Francisco Hernandez Villaruz Jr. (born June 8, 1943) is a Filipino justice. He was appointed on October 5, 2011, by President Benigno Aquino III as Presiding Justice of the Sandiganbayan replacing Justice Edilberto Sandoval who retired last June 20, 2011. Justice Villaruz has been an Associate Justice of the Sandiganbayan since 2001. He took his oath before Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato C. Corona last October 12, 2011.
His most notable case was the Plunder trial of former President Joseph Estrada, being a member of the Sandiganbayan Special Division that convicted the former President of plunder.
Profile
Villaruz's parents are Francisco Villaruz of Nueva Ecija and Consuelo Hernandez-Villaruz of Malabon. He is married to lawyer Teresita M. Villaruz. They have one child: Lawyer Carlos M. Villaruz.
Villaruz finished his elementary (1955) and high school education (1959) at the Ateneo de Manila University. He obtained his B.S. in Political Science degree from the Ateneo de Manila University in 1963 and his Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of the Philippines, where he graduated third in his class in 1967. He passed the Philippine Bar Examination of August 1967 with bar rating of 84.6%.
Villaruz worked in the private sector for almost four decades before being appointed Associate Justice of the Sandiganbayan in 2001. He is known for his professionalism and diligence, proof of which are the six decisions and 100 resolutions that he renders every month, and his 99 percent affirmance rating. A respected expert in his field, Villaruz was also Bar Examiner in Criminal Law in 2004 and an MCLE Lecturer.
Erap Plunder Trial
Villaruz is included in the 3-justices panel who tried the anti-graft court's special division on the Erap plunder case. The Sandiganbayan, has 90 days or until mid-September 2007 to decide the case of former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada, but the decision could be issued much sooner than that. Villaruz was candidate for the vacant post of Supreme Court Associate Justice, duly nominated by the JBC for the vacancy due to retirement of Angelina Sandoval-Gutierrez.
On September 5, 2007, Leonardo-de Castro, and Sandiganbayan Associate Justices Diosdado Peralta and Francisco Villaruz Jr. were assigned 2 extra bodyguards 3 weeks ago per initiative of the Sheriff (after getting threatening messages from an anonymous person). Renato Bocar, executive clerk of court confirmed the “new face" in De Castro's office who has been “acting like a bodyguard."
On September 7, 2007, the Sandiganbayan's Teresita De Castro announced that the graft court will promulgate the judgment on September 12, 2007, in the 6-year-old plunder trial (October 2001 to June 15, 2007) of ousted President Joseph Ejercito Estrada. The verdict will also include his son, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada; and lawyer Eduardo Serapio. Court Sheriff Ed Urieta said tight security will include 4,000 police and 2,000 soldiers, and military. Estrada is accused of stealing 4 billion pesos (US$81 million; €62 million) in illegal funds and falsely declaring his assets. On September 11, 2007, the Supreme Court of the Philippines allowed live television (broadcast media) coverage of the Sandiganbayan's Joseph Estrada's promulgation of judgment on September 12, 2007 (granting the petition of the Kapisanan ng Brodkaster ng Pilipinas). The court, however, directed media to hook up with a video camera of the personnel of the Supreme Court public information office.
On September 11, 2007, as controversial political figure, Estrada released a statement to the poor Filipinos: "I have been imprisoned for 6 years, 4 months and 17 days but because of your prayers, help and love, I have endured all these ... Whatever the Sandiganbayan (corruption court) will decide, I am ready because I know my countrymen have acquitted me.
The decision
On September 12, 2007, Joseph Estrada was acquitted of perjury but found guilty of plunder and sentenced to reclusion perpetua with the accessory penalties of perpetual disqualification from public office and forfeiture of ill-gotten wealth.
On September 12, 2007, Sandiganbayan's Presiding Justice Teresita De Castro and 2 other magistrates Diosdado M. Peralta and Francisco H. Villaruz Jr. unanimously acquitted his son, Senator Jinggoy Estrada, and a lawyer Edward Serapio of plunder charges. The Fallo of the 262-page Decision declared the forfeiture in favor of the government: P542.701 million (bank accounts including interest), P189 million (Jose Velarde accounts including interest) and the Boracay mansion in New Manila, Quezon City.