Definition of Legal Terms used in the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona

Betrayal of Public Trust

- … The term ‘betrayal of public trust’ as explained by Commissioner Romulo, is a catch-all phrase to include all acts which are not punishable by statutes as penal offenses, but nonetheless, render the officer unfit to continue in office.  It includes betrayal of public interest, inexcusable negligence of duty, tyrannical abuse of power, breach of official duty by malfeasance or misfeasance, cronyism, favoritism, etc., to the prejudice of public interest and which tend to bring the office in to dispute.”

Judiciary Development Fund

Created by Presidential Decree No. 1949; a fund sourced from legal fees to augment the allowances of the members and personnel of the Judiciary and to finance the acquisition, maintenance, and repair of office equipment and facilities.

Malversation of Public Funds

According to RA 1060: Malversation of public funds or property. — Presumption of malversation. — Any public officer who, by reason of the duties of his office, is accountable for public funds or property, shall appropriate the same, or shall take or misappropriate shall consent, or through abandonment or negligence, shall permit any other person to take such public funds or property, wholly or partially, or shall otherwise be guilty of the misappropriation or malversation of such funds or property.

Prima Facie Evidence

Evidence that would, if uncontested, establish a fact or raise a presumption of a fact.

Prima facie is Latin for “on its face.”

Res Judicata

Latin for “the thing has been decided” and pertains to the principle that a final judgment of a competent court is conclusive upon the parties in any subsequent litigation involving the same cause of action.

SALN

Statement of Assets and Liabilities. Every public officer, after assuming office, and within the month of January of every other year thereafter, as well as upon the expiration of his term of office, or upon his resignation or separation from office, shall prepare and file with the office of the corresponding Department Head, or in the case of a Head of Department or chief of an independent office, with the Office of the President, or in the case of members of the Congress and the officials and employees thereof, with the Office of the Secretary of the corresponding House, a true detailed and sworn statement of assets and liabilities, including a statement of the amounts and sources of his income, the amounts of his personal and family expenses and the amount of income taxes paid for the next preceding calendar year: Provided, That public officers assuming office less than two months before the end of the calendar year, may file their statements in the following months of January.

(Anti-Graft And Corrupt Practices Act Sec. 7)

Special Allowance for the Judiciary

Created by Law (RA 9227), granting additional compensation in the form of special allowances for justices, judges and all other positions in the judiciary with the equivalent rank of justices of the court of appeals and judges of the regional trial court equivalent to 100 percent of the basic monthly specified for their respective salary grades; sourced from from legal fees.