Michael Frederick Musñgi

The Honorable Michael Frederick L. Musngi
58th Associate Justice of the Sandiganbayan
Incumbent
Assumed office January 20, 2016
Chairperson, Fourth Division of the Sandiganbayan
Incumbent
Assumed office August 2022
Personal details
Born	Michael Frederick Lim Musngi
Nationality	Filipino
Alma mater	Ateneo de Manila University (AB) Lyceum of the Philippines University (JD)
Occupation	Lawyer, judge, public servant
Profession	Lawyer

Michael Frederick Lim Musñgi (born April 14, 1965) (commonly known as Mike Musñgi), is a Filipino lawyer, Associate Justice of the Sandiganbayan, and veteran public servant with over two decades of experience in both the Executive and Judicial branches of government. Since his appointment as Associate Justice in 2016, he has served with distinction, becoming Chairperson of the Court’s Fourth Division in 2022.^[1]

Musngi was appointed Associate Justice of the Sandiganbayan in 2016.^[2] In August 2022, he was designated as Chairperson of the Court’s Fourth Division. Under his leadership, the division achieved a 148% case clearance rate in 2024, rendering over 700 dispositions.^[3]

His landmark decisions include:

• Convictions of local chief executives charged with malversation and falsification.
• The high-profile Euro General case on undeclared foreign currency=
• Cases involving PCGG-sequestered properties in civil forfeiture suits.

In November 2019, Associate Justice Michael Frederick L. Musngi authored the Sandiganbayan Second Division’s resolution affirming the dismissal of a ₱1.052-billion civil forfeiture case against the Marcos family. The court ruled that the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) failed to present sufficient and authentic evidence to support its claims, including reliance on photocopied documents that violated the Best Evidence Rule.^[4]

Musngi’s resolution upheld the dismissal, emphasizing the lack of new arguments and proof linking the Marcoses to the alleged ill-gotten wealth.

Musngi, a member of the Ateneo Law School's Aquila Legis fraternity, was previously cleared in the controversial 1991 homicide case involving Ateneo law student Jose Leonardo “Lenny” Villa, as detailed in a Supreme Court ruling. On the night of the incident, Musngi was reported to have briefed fraternity neophytes, including Villa, on initiation rites.^[5]

Before joining the judiciary, Musngi served as Undersecretary in the Office of the President of the Philippines from 2010 to 2016. In this capacity, he:

• Concurrently headed the Office of Special Concerns.
• Served as Chief of Staff to the Office of the Executive Secretary.
• Represented the Executive Secretary in national security and anti-crime councils such as the Anti-Terrorism Council, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), and the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT).
• Oversaw agencies including the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), NHA, Philippine National Railways (PNR), Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), and the Urban Triangle Development Commission (TRIDEV).

He was also an ad hoc member of the Judicial and Bar Council during the selection of the Chief Justice to replace Renato Corona.^[5]

Musngi practiced law at Moncupa & Partners (2003–2009), handled litigation and legal consultancy, and served as Chief of Staff at the Department of Agrarian Reform (2002–2003). He also worked as Attorney IV and Acting Head of the Legal Division at the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (2001–2002) and as Department Manager of the SBMA Ecology Center (1999–2001).

Musngi earned his Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences from the Ateneo de Manila University in 1986 and his Juris Doctor from the Lyceum of the Philippines University in 1991. He attended Ateneo Law School from 1986 to 1991 and completed his primary and secondary education at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran.

• Official profile at the Sandiganbayan website