Actions and intentions

A law each day (KEEPS TROUBLE AWAY) By Jose C. Sison The Phili ine S!a" #$%#&%'##$

(s !he )oin! o" si*+l!aneo+s ac!ion o, !he *ale,ac!o"s e" se s+,,icien! "oo, o, cons i"acy- When is *o!i.e i* o"!an! !o "o.e !he /+il! o" innocence o, an acc+sed- These a"e !wo o, !he 0+es!ions "aised in !his case o, C"is. C"is was a *e*1e" o, !he Phili ine 2a!ional Police s!a!ioned a! a Police S!a!ion and a )aile" !he"ein. On !he ni/h! o, 3e1"+a"y &45 &6765 a e"son 1y !he na*e o, A!o '$ yea"s old was 1"o+/h! !o !he olice s!a!ion ,o" in.es!i/a!ion ,o" alle/edly hi!!in/ 8ado on !he head !ha! laced hi* in se"io+s condi!ion. A,!e" in.es!i/a!ion he was 1"o+/h! !o !he de!en!ion cell. The S!a!ion had ,o+" cells se a"a!ed 1y hollow 1loc9s and doo"s wi!h i"on /"ills. A!o was de!ained alone a! cell n+*1e" !h"ee. Occ+ yin/ cell n+*1e" !wo we"e si: in*a!es 1y !he na*e o, ;a"io5 8o*in/5 E,"en5 E"i95 Randy and Lando. Any o, !he de!ainees co+ld /o !o any cell inside !he "ison 1eca+se !he doo"s se a"a!in/ each cell we"e always o en al!ho+/h !he 9ey was held 1y C"is. The"e was a co**on doo" leadin/ !o !he cells which no one co+ld en!e" e:ce ! wi!h !he )ail /+a"d<s e"*ission 1eca+se i! is adloc9ed. The co*,o"! "oo* was loca!ed in cell n+*1e" = and in*a!es co+ld /o !he"e wi!ho+! as9in/ ,o" !he 9ey since !he cell doo"s se a"a!in/ each cell "e*ained o en. The Jaile"<s o,,ice was loca!ed a! !he le,! side and was a1o+! &> *e!e"s away ,"o* cell no. =. The )aile" co+ld no! ha.e a ,+ll .iew o, cell = 1eca+se o, !he a"!i!ion and oo" li/h!in/. The ne:! day5 A!o was .isi!ed 1y his 1"o!he" Lino. A! !ha! !i*e A!o was in /ood heal!h and condi!ion and was no! co* lainin/ o, any!hin/. ?e e.en as9ed Lino !o 1"in/ hi* a 1lan9e!5 !oo!h1"+sh5 clo!hes and ,ood. Lino le,! a1o+! >@'# .*. and as9ed ano!he" 1"o!he" Ci!o !o 1"in/ 1ac9 !he clo!hes e!c. Ci!o 1"o+/h! !he needs o, A!o and le,! !he )ail a! a1o+! $ .*. ?e saw no!hin/ w"on/ wi!h A!o. B+! a! a"o+nd 6 .*. o, !he sa*e day5 !he ,a*ily o, A!o was in,o"*ed 1y a 1a"an/ay co+ncil*an !ha! !hey sho+ld /o !o !he *+nici al 1+ildin/ a! !he "e0+es! o, !he olice*en. When !hey a""i.ed a! !he *+nici al 1+ildin/ a! a"o+nd 6@&# .*. !hey saw A!o al"eady dead lyin/ on !he ce*en! ,loo". Acco"din/ !o ;a"io5 one o, !he de!ainees5 A!o was ,o+nd han/in/ wi!h a !hin 1lan9e! a! cell no. =. A! !he !i*e o, his dea!h5 !he )ail /+a"d on d+!y was C"is. 2o1ody else en!e"ed !he )ail on !ha! day and !he only co* anions o, !he .ic!i* we"e !he si: o!he" de!ainees. These de!ainees we"e la!e" on "eleased wi!ho+! any in.es!i/a!ion 1ein/ cond+c!ed 1y !he olice. S+1se0+en!ly howe.e" all !he si: we"e cha"/ed wi!h *+"de" !o/e!he" wi!h C"is. They we"e acc+sed o, cons i"acy in !he 9illin/ o, A!o. The e:!en! o, A!o<s in)+"ies indica!ed !ha! he did no! co**i! s+icide 1+! !ha! he was 9illed wi!h deli1e"a!e in!en!. ?e s+s!ained e:!e"nal and in!e"nal in)+"ies !he *os! si/ni,ican! o, which a"e !he "+ !