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Fonacier v. Sandiganbayan, 238 SCRA 687

EUSEBIO V. FONACIER, ROGELIO RAMOS, JOSEPH GONZALES and FRANCISCO VILLANUEVA, petitioners, vs. THE HON. SANDIGANBAYAN presided by HONORABLE MANUEL PAMARAN, BERNARDO P. FERNANDEZ and ROMEO ESCAREAL, and the TANODBAYAN CHIEF SPECIAL PROSECUTOR JUAN A. SISON and PROSECUTORS RODOLFO AQUINO and MANUEL HERRERA, respondents.

G.R. No. L-50691 | 1994-12-05

DECISION 

VITUG, J.: 

A public office, regardless of hierarchy, is a public trust. It is reserved for those who, faithful to that trust, remain capable and willing to serve our country and people with integrity and probity. It is truly unfortunate that an indictment against an entire bureaucracy often results and so many must suffer from the wayward acts of so few. 

These consolidated cases were spawned by the reported "ghost project" in 1978 by the Benguet Highway Engineering District under the then Ministry of Public Highways. Herein petitioners were among those originally charged before the then Court of First Instance of...