Five officials from Barangay 48, Zone 4, District II, Caloocan City were found guilty of Falsification of Public Documents for forging five barangay resolutions. Acting Presiding Judge Rosalia Hipolito-Bunagan of Branch 121 of the Regional Trial Court of Caloocan City sentenced Barangay Chairman Wilfredo Camus, and Kagawads Benito Ching, Claro Ponce, Zacarias Ferrer, and Ramon Acuña to imprisonment of six months to eight years. The accused were also ordered to pay a fine of P2,000 each.
Ombudsman prosecutors presented two witnesses who testified that the Sangguniang Barangay session held on 01 December 2013 was a sham intended to illegally appoint disqualified officials Acuña, Shaneth Ponce, Claro Ponce, Ching, and Ferrer as barangay officials. The accused were also responsible for falsifying resolutions containing the appointment of the afore-mentioned officials.
The Decision stated that, “both prosecution witnesses categorically stated that no meeting was held by the Sangguniang Barangay on December 1, 2013. Accused Acuña failed to contest this fact when he admitted that only he and other accused were present during that so-called meeting. There is also no convincing evidence that the Sanggunian was validly convened with the mere presence of accused Acuña and his allies co-accused.”
“More importantly, no competent witness was presented by the defense to corroborate its postulate of denial that all accused never committed the crime as charged in the Information. The bare assertions of accused Acuña in Court cannot, thus, be sustained,” it added.
Article 171 (2) of the Revised Penal Code states that falsification is “committed by a public officer who falsifies a document by causing it to appear that persons have participated in any act or proceeding when they did not so participate.” ###