+"ed li.e"5 !o"n *esen!e"y and !o"n s!o*ach. They we"e so se.e"e !ha! i! co+ld no! ha.e 1een s+s!ained "io" !o his de!en!ion. Only C"is and ;a"io s!ood !"ial as !he o!he" acc+sed we"e a! la"/e. The Sandi/an1ayan ,o+nd s+,,icien! ci"c+*s!an!ial e.idence !o con.ic! 1o!h acc+sed. C"is was con.ic!ed 1eca+se o, ci"c+*s!ances showin/ !ha! he )oined !he o!he" *ale,ac!o"s in 9illin/ A!o a"!ic+la"ly !he ,ollowin/@ (&) he was !he )ail /+a"d on d+!y a! !he !i*e o, A!o<s 9illin/A (') he was in s+ch osi!ion !ha! he co+ld ha.e seen o" hea"d !he 9illin/ o, A!oA (4) !he disc"e ancies 1e!ween !he lis! o, de!ainees "e a"ed 1y C"is and olice 1lo!!e" !o !he cons i"acy !o *+"de". Also oin!ed o+! 1y !he Sandi/an1ayan was !he alle/ed *o!i.e !o 9ill A!o which was !o a.en/e !he a!!ac9 on 8ado who was hi! on !he head and was in se"io+s condi!ion. Was !he Sandi/an1ayan co""ec!2o. E.en i, all !he *ale,ac!o"s )oined in !he 9illin/5 s+ch ci"c+*s!ance alone does no! sa!is,y !he "e0+i"e*en! o, cons i"acy 1eca+se !he "+le is !ha! nei!he" !he )oin! no" si*+l!aneo+s ac!ion is e" se s+,,icien! "oo, o, cons i"acy. Cons i"acy *+s! 1e shown !o e:is! as clea"ly and con.incin/ly as !he co**ission o, !he o,,ense i!sel,. The *ale,ac!o"s who in,lic!ed !he ,a!al in)+"ies *ay ha.e in!ended 1y !hei" own se a"a!e ac!s !o 1"in/ a1o+! !he dea!h o, !he .ic!i*. (! was !he "osec+!ion<s 1+"den !o li*i! !he ossi1ili!ies !o only one@ !ha! C"is cons i"ed wi!h !he in*a!es !o 9ill A!o. The "osec+!ion ,ailed !o do so. (! sho+ld ha.e "esen!ed e.idence !ha! C"is indeed saw and hea"d A!o<s 9illin/ and C"is consen!ed !o !he 9illin/ as a"! o, !he lan !o 9ill A!o. B+! 1ased on !he desc"i !ion o, !he )ail cells5 i! was no! i* ossi1le ,o" C"is no! !o ha.e ac!+ally seen and hea"d !he 9illin/ o, A!o. Since A!o was ,o+nd in cell =5 which is &> *e!e"s ,a" ,"o* C"is o,,ice5 C"is co+ld no! ha.e had a ,+ll .iew o, cell = es ecially 1eca+se o, !he hollow 1loc9 a"!i!ions 1e!ween cells. The a1sence o, s+ch e.idence does no! "ecl+de !he ossi1ili!y !ha! A!o was co.e"!ly 9illed and !he so+nds we"e *+,,led !o conceal !he c"i*e ,"o* C"is. O" C"is as )ail /+a"d was si* ly ne/li/en! in sec+"in/ !he sa,e!y o, !he in*a!es +nde" his c+s!ody. (, C"is we"e ne/li/en!5 !his wo+ld 1e inco* a!i1le wi!h cons i"acy 1eca+se ne/li/ence

deno!es a1sence o, in!en! while cons i"acy in.ol.es a *ee!in/ o, !he *inds !o co**i! a c"i*e. ;o!i.e is /ene"ally held !o 1e i**a!e"ial 1eca+se i! is no! an ele*en! o, a c"i*e. ?owe.e" *o!i.e 1eco*es i* o"!an! when !he e.idence on !he co**ission o, a c"i*e is +"ely ci"c+*s!an!ial o" inconcl+si.e. ;o!i.e is !h+s .i!al in !his case. ?ence5 !he alle/ed *o!i.e ,o" A!o<s 9illin/ was !o a.en/e !he a!!ac9 on 8ado who was !hen in se"io+s condi!ion 1eca+se A!o hi! hi* on !he head wi!h a wood. B+! no e.idence was "esen!ed !o lin9 C"is !o 8ado o" !o show wha! co* ellin/ *o!i.e *ade C"is5 a )ail /+a"d5 a1andon his d+!y and ins!ead ,acili!a!e !he 9illin/ o, an in*a!e +nde" his c+s!ody (Crisostomo vs. Sandiganbayan , G.R. 152398, April 14, 2 5. 45! SCRA 45".