule 119 People vs. Sandiganbayan

People vs Sandiganbayan
GR Nos. 185729-32
Doctrines
Immunity statutes seek to provide a balance between the states interests and the individuals right
against self-incrimination. To secure his testimony without exposing him to the risk of prosecution,
the law recognizes that the witness can be given immunity from prosecution.
Under RA 6770 Sec 17, the Ombudsman may grant immunity from criminal prosecution to any
person whose testimony or whose possession and production of documents or other evidence may
be necessary to determine the truth in any hearing, inquiry or proceeding being conducted by the
Ombudsman or under its authority, in the performance or in the furtherance of its constitutional
functions and statutory objectives. The immunity granted under this and the immediately preceding
paragraph shall not exempt the witness from criminal prosecution for perjury or false testimony nor
shall he be exempt from demotion or removal from office.
Facts
Homero A. Mercado, was the President of JAM Liner, Inc. The other respondents, Belicena,
Andutan Jr., De Vera, and Diala, were Department of Finance (DOF) officials formerly assigned at
its One-Stop Shop Inter-Agency Tax Credit and Drawback Center (DOF One-Stop Shop).
In 2000, showing willingness to testify against the criminal syndicate that allegedly ran the tax
credit scam at the DOF One-Stop Shop, Mercado applied with the DOJ for immunity as state
witness under its witness protection program. On June 5, 2000 the DOJ favorably acted on the
application and granted immunity to Mercado. Still, since the investigation of the case fell within the
authority of the Office of the Ombudsman, the latter charged him and the other respondents before
the Sandiganbayans Fourth Division with violations of Section 3(j) of Republic Act 3019 and two
counts of falsification.
The first information alleged that respondent DOF officials approved and issued in 1996 Tax Credit
Certificate 7711 for P7,350,444.00 in favor of JAM Liner, Inc. for domestic capital equipment
although it did not qualify for such tax credit. The second Information alleged that they further
illegally issued in 1996 Tax Credit Certificate 7708 for P4,410,265.50 in favor of the same company
covering its purchase of six Mitsubishi buses.
Mercado filed a motion for reconsideration or reinvestigation before the Ombudsman, citing the
DOJs grant of immunity to him. Acting favorably on the motion, on September 4, 2003 the
Ombudsman executed an Immunity Agreement with Mercado. The agreement provided that, in
consideration for granting him immunity from suit, Mercado would produce all relevant documents
in his possession and testify against the accused in all the cases, criminal or otherwise, that may
be filed against them. Accordingly, on the same date, the Ombudsman filed a motion to discharge
Mercado from the information involving him.
On April 30, 2008 the Sandiganbayan issued a Resolution, denying the Ombudsmans motion.
That court held that the pieces of evidence adduced during the hearing of the Ombudsmans
motion failed to establish the conditions required under Section 17, Rule 119 of the Rules of Court
for the discharge of an accused as a state witness. The Ombudsman filed a motion for
reconsideration but the court denied it on November 6, 2008, hence, this petition of the People of
the Philippines.
Issues
Whether or not the Sandiganbayan gravely abused its discretion in refusing to recognize the
immunity from criminal prosecution that the Ombudsman granted respondent Mercado and, as a
result, in declining to discharge him from the information as a state witness.
Rulling
The Ombudsman had already filed with the Sandiganbayan the criminal action against Mercado
and the other respondents prior to the Ombudsmans grant of immunity to Mercado. Having
already acquired jurisdiction over Mercados case, it remained within the Sandiganbayans power
to determine whether or not he may be discharged as a state witness in accordance with Section
17, Rule 119 of the Rules of Criminal Procedure.
In any event, the question before the Sandiganbayan was whether or not Mercado met, from its
point of view, the following requirements of Section 17, Rule 119 for the discharge of an accused to
be a state witness: (a) there is absolute necessity for the testimony of the accused whose
discharge is requested; (b) there is no other direct evidence available for the proper prosecution of
the offense committed, except the testimony of said accused; (c) the testimony of said accused
can be substantially corroborated in its material points; (d) said accused does not appear to be the
most guilty; and (e) said accused has not at any time been convicted of any offense involving
moral turpitude.
The authority to grant immunity is not an inherent judicial function. Indeed, Congress has vested
such power in the Ombudsman as well as in the Secretary of Justice. Besides, the decision to
employ an accused as a state witness must necessarily originate from the public prosecutors
whose mission is to obtain a successful prosecution of the several accused before the courts. The
latter do not as a rule have a vision of the true strength of the prosecutions evidence until after the
trial is over. Consequently, courts should generally defer to the judgment of the prosecution and
deny a motion to discharge an accused so he can be used as a witness only in clear cases of
failure to meet the requirements of Section 17, Rule 119.
The records, particularly Mercados consolidated affidavit, show that his testimony if true could be
indispensable in establishing the circumstances that led to the preparation and issuance of
fraudulent tax credit certificates. Indeed, nobody appears to be in a better position to testify on this
than he, as president of JAM Liner, Inc., the company to which those certificates were issued.
No one can underestimate Mercados testimony since he alone can provide a detailed picture of
the fraudulent scheme that went into the approval and issuance of the tax credit certificates. The
documents can show the irregularities but not the detailed events that led to their issuance. As
correctly pointed out by the prosecution, Mercados testimony can fill in the gaps in the evidence.
The immunity granted to Mercado does not blot out the fact that he committed the offense. While
he is liable, the State saw a higher social value in eliciting information from him rather than in
engaging in his prosecution.

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