This document is a Republic Act from the Congress of the Philippines that amends Presidential Decree No. 1486, which established the jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan court. The amendments expand the jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan to include additional cases involving public officials and employees. It also allows the court to hold sessions outside of Metro Manila to hear cases from different regions of the country.
This document is a Republic Act from the Congress of the Philippines that amends Presidential Decree No. 1486, which established the jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan court. The amendments expand the jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan to include additional cases involving public officials and employees. It also allows the court to hold sessions outside of Metro Manila to hear cases from different regions of the country.
This document is a Republic Act from the Congress of the Philippines that amends Presidential Decree No. 1486, which established the jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan court. The amendments expand the jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan to include additional cases involving public officials and employees. It also allows the court to hold sessions outside of Metro Manila to hear cases from different regions of the country.
Metro Manila Tenth Congress Begun and held in Metro Manila, on Monday, the twenty-third day of July, two thousand seven. Republic Act No. 8249 February 5 !99" AN ACT F#RT$%R &%F'N'N( T$% )#R'*&'CT'+N +F T$% *AN&'(AN,A-AN A.%N&'N( F+R T$% P#RP+*% PR%*'&%NT'A/ &%CR%% N+. !010 A* A.%N&%& PR+2'&'N( F#N&* T$%R%F+R AN& F+R +T$%R P#RP+*%* Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:: *ection !. The first paragraph of Section 1 of Presidential ecree !o. 1"#", as a$ended, is here%y further a$ended to read as follows: &S'(T)*! 1. Sandigan%ayan+ (o$position, ,ualifications+ Tenure+ -e$oval and (o$pensation. - . special court, of the sa$e level as the (ourt of .ppeals and possessing all the inherent powers of a court of/ustice, to %e 0nown as the Sandigan%ayan is here%y created co$posed of a presiding /ustice and fourteen associate /ustices who shall %e appointed %y the President.& *ection 2. Section 1 of the sa$e decree is here%y further a$ended to read as follows: &S'(T)*! 1. *fficial Station+ Place of 2olding Sessions. - The Sandigan%ayan shall have its principal office in the Metro Manila area and shall hold sessions thereat for the trial and deter$ination of cases filed with it: Provided, however, That cases originating fro$ the principal geographical regions of the country, that is, fro$ 3u4on, 5isayas or Mindanao, shall %e heard in their respective regions of origin e6cept only when the greater convenience of the accused and of the witnesses, or other co$pelling considerations re7uire the contrary, in which instance a case originating fro$ one geographical region $ay %e heard in another geographical region: Provided, further, That for this purpose the presiding /ustice shall authori4e any divisions of the court to hold sessions at any ti$e and place outside Metro Manila and, where the interest of /ustice so re7uires, outside the territorial %oundaries of the Philippines. The Sandigan%ayan $ay re7uire the services of the personnel and the use of facilities of the courts or other govern$ent offices where any of the divisions is holding sessions and the personnel of such courts or offices shall %e su%/ect to the orders of the Sandigan%ayan.& *ection 3. The second paragraph of Section 8 of the sa$e decree is here%y deleted. *ection 4. Section 9 of the sa$e decree is here%y further a$ended to read as follows: &a. 5iolations of -epu%lic .ct !o. 8#1:, as a$ended, otherwise 0nown as the .nti-graft and (orrupt Practices .ct, -epu%lic .ct !o. 18;:, and (hapter )), Section 1, Title 5)), Boo0 )) of the -evised Penal (ode, where one or $ore of the accused are officials occupying the following positions in the govern$ent whether in a per$anent, acting or interi$ capacity, at the ti$e of the co$$ission of the offense: &<1= *fficials of the e6ecutive %ranch occupying the positions of regional