Pasay City prosecutor convicted of extorting money, sexual favors

MANILA, Philippines –  A Pasay City assistant prosecutor was convicted on Monday, November 7 of direct bribery by the Sandiganbayan. 

The said prosecutor, John Giselher F. Imperial,was found guilty of soliciting money and sexual favors from a complainant who had a pending case in his office. 

Police officers acquired evidence of his guilt during an entrapment operation conducted in his office back in June 2, 2007.

The 54-page decision penned by Associate Justice Roland B. Jurado and concurred by Associate Justices Rafael R. Lagos and Maria Theresa V. Mendoza-Arcega said, “After meticulously assessing the evidence adduced and as culled from the facts of the case, this Court holds that the prosecution was able to establish the guilt of the accused beyond reasonable doubt for the charge of direct bribery.…(I)t is sufficiently clear that the accused received and counted money and even planned a sexual tryst in consideration of the favorable resolution.”

Imperial was fined P20,000 and given a two-year jail term.

The court, however, acquitted him on a separate graft charge. The decision noted that that the case must involve a government contract or transaction to constitute graft. In this case, the Sandiganbayan said a pending preliminary investigation of a criminal complaint couldn’t be seen as a transaction or a contract whose approval or denial is reliant on the accused.   

Extortion attempt 

The female complainant, Herstina Bacud, accused Imperial of offering to endorse to the court her complaints of oral defamation and threats against a neighbor. In exchange, she said Imperial sought P20,000 but later changed it to P10,000 and sex with her.

Bacud quoted the defendant, who reportedly said, “Magagawan natin ito ng paraan kung makakapagbigay ka ng P10,000 para maisampa tapos makipag-sex ka sa akin.” (We can find a way through this if you give me P10,000 and have sex with me.)

The court said evidence showed he “used his official power and authority as an assistant city prosecutor in order to solicit for bribe money.”

The complainant’s narrative was also aided by video footage taken by a hidden camera, as well as testimonies of police officers from the Philippine National Police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) from the National Capital Region Office.

A GMA 7 camera crew from its show Imbestigador helped complainant approach the PNP-CIDG NCR to plan an entrapment operation against Imperial. They also provided the hidden camera as well as technical help in recording the entrapment.

While the marked money from the operation did not turn up after Imperial’s arrest, the court still held the raw footage of the entrapment and the corroborative testimonies of the prosecution witnesses as sufficiently establishing Imperial’s guilt. – Rappler.com