Republic of The Philippines: Department of Justice National Prosecution Service
Republic of The Philippines: Department of Justice National Prosecution Service
Republic of The Philippines: Department of Justice National Prosecution Service
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
National Prosecution Service
CITY PROSECUTION OFFICE
Province of Pangasinan
City of Udaneta
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CAMILLE CYRE DELA CRUZ,
AURELLA MARQUEZ,
HAYDEE MARIA EDRADA RAMOS,
JANICE EDURA DALUSONG.
Respondents.
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Respondents.
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Hand, for Lack of probable cause the complaint agianst the other respondents
is hereby respectfully recommended to be DISMISSED.
4. Thus, the Respondent likewise prays for the inhibition of the Honorable
Investigating Prosecutors, and the entire Office of the City Prosecutor of Urdaneta
City, in the interest of justice, fairness, and equality. With all due respect, while the
Respondent strongly believes in the probity and integrity of the Honorable
Investigating Prosecutors, it would be in the best interest of all parties, for a new
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Prosecutor to take an objective and “second hard look”, so to speak, and conduct a
reinvestigation of the present matter.
Moreover, the subject case has been the subject of widespread media
attention, and unfair and unfounded publicity, by several media outlets and the
public, which may have cast undue influence on the investigation of this Honorable
Office;
5. With all due respect and deference to this Honorable Office, the
Respondents respectfully moves for the reconsideration of the above cited
Resolutions, for being contrary to the facts, law, jurisprudence, obtaining in the
present case, on the following grounds:
ISSUES
I.
THERE WAS NO DECEIT NOR FRAUDULENT REPRESENTATIONS
AND PRETENSES FROM THE RESPONDENT, TO JUSTIFY THE
PRESENT CHARGE.
II.
THE ELEMENTS OF THE CRIMES CHARGED ARE ABSENT IN THE
PRESENT CASE.
III.
THE LIABILITY IN THE PRESENT CASE, IF ANY, IS CIVIL IN
NATURE, AND NOT CRIMINAL.
IV.
THE “AGGRAVATING” CIRCUMSTANCE, IN RELATION TO
REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10175, WAS NOT DULY AUTHENTICATED OR
PROVEN, PURSUANT TO THE ELECTRONIC EVIDENCE RULE.
ARGUMENTS / DISCUSSION
I.
THERE WAS NO DECEIT NOR FRAUDULENT REPRESENTATIONS
AND PRETENSES FROM THE RESPONDENT.
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(a) by using fictitious name, or actions, falsely pretending to possess
power, influence, qualification, property, credit, agency, business or imaginary
transactions, or by means of other similar deceits.
The elements of the crime of estafa under the foregoing provision are: (1)
there must be a false pretense, fraudulent acts or fraudulent means; (2) such false
pretense, fraudulent act or fraudulent means must be made or executed prior to or
simultaneously with the commission of the fraud; (3) the offended party must have
relied on the false pretense, fraudulent act or fraudulent means and was thus
induced to part with his money or property; and (4) as a result thereof, the
offended party suffered damage.”
In the present case, there was no such false pretenses nor assurances that
were employed by the Respondent against the Complainants. The transactions
mentioned therein, as detailed hereunder, all pertained to truthful and legitimate
businesses and transactions, thus negating the allegations of the Complainants, the
truth of the matter being:
It is undisputed from the record that the Respondent is the sole proprietor of
C&G Dry Goods, engaged in the business of wholesale and retail trading of “ukay-
ukay.” Apart from the aforementioned business, the Respondent is also engaged in
other businesses, namely: C&G Party Needs and Merchandise, Kios Arts and
Crafts Merchandise, C&G Snack Pacl, C&G Trendy Clothing Botique Shop, and a
franchise of M.Lhuiller, all of which are legitimate and registered businesses.
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II.
THE ELEMENTS OF ESTAFA ARE ABSENT IN THE PRESENT CASE.
In the present case, there was no showing of any deceit or estafa employed
by the Respondent. The Supreme Court enunciates in a plethora of cases, that:
It must be noted that our Revised Penal Code was enacted to penalize
unlawful acts accompanied by evil intent denominated as crimes mala in se. The
principal consideration is the existence of malicious intent. There is a concurrence
of freedom, intelligence and intent which together make up the “criminal mind”
behind the “criminal act.” Thus, to constitute a crime, the act must, generally and
in most cases, be accompanied by a criminal intent.Actus non facit reum, nisi mens
sit rea. No crime is committed if the mind of the person performing the act
complained of is innocent.1
“Ordinarily, evil intent must unite with an unlawful act for there to be a
crime. Actus non facit reum, nisi mens sit rea. There can be no crime when the
criminal mind is wanting.”
Further, the elements of the crime of estafa under the foregoing provision
are: (1) there must be a false pretense, fraudulent acts or fraudulent means; (2)
such false pretense, fraudulent act or fraudulent means must be made or executed
prior to or simultaneously with the commission of the fraud; (3) the offended party
must have relied on the false pretense, fraudulent act or fraudulent means and was
thus induced to part with his money or property; and (4) as a result thereof, the
offended party suffered damage.”
In the present case, not a scintilla of evidence was adduced to prove the
element of deceit, as to warrant the finding of Estafa in the present case. Since
there is no factual basis, deceit and damage are essential elements of the offense
and must be established by satisfactory proof to warrant conviction, or in this case,
probable cause for Estafa. It is likewise fundamental that good faith is a defense
in malum in se, such as estafa.