director and higher, otherwise classified as >rade ?1;? and higher, of the (o$pensation and Position (lassification .ct of 1:@: <-epu%lic .ct !o. ";A@=, specifically including: 1 &<a= Provincial governors, vice-governors, $e$%ers of the sangguniang panlalawigan and provincial treasurers, assessors, engineers and other provincial depart$ent heads+ &<%= (ity $ayors, vice-$ayors, $e$%ers of the sangguniang panlungsod, city treasurers, assessors engineers and other city depart$ent heads+ &<c= *fficials of the diplo$atic service occupying the position of consul and higher+ &<d= Philippine ar$y and air force colonels, naval captains, and all officers of higher ran0+ &<e= *fficers of the Philippine !ational Police while occupying the position of provincial director and those holding the ran0 of senior superintendent or higher+ &<f= (ity and provincial prosecutors and their assistants, and officials and prosecutors in the *ffice of the *$%uds$an and special prosecutor+ &<g= Presidents, directors or trustees, or $anagers of govern$ent-owned or -controlled corporations, state universities or educational institutions or foundations+ &<1= Me$%ers of (ongress and officials thereof classified as >rade?1;?and up under the (o$pensation and Position (lassification .ct of 1:@:+ &<8= Me$%ers of the /udiciary without pre/udice to the provisions of the (onstitution+ &<9= (hair$en and $e$%ers of (onstitutional (o$$issions, without pre/udice to the provisions of the (onstitution+ and &<A= .ll other national and local officials classified as >rade?1;?and higher under the (o$pensation and Position (lassification .ct of 1:@:. &%. *ther offenses orfelonies whether si$ple or co$ple6ed with other cri$es co$$itted %y the pu%lic officials and e$ployees $entioned in su%section a of this section in relation to their office. &c. (ivil and cri$inal cases filed pursuant to and in connection with '6ecutive *rder !os. 1, 1, 19 and 19-., issued in 1:@". &)n cases where none of the accused are occupying positions corresponding to salary grade ?1;? or higher, as prescri%ed in the said -epu%lic .ct !o. ";A@, or $ilitary or P!P officers $entioned a%ove, e6clusive original /urisdiction thereof shall %e vested in the proper regional trial court, $etropolitan trial court, $unicipal trial court and $unicipal circuit trial court ? as the case $ay %e, pursuant to their respective /urisdiction as provided in Batas Pa$%ansa Blg. 11:, as a$ended. &The Sandigan%ayan shall e6ercise e6clusive appellate /urisdiction over final /udg$ents, resolutions or orders or regional trial courts whether in the e6ercise of their own original /urisdiction orof their appellate /urisdiction as herein provided. &The Sandigan%ayan shall have e6clusive original /urisdiction over petitions for the issuance of the writs of $anda$us, prohi%ition, certiorari, ha%eas corpus, in/unctions, and other 2 ancillary writs and processes in aid of its appellate /urisdiction and over petitions of si$ilar nature, including 7uo warranto, arising or that $ay arise in cases filed or which $ay %e filed under '6ecutive *rder !os. 1,1,19 and 19-., issued in 1:@": Provided, That the /urisdiction over these petitions shall not %e e6clusive of the Supre$e (ourt. The procedure prescri%ed in Batas Pa$%ansa Blg. 11:, as well as the i$ple$enting rules that the Supre$e (ourt has pro$ulgated and $ay hereafter pro$ulgate, relative to appealsBpetitions for review to the (ourt of .ppeals, shall apply to appeals and petitions for review filed with the Sandigan%ayan. )n all cases elevated to the Sandigan%ayan and fro$ the Sandigan%ayan to the Supre$e (ourt, the *ffice of the *$%uds$an, through its special prosecutor, shall represent the People of the Philippines, e6cept in cases filed pursuant to '6ecutive *rder !os. 1, 1, 19 and 19-., issued in 1:@". &)n case private individuals are charged as co-principals, acco$plices or accessories with the pu%lic officers or e$ployees, including those e$ployed in gove$$ent-owned or controlled corporations, they shall %e tried /ointly with said pu%lic officers and e$ployees in the proper courts which shall e6ercise e6clusive /urisdiction over the$. &.ny provisions of law or -ules of (ourt to the contrary notwithstanding, the cri$inal