G.R. Nos.

39047-39052 October 31, 1933

THE PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. VIRGILIO L.

VILLANUEVA, Defendant-Appellant

FACTS

In 1931, there was a postal money order from Hawaii for the sum of P200 in
favor of Irene Sanchez which was sent by her son. In 1932, there were likewise sent
from California, five postal money orders, four of which were for the sum of P200 each
and one for the sum of P100, in favor of Feliciano Isidro resident of the same
municipality, Ilocos Sur which were sent by his son. In March of the same year, Irene
and Isidro went to the post office of Santa Lucia to make inquiries regarding the money
orders. The defendant, who was then the postmaster of Santa Lucia, informed them
that said money orders had not yet been received.

When Isidro went to the office again, the defendant informed him that he had
already received the money orders and that he had appropriated the amount. As a
result, with Pedro Callejo's help, the principal of the Santa Lucia Primary School, the
defendant agreed to sign two documents in which he acknowledged receiving the
money orders, forging Irene and Isidro's signatures on them, and collecting and
appropriating the respective amounts. Furthermore, the defendant made this admission
voluntarily.

ISSUE

Whether or not the defendant is guilty of malversation and falsification of public

documents

RULING

Yes. Inasmuch as the amount of the postal money orders appropriated by the
defendant was in his custody as postmaster, it had the nature of public funds and the
appropriation thereof constitutes the crime of malversation. Even without imitating their
signatures, the fact that the defendant affixed the names of the payees to the postal
money orders in question was sufficient to qualify the crime of falsification of public
documents. (U. S. v. Cinco and Redoña, 42 Phil., 839.) The defendant was found guilty
of six offenses of malversation and six offenses of falsification of public documents and
was sentenced accordingly.