QuestionsQuestions (Republic Act No. 8249)
Republic Act (RA) No. 8249 (approved February 5, 1997) further defines the Sandiganbayan’s jurisdiction and amends Presidential Decree (PD) No. 1606, as amended.
It is composed of a presiding justice and fourteen (14) associate justices appointed by the President.
Its principal office is in the Metro Manila area, and it holds sessions there for cases filed with it.
No. Cases originating from those regions shall be heard in their respective regions of origin, except when greater convenience of the accused and witnesses or other compelling considerations require otherwise.
The presiding justice may authorize any division to hold sessions at any time and place outside Metro Manila; where the interest of justice so requires, sessions may be held outside the territorial boundaries of the Philippines.
It has exclusive original jurisdiction over specified offenses under RA 3019, RA 1379, and the relevant provisions of the Revised Penal Code—when one or more accused are officials occupying positions enumerated in RA 8249, Section 4(a), at the time of the offense.
Examples include: provincial governors/vice-governors, sangguniang panlalawigan members, provincial treasurers, assessors, engineers and other provincial department heads; city mayors/vice-mayors, sangguniang panlungsod members, city treasurers, assessors, engineers and other city department heads; diplomatic service consul and higher; PNP provincial directors and those at senior superintendent or higher; city/provincial prosecutors and their assistants; and presidents/directors/trustees/managers of GOCCs, state universities/educational institutions/foundations—among others listed.
Yes. It covers members of Congress and officials thereof classified as Grade ‘27’ and up under RA 6758.
Yes, but it is “without prejudice to the provisions of the Constitution,” meaning inclusion must still respect constitutional rules on judicial accountability and jurisdiction.
The proper regional trial court, metropolitan trial court, municipal trial court, and municipal circuit trial court, pursuant to their respective jurisdictions under BP Blg. 129, as amended.
It has exclusive appellate jurisdiction over final judgments, resolutions, or orders of regional trial courts, whether in the exercise of their own original jurisdiction or their appellate jurisdiction as provided in the law.
It has exclusive original jurisdiction over petitions for mandamus, prohibition, certiorari, habeas corpus, injunctions, and other ancillary writs and processes in aid of its appellate jurisdiction, and petitions of similar nature (including quo warranto) arising or that may arise in cases under Executive Orders Nos. 1, 2, 14, and 14-A.
No. The jurisdiction is “not exclusive of the Supreme Court,” meaning the Supreme Court’s powers remain.
They must be tried jointly with the public officers in the proper courts that have exclusive jurisdiction over them.
They must be simultaneously instituted and jointly determined in the same proceeding—by the Sandiganbayan or the appropriate court—since the filing of the criminal action is deemed to carry with it the filing of the civil action; separate reservation is not allowed. If the civil action was filed separately but no judgment has yet been rendered, it is transferred for consolidation; otherwise, it is deemed abandoned.