TOPIC: FORFEITURE IN FAVOR OF THE STATE ANY PROPERTY FOUND TO HAVE BEEN

UNLAWFULLY ACQUIRED BY ANY PUBLIC OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE (RA 1379) –

“Grossly disproportionate to his lawful income”

G.R. No. 174431               August 6, 2012

The Heirs of JOLLY R. BUGARIN, namely MA. AILEEN H. BUGARIN, MA. LINDA B. ABIOG
and MA. ANNETTE B. SUMULONG, Petitioners,
vs.
REPUBLIC of the PHILIPPINES, Respondent.

FACTS:

The late Bugarin was the Director of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) when the late
Ferdinand E. Marcos was still the president of the country from 1965-1986. After the latter’s
downfall in 1986, the new administration, through the Presidential Commission on Good
Government (PCGG), filed a petition for forfeiture of properties under Republic Act (R.A.) No.
1379 against him with the Sandiganbayan. The latter dismissed the petition for insufficiency of
evidence in its August 13, 1991 Decision.

After the Sandiganbayan denied its motion for reconsideration, the PCGG sought a review of
the dismissal before the Court on December 18, 1991. Sitting En Banc, the Court found
manifest errors and misapprehension of facts leading it "to pore over the evidence extant from
the records," including Bugarin’s very own summary of his property acquisitions. Thereafter, the
Court found Bugarin to have amassed wealth totaling ₱2,170,163.00 from 1968 to 1980 against
his total income for the period 1967 to 1980 totaling only ₱766,548.00. With this, the Court held
on January 30, 2002 that Bugarin’s properties, which were visibly out of proportion to his lawful
income from 1968 to 1980, should be forfeited in favor of the government.

The case was then remanded to the Sandiganbayan "for proper determination of properties to
be forfeited"in favor of the government. Finally, on April 3, 2006, the Sandiganbayan issued its
assailed Resolution ordering the forfeiture of certain properties of Bugarin. 

This petition for review on certiorari under Rule 45 seeks to annul and set aside the April 3,
2006 Resolution  of the Sandiganbayan which ordered the forfeiture of some of the properties of
the. late NBI Director, Jolly R. Bugarin (Bugarin); pursuant to the January 30, 2002 Decision of
this Court in Republic of the Philippines v. Sandiganbayan, and its August 30, 2006 Resolution
which denied the motion for reconsideration.

ISSUE:

Whether or not Bugarin’s properties acquired from 1968 to 1980 which were out of proportion to
his lawful income for the said period should be forfeited in favor of the government.
RULING:

Yes. Section 2 of R.A. No. 1379, or the "Act declaring forfeiture in favor of the state any
property found to have been unlawfully acquired by any public officer or employee providing for
the proceedings therefor," provides:

SEC 2. Filing of Petition. Whenever any public officer or employee has acquired during his
incumbency an amount of property which is manifestly out of proportion to his salary as such
public officer or employee and to his other lawful income and the income from legitimately
acquired property, said property shall be presumed prima facie to have been unlawfully
acquired.

Section 6 of RA No. 1379 reads:

SEC.6. Judgment. If the respondent is unable to show to the satisfaction of the court that he has
lawfully acquired the property in question, then the court shall declare such property, forfeited in
favor of the State, and by virtue of such judgment the property aforesaid shall become property
of the State.

From the summary of Bugarin’s assets, it can readily be seen that all of his real properties were
purchased or constructed, as the case may be, from 1968 to 1980. The total acquisition cost
thereof was ₱1,705,583.00. With the exception of those that had been liquidated, those
acquired from 1981 onward, and those whose year of acquisition could not be determined, his
shareholdings in various corporations and other investments amounted to ₱464,580.00 Hence,
for the period from 1968 to 1980, he amassed wealth in the amount of ₱2,170,163.00.

Premises considered, respondent’s (Bugarin’s) properties acquired from 1968 to 1980 which
were out of proportion to his lawful income for the said period should be forfeited in favor of the
government for failure of the respondent to show, to the Court’s satisfaction, that the same was
lawfully acquired. The properties of Bugarin have been found unlawfully acquired. The same
have been ordered forfeited in favor of the government a decade ago. It is high time that
the Republic decision be finally carried out.