It is apparent and glaring that the nature of the transaction of the parties in
the present case, was not an investment contract, but rather a Contract of Loan. It
was made clear to the Complainants, that the Respondent had a legitimate
business, namely: C&G Dry Goods, engaged in the business of wholesale and
retail trading of “ukay-ukay”, apart from her other businesses.
Thus, the nature of the transaction of the parties, was that the Complainants
would loan her an amount, which she would use to infuse into her business of
purchasing the bales of ukay-ukay. The profits derived therefrom would be
returned to the Complainants, by way of interest, of the loan they extended to her.
Thus, absent any written document as to the nature of their transaction, the
Contract of Loan, is more in accordance with the evidence on record.
Further, the Supreme Court has stated in a plethora of cases, that the
equipoise rule states that where the inculpatory facts and circumstances are
capable of two or more explanations, one of which is consistent with the innocence
of the accused and the other consistent with his guilt, then the evidence does not
fulfil the test of moral certainty and is not sufficient to support a conviction. The
equipoise rule provides that where the evidence in a criminal case is evenly
balanced, the constitutional, presumption of innocence tilts the scales in favor of
the accused. 3
The ruling was similar in People v. Cuyugan.5 In that case, the Supreme
Court acquitted Cuyugan of estafa for failure of the prosecution to prove fraud. It
held that the transaction between Cuyugan and private complainants was a loan to
be used by Cuyugan in her business. Thus, this Court ruled that Cuyugan has the
obligation, which is civil in character, to pay the amount borrowed.
The Supreme Court has consistently ruled that when the source of the
obligation is in fact, a contract, as in a contract of loan, it takes a position
completely inconsistent with the presence of estafa. In estafa, a person parts with
his money because of abuse of confidence or deceit. In a contract, a person
willingly binds himself or herself to give something or to render some
service.50 In estafa, the accused's failure to account for the property received
amounts to criminal fraud. In a contract, a party's failure to comply with his
3 PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, PLAINTIFF AND APPELLEE, VS. FABIAN URZAIS Y LANURIAS, ALEX
BAUTISTA, AND RICKY BAUTISTA ACCUSED, G.R. No. 207662, April 13, 2016
4 G.R. No. 158495, October 21, 2004, 441 SCRA 137.
5 G.R. Nos. 146641-43, November 18, 2002, 392 SCRA 140.
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obligation is only a contractual breach. Thus, any finding that the source of
obligation is a contract negates estafa. The finding, in turn, means that there is no
civil liability ex delicto. Thus, the rulings in the foregoing cases are consistent with
the concept of fused civil and criminal actions, and the different sources of
obligations under our laws.6
IV.
THE “AGGRAVATING” CIRCUMSTANCE, IN RELATION TO
REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10175, WAS NOT DULY AUTHENTICATED OR
PROVEN THROUGH THE ELECTRONIC EVIDENCE RULE.
Section 6. All crimes defined and penalized by the Revised Penal Code, as
amended, and special laws, if committed by, through and with the use of
information and communications technologies shall be covered by the relevant
provisions of this Act. Provided, That the penalty to be imposed shall be one (1)
degree higher than that provided for by the Revised Penal Code, as amended, and
special laws, as the case may be.
However, in the present case, the mere fact was supported only by the self-
serving and bare allegations of the Complainants. Worse, the Complainants failed
to comply with the Authentication of Record Documents. Absent the
authentication, the aforementioned circumstance cannot be considered by the
Investigating Prosecutor, since said documents, may have been tampered or are
inexistent.
6 GLORIA S. DY v. PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, G.R. No. 189081, August 10, 2016
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(a) by evidence that it had been digitally signed by the person purported to have
signed the same;
(b) by evidence that other appropriate security procedures or devices as may be
authorized by the Supreme Court or by law for authentication of electronic
documents were applied to the document; or
(c) by other evidence showing its integrity and reliability to the satisfaction of the
judge.
RULE 7
(b) The reliability of the manner in which its originator was identified;
(d) The familiarity of the witness or the person who made the entry with the
communication and information system;
(e) The nature and quality of the information which went into the
communication and information system upon which the electronic data message or
electronic document was based; or
(f) Other factors which the court may consider as affecting the accuracy or
integrity of the electronic document or electronic data message.
xxx
RULE 9
METHOD OF PROOF
8 VENUS V. DESIERTO, G.R. NO. 130319, OCTOBER 21, 1998, 298 SCRA 196, 221.
9 PILAPIL V. SANDIGANBAYAN, G.R. NO. I 01978, APRIL 7, 1993, 221 SCRA 349, 357
10 219 PHIL. 402 (1985)
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public accusation of crime, from the trouble, expense and anxiety of a public trial,
and also to protect the state from useless and expensive trials.11
Prayer
1. Inhibit from resolving the present case, and elevate/transmit the same to
the respective body of the Department of Justice;
3. Upon a careful review of the facts and law obtaining in the present case,
recommend the withdrawal of the aforementioned Resolution and
corresponding Information.
Other reliefs just and equitable under the premises are also prayed for.
Verification
3. That I have read the contents thereof and the facts stated therein are
true and correct of my personal knowledge and/or on the basis of
copies of documents and records in my possession;
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SHARMAINE JUNIO CASTILLO
ADMINISTERING OFFICER
COPY FURNISHED:
PARTIES
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