‭ riminal Law II | G04 | Atty.
Arno Sanidad‬
C
‭Book Two Titles Eleven to Fourteen‬
‭Deadline: Mon, 11:59PM for Tue cases; Thurs, 1:00AM for Fri cases‬
‭ scandor v. People‬
E ‭ oral-ascendancy‬‭over‬‭another‬‭makes‬‭a‬‭demand,‬‭request,‬
‭GR No. 211962 | Leonen,‬‭J. |‬‭July 6, 2020‬
‭Topic: Anti-Sexual Harassment Act of 1995 (R.A. 7877) (a)‬
‭Punishable acts‬
‭(1) Work-related or employment environment, sexual harassment‬
‭By: Tan/Castro‬
‭ OCTRINE‬‭:‬ ‭(a)‬ ‭In‬ ‭a‬ ‭work‬ ‭related‬ ‭or‬ ‭employment‬ ‭environment,‬
D ‭ ACTS‬‭:‬ ‭Mrs.‬ ‭Cindy‬ ‭Sheila‬ ‭Cobarde-Gamallo‬ ‭was‬ ‭a‬ ‭Contractual‬
‭sexual harassment is committed when:‬
‭(1)‬ ‭The‬‭sexual‬‭favor‬‭is‬‭made‬‭as‬‭a‬‭condition‬‭in‬‭the‬‭hiring‬‭or‬‭in‬‭the‬
‭employment,‬ ‭re-employment‬ ‭or‬ ‭continued‬ ‭employment‬ ‭of‬
‭said‬ ‭individual,‬ ‭or‬ ‭in‬ ‭granting‬ ‭said‬ ‭individual‬ ‭favorable‬
‭compensation,‬ ‭terms,‬ ‭conditions,‬ ‭promotions,‬ ‭or‬ ‭privileges;‬
‭or‬ ‭the‬ ‭refusal‬ ‭to‬ ‭grant‬ ‭the‬ ‭sexual‬ ‭favor‬ ‭results‬ ‭in‬ ‭limiting,‬
‭segregating‬ ‭or‬ ‭classifying‬ ‭the‬ ‭employee‬ ‭which‬ ‭in‬ ‭any‬ ‭way‬
‭would‬ ‭discriminate,‬ ‭deprive‬ ‭or‬ ‭diminish‬ ‭employment‬
‭opportunities or otherwise adversely affect said employee;‬
‭(2)‬ ‭The‬ ‭above‬ ‭acts‬ ‭would‬ ‭impair‬ ‭the‬ ‭employee’s‬ ‭rights‬ ‭or‬
‭privileges under existing labor laws; or‬
‭(3)‬ ‭The‬ ‭above‬ ‭acts‬ ‭would‬ ‭result‬ ‭in‬ ‭an‬ ‭intimidating,‬ ‭hostile,‬ ‭or‬
‭offensive environment for the employee.‬
‭ lements‬ ‭of‬ ‭sexual‬ ‭harassment‬ ‭(defined‬ ‭and‬ ‭penalized‬ ‭under‬ ‭RA‬
E ‭was‬ ‭in‬ ‭love‬ ‭with‬ ‭her;‬ ‭giving‬ ‭her‬ ‭gifts‬ ‭of‬ ‭chocolates,‬ ‭wine,‬ ‭and‬ ‭a‬
‭7877):‬
‭(a)‬ ‭that‬ ‭the‬ ‭employer,‬‭employee,‬‭manager,‬‭supervisor,‬‭agent‬‭of‬
‭the‬‭employer,‬‭teacher,‬‭instructor,‬‭professor,‬‭coach,‬‭trainor,‬‭or‬
‭any‬ ‭other‬ ‭person‬ ‭has‬ ‭authority,‬ ‭influence,‬ ‭or‬
‭moral-ascendancy over another;‬
‭(b)‬ ‭the‬ ‭authority,‬ ‭influence,‬ ‭or‬ ‭moral‬ ‭ascendancy‬ ‭exists‬ ‭in‬ ‭a‬
‭work-related,‬ ‭training-related,‬ ‭or‬ ‭educational-related‬
‭environment, and‬
‭(c)‬ ‭the‬ ‭employer,‬ ‭employee,‬ ‭manager,‬ ‭supervisor,‬ ‭agent‬ ‭of‬‭the‬