action and the corresponding civil action for the recovery of civil lia%ility shall at all ti$es %e si$ultaneously instituted with, and /ointly deter$ined in, the sa$e proceeding %y the Sandigan%ayan or the appropriate courts, the filing of the cri$inal action %eing dee$ed to necessarily carry with it the filing of the civil action, and no right to reserve the filing of such civil action separately fro$ the cri$inal action shall %e recogni4ed: Provided, however, That where the civil action had therefore %een filed separately %ut /udg$ent therein has not yet %een rendered, and the cri$inal case is hereafter filed with the Sandigan%ayan or the appropriate court, said civil action shall %e transferred to the Sandigan%ayan or the appropriate court, as the case $ay %e, for consolidation and /oint deter$ination with the cri$inal action, otherwise the separate civil action shall %e dee$ed a%andoned.& *ection 5. Section ; of the sa$e decree is here%y further a$ended to read as follows: ?S'(T)*! ;. Cor$, Cinality and 'nforce$ent of ecisions. - .ll decisions and final orders deter$ining the $erits of a case or finally disposing of the action or proceedings of the Sandi/an%ayan shall contain co$plete findings of the facts and the law on which they are %ased, on all issues properly raised %efore it and necessary in deciding the case. &. petition for reconsideration of any final order or decision $ay %e filed within fifteen <1A= days fro$ pro$ulgation or notice of the final order on /udg$ent, and such $otion for reconsideration shall %e decided within thirty <8#= days fro$ su%$ission thereon. &ecisions and final orders ofthe Sandigan%yan shall %e appeala%le to the Supre$e (ourt %y petition for review on certiorari raising pure 7uestions of law in accordance with -ule 9A of the -ules of (ourt. Dhenever, in any case decided %y the Sandigan%ayan, the penalty of reclusion perpetua, life i$prison$ent or death is i$posed, the decision shall %e appeala%le to the Supre$e (ourt in the $anner prescri%ed in the -ules of (ourt. &Judg$ents and orders of the Sandigan%ayan shall %e e6ecuted and enforced in the $anner provided %y law. &ecisions and final orders of other courts in cases cogni4a%le %y said courts under this decree as well as those rendered %y the$ in the e6ercise of their appellate /urisdiction shall %e appeala%le to, or %e reviewa%le %y, the Sandigan%ayan in the $anner provided %y -ule 111 of the -ules of the (ourt. 3 &)n case, however, the i$posed penalty %y the Sandigan%ayan or the regional trial court in the proper e6ercise of their respective /urisdictions, is death, review %y the Supre$e (ourt shall %e auto$atic, whether or not accused files an appeal.& *ection 0. Appropriations. - The a$ount necessary to carry out the initial i$ple$entation of this .ct shall %e charged against the current fiscal year appropriations of the Sandigan%ayan. Thereafter, such su$s as $ay %e needed for its continued i$ple$entation shall %e included in the annual >eneral .ppropriations .ct. *ection ". Transitory Provision. - This .ct shall apply to all cases pending in any court over which trial has not %egun as of the approval hereof *ection 8. Separability of Provisions. - )f for any reason any provision of this .ct is declared unconstitutional or invalid, such parts or portions not affected there%y shall re$ain in full force and effect. *ection 9. Repealing Clause. - .ll acts, decrees, general orders and circulars, or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this .ct are here%y repealed or $odified accordingly. *ection !1. Effectivity. - This .ct shall ta0e effect fifteen <1A= days after its co$plete pu%lication in at least two <1= newspapers of general circulation. .pproved: <Sgd.= %RN%*T+ .. .AC%&A President of the Senate <Sgd.= )+*% &% 2%N%C'A )R. Spea0er of the 2ouse of -epresentatives This .ct which is a consolidation of 2ouse Bill !o. A818 and Senate Bill !o. @99 was finally passed %y the 2ouse of -epresentatives and the Senate on January 1@,1::; and January 1:, 1::;, respectively. <Sgd.= /+R%N4+ %. /%-N%* )R. Secretary of Senate <Sgd.= R+,%RT+ P. NA4AR%N+ Secretary >eneral 2ouse of -epresenatives .pproved: February 5 !99" <Sgd.= F'&%/ 2. RA.+* President of the Philippines 4