Kaso sa paglalagay ng maling impormasyon sa Personal Data Sheet

ni Atty. Persida Rueda-Acosta - @Magtanong Kay Attorney | October 23, 2020

Dear Chief Acosta,

Ako ay aplikante sa ahensiya ng gobyerno. Ngayon, sa aking pagmamadali sa pagpasa ng aking Personal Data Sheet o PDS, mayroon akong maling impormasyon na nailagay roon. Dahil dito, nais kong malaman kung maaari ba akong makasuhan sa mga kadahilanan na ito kahit hindi ko sinasadya? – Popong

Dear Popong,

Ang sagot sa inyong katanungan ay opo. Para sa inyong kaalaman, nakasaad sa Article 171 na may kaugnayan sa Article 365 ng Act No. 3815, o mas kilala sa tawag na Revised Penal Code of the Philippines ang krimeng Falsification of Public Document through reckless imprudence, viz:

Article 171. Falsification by public officer, employee or notary or ecclesiastic minister. - The penalty of prision mayor and a fine not to exceed P5,000 pesos shall be imposed upon any public officer, employee, or notary who, taking advantage of his official position, shall falsify a document by committing any of the following acts: xxx
4. Making untruthful statements in a narration of facts; xxx.”
Ayon sa nabanggit na batas, ang sinumang mapatutunayang naglahad ng mali o kasinungalingan sa pampublikong dokumento tulad ng Personal Data Sheet o PDS ay maaaring makasuhan ng krimeng Falsification. Bukod pa rito, hindi rin depensa na dahil sa pagmamadali ay hindi sinasadyang nagkamali sa mga nailahad na impormasyon sapagkat ayon sa Korte Suprema sa kasong Sevilla vs. People (G.R. No. 194390, August 13, 2014), isinulat ni Honorable former Associate Justice Bienvenido L. Reyes, kung sakali man na ang falsification ay dahil sa kapabayaan at hindi sinasadya, nararapat pa rin makasuhan ng Falsification of Public Document through reckless imprudence:
“We are inclined, however, to credit the accused herein with the benefit of the circumstance that he did not maliciously pervert the truth with the wrongful intent of injuring some person. Since he sincerely believed that his CSC eligibility based on his having passed the Regional Cultural Community Officer (Unassembled) Examination and educational attainment were sufficient to qualify him for a permanent position, then he should only be held liable for falsification through reckless imprudence. xxx
Article 365 of the Revised Penal Code, which punishes criminal negligence or quasi-offenses, furnishes the middle way between a wrongful act committed with wrongful intent, which gives rise to a felony, and a wrongful act committed without any intent which may entirely exempt the doer from criminal liability. It is the duty of everyone to execute his own acts with due care and diligence in order that no prejudicial or injurious results may be suffered by others from acts that are otherwise offensive.”

Nawa ay nasagot namin ang inyong mga katanungan. Nais naming ipaalala sa inyo na ang opinyong ito ay nakabase sa inyong mga naisalaysay sa inyong liham at sa pagkakaintindi namin dito. Maaaring maiba ang opinyon kung mayroong karagdagang impormasyong ibibigay. Mas mainam kung personal kayong sumangguni sa abogado.

Maraming salamat sa inyong patuloy na pagtitiwala.