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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Is accused dead or alive? Sandiganbayan asks

Is accused dead or alive? Sandiganbayan asks

Published Apr 10, 2021 11:08 am

Is he dead or is he still alive?

This issue boggled the Sandiganbayan as it deliberated on whether to dismiss the criminal charges filed against former Municipal Accountant Abudulkareem Noor of Ditsaan Ramain town in Lanao del Sur.

Sandiganbayan (MANILA BULLETIN)

Noor and two other town officials were charged with seven counts each of graft and violations of the Republic Act No. 8291, the Government Service Insurance (GSIS) Act, for non-remittance of the GSIS premium contributions of several town officers and employees from January to July in 2002.

The case against former Mayor Serad Alisacar Batua had been dismissed in 2017, while former Senior Bookkeeper Umbay Pangcoga Batua-an had been acquitted.

When a warrant of arrest was issued against Noor, Police Senior Inspector Macabantog A. Bato Jr. informed the anti-graft court on March 21, 2017 that the accused (Noor) had already died.

Acting on the report, the court ordered the prosecution to explain why the case against Noor should not be dismissed on account of his death.

On March 22, 2019, the prosecution told the court that the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) was still requesting additional information as to Noor's maternal surname and date and place of birth to expand its database search.

It said the PSA's search for Noor's death record had so far yielded a negative result.

Also, it informed the court that it got in touch with Ditsaan Ramain's Municipal Human Resource Management Office to secure the latest and certified copy of Noor's personal data sheet.

"Considering the manifestation by the prosecution, in order that the above-entitled cases may not appear pending for an indefinite period of time, let these cases be archived as to Noor without prejudice to their revival upon the arrest or voluntary surrender of the accused or its dismissal upon the submission of proof of his reported death," the Sandiganbayan ruled in a resolution issued by Associate Justices Oscar C. Herrera Jr., Michael Frederick L. Musngi and Bayani H. Jacinto.

The court re-issued a warrant of arrest against Noor.

Under Article 89 of the Revised Penal Code, a criminal liability is totally extinguished “by the death of the convict, as to the personal penalties and as to pecuniary penalties, liability therefor is extinguished only when the death of the offender occurs before final judgment.”

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