‭employer,‬ ‭teacher,‬ ‭instructor,‬ ‭professor,‬ ‭coach,‬ ‭trainor,‬ ‭or‬
‭any‬ ‭other‬ ‭person‬ ‭who‬ ‭has‬ ‭authority,‬ ‭influence,‬ ‭or‬
‭15‬
m
‭or requirement of a sexual favor.‬
I‭SSUE‬‭:‬ ‭Whether‬ ‭or‬‭not‬‭Escandor‬‭is‬‭guilty‬‭of‬‭Sexual‬‭Harassment.‬
‭YES.‬
F
‭Employee‬ ‭of‬ ‭the‬ ‭NEDA‬ ‭Regional‬ ‭Office‬ ‭No.‬ ‭7‬ ‭for‬ ‭the‬
‭UNICEF-assisted‬ ‭Fifth‬ ‭Country‬ ‭Program‬ ‭for‬ ‭Children.‬ ‭Meanwhile,‬
‭Jose‬ ‭Romeo‬ ‭C.‬ ‭Escandor‬ ‭was‬ ‭a‬ ‭public‬ ‭officer‬ ‭and‬ ‭the‬ ‭Regional‬
‭Director of ENDA Regional Office No. 7.‬
‭ scandor‬ ‭was‬ ‭charged‬ ‭with‬ ‭violating‬ ‭Republic‬ ‭Act‬ ‭No.‬ ‭7877,‬
E
‭otherwise‬ ‭known‬ ‭as‬ ‭the‬ ‭Anti-Sexual‬ ‭Harassment‬ ‭Act‬ ‭of‬ ‭1995.‬
‭Allegedly,‬‭he‬‭committed‬‭several‬‭acts‬‭of‬‭sexual‬‭harassment‬‭from‬‭July‬
‭1999‬ ‭until‬ ‭November‬ ‭2003,‬ ‭when‬ ‭Gamallo‬ ‭resigned‬ ‭from‬ ‭her‬ ‭job.‬
‭These‬ ‭acts‬ ‭include‬ ‭but‬ ‭are‬ ‭not‬ ‭limited‬ ‭to:‬ ‭touching‬ ‭her‬ ‭without‬ ‭her‬
‭consent,‬ ‭such‬ ‭as‬ ‭grabbing‬ ‭her‬ ‭hands‬ ‭or‬ ‭thigh,‬ ‭embracing‬ ‭her‬ ‭and‬
‭kissing‬ ‭her‬ ‭on‬ ‭the‬ ‭forehead;‬ ‭telling‬ ‭her‬ ‭that‬ ‭if‬ ‭it‬ ‭were‬ ‭possible,‬ ‭he‬
‭would‬‭have‬‭prevented‬‭her‬‭marriage‬‭with‬‭her‬‭husband;‬‭asking‬‭her‬‭on‬
‭dates;‬‭sending‬‭her‬‭sexually‬‭suggestive‬‭messages;‬‭telling‬‭her‬‭that‬‭he‬
‭bracelet‬ ‭on‬ ‭Christmas;‬ ‭and‬ ‭grabbing‬ ‭her‬ ‭on‬ ‭a‬‭stairway‬‭and‬‭kissing‬
‭her on the lips during an office Christmas party in 2002.‬
I‭n‬‭his‬‭defense,‬‭Escandor‬‭testified‬‭that‬‭he‬‭never‬‭committed‬‭any‬‭of‬‭the‬
‭acts‬‭that‬‭Gamallo‬‭accused‬‭him‬‭of‬‭doing.‬‭In‬‭fact,‬‭he‬‭asserted‬‭that‬‭the‬
‭case‬ ‭was‬‭a‬‭plan‬‭hatched‬‭by‬‭several‬‭employees‬‭to‬‭oust‬‭him‬‭and‬‭his‬
‭wife from the office.‬
‭ andiganbayan‬‭found‬‭Escandor‬‭guilty‬‭of‬‭sexual‬‭harassment.‬‭It‬‭gave‬
S
‭credence‬‭to‬‭Gamallo’s‬‭testimony,‬‭noting‬‭that‬‭“there‬‭is‬‭nothing‬‭in‬‭the‬
‭records‬ ‭that‬ ‭would‬ ‭indicate‬ ‭that‬‭Gamallo‬‭is‬‭dishonest‬‭or‬‭untruthful.”‬
‭ riminal Law II | G04 | Atty. Arno Sanidad‬
C
‭Book Two Titles Eleven to Fourteen‬
‭Deadline: Mon, 11:59PM for Tue cases; Thurs, 1:00AM for Fri cases‬

