The Sandiganbayan
A glimpse inside one of the Sandiganbayan’s hearing rooms.
Photo by Supreme Court Public Information Office
Both the 1973 Constitution and 1987 Constitution contain provisions on the present anti-graft court known as the Sandiganbayan.
It has jurisdiction over criminal and civil cases involving graft and corrupt practices and such other offenses committed by public officers and employees, including those in government-owned or controlled corporations, in relation to their office as may be determined by law.
The jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan is perhaps one of the most often amended provision from the 1973 Constitution to Republic Act No. 8249. Before Republic Act No. 8249, jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan was determined on the basis of the penalty imposable on the offense charged. Thereafter, it was amended such that regardless of the penalty, so long as the offense charged was committed by a public officer, the Sandiganbayan was vested with jurisdiction. Under R.A. No. 8249, to determine whether the Sandiganbayan has jurisdiction, a person must look into two criteria, namely: the nature of the offense and the salary grade of the public official.
Website: http://sb.judiciary.gov.ph/