ni Atty. Persida Rueda-Acosta @Magtanong Kay Attorney | Enero 26, 2024
Dear Chief Acosta,
Ang aking anak ay nakasuhan ng Qualified Theft dahil sa pagnanakaw diumano ng ilang alahas sa kanyang pinaglilingkurang pawnshop. Ito ay nilooban ng mga hindi pa nakikilalang mga suspek at pinaghihinalaan ang aking anak na kasabwat ng mga nasabing suspek kaya siya ay kinasuhan din ng Qualified Theft dahil mayroon diumano grave abuse of confidence. Ano ba itong grave abuse of confidence at ang koneksyon nito sa Qualified Theft? -- Dazelyn
Dear Dazelyn,
Ang iyong katanungan ay sinagot ng Korte Suprema sa kasong People of the Philippines vs. Luther Sabado, et al. (G.R. No. 218910, 05 July 2017, Ponente: Honorable Associate Justice Noel G. Tijam). Sa nasabing kaso ay inilatag ng Korte Suprema ang mga elemento ng krimen na theft bilang:
“In Miranda v. People, the Court ruled that:
The elements of the crime of theft are as follows: (1) that there be taking of personal property; (2) that said property belongs to another; (3) that the taking be done with intent to gain; (4) that the taking be done without the consent of the owner; and (5) that the taking be accomplished without the use of violence against or intimidation of persons or force upon things. Theft becomes qualified when any of the following circumstances under Article 310 is present: (1) the theft is committed by a domestic servant; (2) the theft is committed with grave abuse of confidence; (3) the property stolen is either a motor vehicle, mail matter or large cattle; (4) the property stolen consists of coconuts taken from the premises of a plantation; (5) the property stolen is fish taken from a fishpond or fishery; and (6) the property was taken on the occasion of fire, earthquake, typhoon, volcanic eruption, or any other calamity, vehicular accident or civil disturbance.
Sang-ayon sa Korte Suprema, may limang elemento ang theft. Una, ang pagkuha ng personal property; ikalawa, ang nasabing personal property ay pagmamay-ari ng iba; ikatlo, ang pagkuha ay mayroong ‘intent to gain’; pang-apat, ang nasabing pagkuha ay walang pahintulot ng may-ari; at panglima, ang nasabing pagkuha ay nagawa nang walang ginamit na karahasan o pananakot, o pamumuwersa ng mga bagay. Ayon din sa Korte Suprema, ang theft ay nagiging ‘qualified’ kung ang ilan sa mga nabanggit na kalagayan ay kaakibat ng pagnanakaw. Isa sa mga kalagayan na ito ay ang ‘grave abuse of confidence’ na ipinaliwanag sa nabanggit na Desisyon:
“Theft here became qualified because it was committed with grave abuse of confidence.
Grave abuse of confidence, as an element of theft, must be the result of the relation by reason of dependence, guardianship, or vigilance, between the accused-appellant and the offended party that might create a high degree of confidence between them which the accused-appellant abused. Accused-appellant, as established by the prosecution, is an employee of the Pawnshop. Accused-appellant could not have committed the crime had he not been holding the position of the trusted employee which gave him not only sole access to the Pawnshop’s vault but also control of the premises. The relevant portion of the RTC’s disquisition reads:
Based on the extant records[,] it appears that accused Luther Sabado was a trusted employee of Diamond Pawnshop. In fact, the following circumstances show the trust and confidence reposed on him by the shop owners, to wit: he manages the shop alone; he has the keys to the locks of the shop; and he has access to the vault and knows the combination of the same. x x x.
The management of Diamond Pawnshop clearly had reposed its trust and confidence in the accused-appellant, and it was this trust and confidence which he exploited to enrich himself to the damage and prejudice of his employer.”
Upang sagutin ang iyong katanungan, ang ‘grave abuse of confidence’ ay isa sa mga kalagayan na maaaring magkuwalipika sa pagnanakaw upang maging Qualified Theft. Ang ‘grave abuse of confidence’ ay nakabase sa relasyong bunga ng pagiging dependiyente, pagiging tagapangalaga, o tagapagmasid na naglilikha ng mataas na antas ng pagtitiwala sa pagitan ng ninakawan at nagnakaw. Dahil sa tiwalang ito ay nagawa ang nasabing pagnanakaw. Ito ang tinatawag na ‘grave abuse of confidence’. Ito ay isang kalagayan na nagkukuwalipika upang ang pagnanakaw ay maging qualified theft.
Sana ay nabigyan namin ng linaw ang iyong katanungan. Ang payong aming ibinigay ay base lamang sa mga impormasyon na iyong inilahad at maaaring magbago kung mababawasan o madaragdagan ang mga detalye ng iyong salaysay.
Maraming salamat sa iyong patuloy na pagtitiwala.
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