‭ scandor‬‭was‬‭sentenced‬‭to‬‭six‬‭months‬‭of‬‭imprisonment,‬‭as‬‭well‬‭as‬‭a‬
E
‭fine‬ ‭of‬ ‭Php20,000.00.‬ ‭Escandor‬ ‭filed‬ ‭a‬ ‭Motion‬ ‭for‬‭Reconsideration,‬
‭but‬ ‭his‬ ‭motion‬ ‭was‬ ‭denied‬ ‭by‬ ‭the‬ ‭Sandingbayan,‬ ‭leading‬ ‭to‬ ‭the‬
‭creation of this petition.‬

‭ ELD-RATIO:‬ ‭Escandor’s‬ ‭guilt‬ ‭for‬ ‭sexual‬ ‭harassment‬ ‭was‬

H
‭established‬ ‭beyond‬ ‭reasonable‬ ‭doubt.‬‭According‬‭to‬‭the‬‭Anti-Sexual‬
‭Harassment‬ ‭Act‬ ‭of‬ ‭1995,‬ ‭three‬ ‭requirements‬ ‭must‬ ‭be‬ ‭met‬ ‭before‬
‭someone‬ ‭can‬ ‭be‬ ‭convicted‬ ‭fo‬ ‭sexual‬ ‭harassment.‬ ‭Firstly,‬ ‭the‬
‭accused‬ ‭must‬ ‭have‬ ‭authority,‬ ‭influence,‬ ‭or‬ ‭moral‬ ‭ascendancy‬ ‭over‬
‭the‬ ‭victim.‬ ‭Secondly,‬ ‭the‬ ‭authority,‬ ‭influence,‬ ‭or‬ ‭moral‬ ‭ascendancy‬
‭must‬‭be‬‭in‬‭a‬‭work,‬‭training,‬‭or‬‭education-related‬‭environment.‬‭Finally,‬
‭the‬ ‭accused‬ ‭must‬ ‭make‬ ‭a‬ ‭demand,‬ ‭request,‬ ‭or‬ ‭requirement‬ ‭of‬ ‭a‬
‭sexual favor from the victim.‬

‭ his‬ ‭case‬ ‭fulfills‬ ‭all‬ ‭three‬ ‭requirements‬ ‭to‬ ‭convict‬ ‭Escandor‬ ‭for‬
T
‭sexual‬ ‭harassment.‬ ‭Though‬ ‭Escandor‬ ‭was‬ ‭not‬ ‭her‬ ‭immediate‬
‭superior,‬ ‭he‬ ‭nonetheless‬ ‭had‬ ‭authority‬ ‭over‬ ‭Gamallo‬ ‭at‬ ‭their‬
‭workplace.‬ ‭This‬ ‭fulfills‬ ‭the‬ ‭first‬ ‭two‬ ‭requirements.‬ ‭His‬‭actions,‬‭such‬
‭as‬ ‭asking‬ ‭her‬ ‭out‬ ‭on‬ ‭dates‬ ‭and‬ ‭sending‬ ‭her‬ ‭unsolicited‬ ‭text‬
‭messages‬ ‭alluding‬ ‭to‬‭sex,‬‭amounted‬‭to‬‭a‬‭request‬‭for‬‭sexual‬‭favors,‬
‭fulfilling the third requirement.‬

I‭t‬‭should‬‭also‬‭be‬‭noted‬‭that‬‭R.A.‬‭No.‬‭11313,‬‭also‬‭known‬‭as‬‭the‬‭Safe‬
‭Spaces‬ ‭Act,‬ ‭does‬ ‭not‬ ‭undo‬ ‭or‬ ‭abandon‬ ‭the‬ ‭definition‬ ‭of‬ ‭sexual‬
‭harassment‬ ‭under‬ ‭R.A.‬ ‭No.‬ ‭7877,‬ ‭or‬ ‭the‬ ‭Anti-Sexual‬ ‭Harassment‬
‭Law‬ ‭of‬ ‭1995.‬ ‭Instead,‬ ‭these‬ ‭two‬ ‭acts‬ ‭cover‬ ‭separate‬ ‭instances‬ ‭of‬
‭sexual‬ ‭harassment.‬ ‭While‬ ‭the‬ ‭Safe‬ ‭Spaces‬ ‭Act‬ ‭punished‬ ‭acts‬ ‭of‬
‭sexually‬ ‭harassing‬ ‭someone‬ ‭based‬ ‭on‬ ‭sexual‬ ‭orientation,‬ ‭gender‬
‭identity‬ ‭and/or‬ ‭expression,‬ ‭the‬‭Anti-Sexual‬‭Harassment‬‭Act‬‭of‬‭1995‬
‭punishes‬ ‭abuse‬ ‭of‬ ‭authority,‬ ‭influence‬ ‭or‬ ‭moral‬ ‭ascendancy‬ ‭to‬
‭enable the sexual harassment of a subordinate.‬

‭16‬