The Supreme Court upheld the conviction of Armando Almo Co in a P17 million party-list nomination scam while clearing Mark Joel Morales of all charges.
The case involved Catherine Factor-Koura, who alleged she paid for a party-list nomination that never materialized in the May 2016 elections.
Koura claimed she was promised to be the nominee of Ang Chinoy, and later Akap Party-list or Anak Central Party-list, but found none of these arrangements valid and sought the return of her money.
The SC cited the doctrine of in pari delicto, ruling that Koura could not recover the P17 million she paid due to her own involvement in the illegal transaction.
Justice Henri Jean Paul Inting noted that deals promising public office through unlawful means are void and undermine public trust in elections.
Morales was acquitted after the court found no proof he orchestrated or directly benefited from the scheme, limiting his role to introducing Koura to Co and attending meetings.
Co’s conviction for estafa was affirmed, but the SC deleted the award of civil damages, emphasizing he alone managed the fraudulent transaction and received the payments.
