Escandor v. People

Summary

Regional Director Jose Romeo Escandor of NEDA Region 7 was convicted of sexually harassing the complainant, a contractual employee, from 1999-2003. The harassment included physical advances (grabbing, kissing, touching), inappropriate messages, gifts, and creating a hostile work environment. Three colleagues corroborated the victim's account. The Sandiganbayan found all elements of sexual harassment under RA 7877 proven beyond reasonable doubt and sentenced Escandor to six months imprisonment and P20,000 fine. The Supreme Court affirmed the conviction, emphasizing that sexual harassment fundamentally involves abuse of power by a superior over a subordinate. The Court rejected arguments about procedural defects, prescription, and credibility issues, upholding the trial court's factual findings. This case demonstrates the three-fold liability (criminal, civil, administrative) for sexual harassment and reinforces that courts should not hesitate to penalize such misconduct by public officers.