Former CamSur Sangguniang Panlalawigan member pleads guilty to lesser offense
Published Feb 18, 2019 12:13 pm
By Czarina Nicole Ong
Former Camarines Sur Sangguniang Panlalawigan member Emmanuel Haber Noble has pleaded guilty to the lesser offense to two of his criminal charges in relation to the anomalous use of his cash advances back in 2008.
(Pixabay/ Manila Bulletin)
He was initially charged with malversation and failure to render account before the Sandiganbayan Seventh Division.
On December 31, 2006, Noble obtained cash advances amounting to P444,477.50. Under Commission on Audit (COA) Circular No. 97-002, Noble was duty-bound to liquidate the money under the prescribed period.
However, he failed to liquidate P169,101.50 from the said cash advances despite being demanded to do so.
On October 24, 2008, Noble was then accused of embezzling and misappropriating P169,101.50, which represented his unliquidated travel cash advances for September 2006.
During his arraignment on January 24, 2019, the prosecution manifested Noble's proposal to plea bargain, which was approved by Ombudsman Samuel Martires.
Instead of malversation, he entered a guilty plea for the lesser offense of Article 218 of the Revised Penal Code, which is failure to render accounts. Instead of his other charge for failure to render accounts, he entered a guilty plea for a violation of Section 89 of Presidential Decree No. 1445, otherwise known as the Government Auditing Code of the Philippines.
"Accused was fully apprised of the consequences of his intended plea. In clear terms, he stated in the affirmative that he understood the nature of his pleas; that even if he pleaded guilty to the lesser offenses, he is deemed to have admitted all the material allegations stated in the Informations to which a consequent penalty may be imposed under the law," the decision stated.
For his failure to render accounts charge, he was sentenced a penalty of P2,000 with subsidiary imprisonment instead of insolvency. Meanwhile, he was imposed a penalty of P1,000 for his Section 89 of Presidential Decree No. 1445 charge.
The six-page decision was penned by Chairperson Ma. Theresa Dolores Gomez-Estoesta with the concurrence of Associate Justices Zaldy Trespeses and Georgina Hidalgo.
(Pixabay/ Manila Bulletin)
He was initially charged with malversation and failure to render account before the Sandiganbayan Seventh Division.
On December 31, 2006, Noble obtained cash advances amounting to P444,477.50. Under Commission on Audit (COA) Circular No. 97-002, Noble was duty-bound to liquidate the money under the prescribed period.
However, he failed to liquidate P169,101.50 from the said cash advances despite being demanded to do so.
On October 24, 2008, Noble was then accused of embezzling and misappropriating P169,101.50, which represented his unliquidated travel cash advances for September 2006.
During his arraignment on January 24, 2019, the prosecution manifested Noble's proposal to plea bargain, which was approved by Ombudsman Samuel Martires.
Instead of malversation, he entered a guilty plea for the lesser offense of Article 218 of the Revised Penal Code, which is failure to render accounts. Instead of his other charge for failure to render accounts, he entered a guilty plea for a violation of Section 89 of Presidential Decree No. 1445, otherwise known as the Government Auditing Code of the Philippines.
"Accused was fully apprised of the consequences of his intended plea. In clear terms, he stated in the affirmative that he understood the nature of his pleas; that even if he pleaded guilty to the lesser offenses, he is deemed to have admitted all the material allegations stated in the Informations to which a consequent penalty may be imposed under the law," the decision stated.
For his failure to render accounts charge, he was sentenced a penalty of P2,000 with subsidiary imprisonment instead of insolvency. Meanwhile, he was imposed a penalty of P1,000 for his Section 89 of Presidential Decree No. 1445 charge.
The six-page decision was penned by Chairperson Ma. Theresa Dolores Gomez-Estoesta with the concurrence of Associate Justices Zaldy Trespeses and Georgina Hidalgo.