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G.R.No.116719

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RepublicofthePhilippines
SUPREMECOURT
Manila
THIRDDIVISION
G.R.No.116719January18,1996
PEOPLEOFTHEPHILIPPINES,plaintiffappellee,
vs.
PATRICIOAMIGOalias"BEBOT",accusedappellant.
DECISION
MELO,J.:
Initially,PatricioAmigowaschargedwithfrustratedmurderinanInformationreadingasfollows:
TheundersignedaccusestheabovenamedaccusedofthecrimeofFRUSTRATEDMURDER,underArt.
248,inrelationtoArt.5oftheRevisedPenalCode,committedasfollows:
That on or about December 29, 1989, in the City of Davao, Philippines, and within the jurisdiction of this
Honorable Court, the abovementioned accused, armed with a knife, with treachery and evident
premeditationandwithintenttokillwilfully,unlawfullyandfeloniouslyattacked,assaultedandstabwithsaid
weapononeBenitoNgSuy,therebyinflictinginjuriesuponthelatter,thefollowinginjuries,towit:
MULTIPLE STAB WOUNDSLEFT ARM, LEFT CHEST, ABDOMEN AND LEFT THIGH WITH
PENETRATION TO LEFT PLEURAL CAVITY, DIAPHRAGM STOMACH, DUODENUM, PANCREAS
ANDMIDTRANVERSECOLON.
thus performing all the acts of execution which should have produced the crime of murder as a
consequence but nevertheless, did not produce it by reason of causes independent of his will, that is,
becauseofthetimelyandablemedicalassistanceimmediatelyrenderedtothesaidBenitoNgSuy.
(p.1,Rollo.)
towhichhepleadednotguilty.
Subsequently, due to the death of the victim, an amended Information was filed charging now the crime of
murder,towit:
That on or about December 29, 1989, in the City of Davao, Philippines, and within the jurisdiction of this
Honorable Court, the abovementioned accused, armed with a knife, with treachery and evident
premeditationandwithintenttokillwilfully,unlawfullyandfeloniouslyattacked,assaultedandstabbedwith
saidweapononeBenitoNgSuy,therebyinflictinguponthelattermultiplewoundswhichcausedhisdeath
andtheconsequentlossanddamagetotheheirsofthevictim.
(p.3,Rollo.)
Aftertrialonthemerits,thecourtaquorenderedadecision,disposing:
WHEREFORE,findingtheaccusedPatricioAmigoguiltybeyondreasonabledoubtofthecrimeofMURDER
punishableunderArt.248oftheRevisedPenalCode,withnomodifyingcircumstancepresent,theaccused
is hereby sentenced to the penalty of reclusion perpetua, which is the medium period of the penalty of
reclusiontemporalinitsmaximumtodeathandtopaythecosttoindemnifytheoffendedpartytheamount
of P93,214.70 as actual damages and P50,000.00 as compensatory damages and P50,000.00 as moral
damages.
(p.32,Rollo.)
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Reversal thereof is now sought, with accusedappellant arguing that error was committed by the trial court in
imposingormetingoutthepenaltyofreclusionperpetuaagainsthimdespitethefactthatSec.19(1),ArticleIIIof
the1987Constitutionwasalreadyineffectwhentheoffensewascommitted.
Thefactsofthecase,asbrieflysummarizedinthebriefsubmittedbytheOfficeoftheSolicitorGeneralandas
borneoutbytheevidence,areasfollows:
OnDecember29,1989,ataround1:00P.M.,afterhavingspenthalfdayattheirstore,locatedatNo.166
A, Ramon Magsaysay Avenue, Davao City, Benito Ng Suy was driving their gray Ford Fiera back home,
situatedatthebackofCarAsia,Bajada,DavaoCity.Withhimduringthattimewerehisdaughters,Jocelyn
NgSuyandayoungeronetogetherwithhistwoyearoldson,whowereallseatedatthefrontseatbeside
himwhileafiveyearoldboywasalsoseatedatthebackofthesaidvehicle.(TSN,April29,1991,pp.35
TSN,March31,1992)
On their way home and while traversing the National Highway of Bajada, Davao City, an orange Toyota
Tamaraw driven by one Virgilio Abogada, suddenly made a left turn in front of the Regional Hospital,
Bajada,DavaoCity,withoutnoticingtheFordFieracomingfromtheoppositedirection.ThisTamarawwas
headingforSterlynKitchenette,whichwassituatedatthecomerofthesaidhospital.(TSN,April29,1991,
p.4TSN,March31,1992,pp.3and13)
WithVirgiliowasPatricioAmigoaliasBebot,avulcanizeratLingling'svulcanizingshopownedandoperated
byacertainGaladua.HewasalsoseatedattherightfrontseatbesideVirgilio.
DuetotheunexpectedveermadebyVirgilio,anaccidentalheadoncollisionoccurredbetweentheFiera
andtheTamaraw,causingaslightdamagedtotherightbumperofthelatter.(TSN,March31,1992,p.4)
Rightafterthecollision,Benitoimmediatelyalightedfromthedriver'sseatandconfrontedVirgilioAbogada
whoalsowentdownfromhisvehicle.(TSN,April29,1991,p.5)
Benito,whowasabigmanwithaloudvoicetoldVirgilio,"Youwerenotlooking,"towhichVirgilioretorted,I
didnotseeyou".(TSN,April29,1991,p.16)
While the two drivers where having this verbal confrontation, Patricio who was merely a passenger of
Virgilio also alighted from the front seat of the Tamaraw and instantaneously approached Benito and
advisedthelattertoleavesinceitwasmerelyasmallandminoraccident.(TSN,April29,1991,pp.1618)
AbitirritatedwiththeactuationexhibitbyPatricio,Benitorebukedtheformerandtoldhimnottointerfere,
sincehehadnothingtodowiththeaccident.(ibid.p.7)
Irked by the comment made by Benito, Patricio sarcastically asked "You are Chinese, is it you?" With a
readyanswerBenitosaid"Yes,IamaChineseandwhy?"PatriciointurnrepliedSo,youareaChinese,
waitforawhile,"thenleft.(ibid.pp.7and19)
Immediatelythereafter,BenitoorderedJocelyntocallapoliceman,butafteralapsedofaboutoneminute,
PatricioreturnedandarrogantlyapproachedBenito,askingthelatteronceagain,"YouareaChinese,isit
not?"TothisBenitocalmlyrespondedintheaffirmative.(ibid.pp.7,1920)
Upon hearing the response, Patricio mumbled "Ah, so you are a Chinese," and suddenly took a five inch
knifefromhiswaistandsimultaneouslystabbedBenitohittinghimtwiceonthechest.(Ibid.p.20)
Afterbeinghit,Benitowoundedandsensingthathislifewasinperil,triedtoevadehisassailantbypushing
Patricio away and run around the Tamaraw but Patricio wielding the same knife and not content with the
injuries he had already inflicted, still chased Benito and upon overtaking the latter embraced him and
thrustedhisknifeonthevictimseveraltimes,thelastofwhichhitBenitoontheleftsideofhisbody.(ibid.
pp.8,10,22)
It was at this juncture that Jocelyn who was still inside the Ford Fiera, pleading for mercy to spare her
fathertriedtogetoutofthevehiclebutitwasveryunfortunatethatshecouldnotopenitsdoor.(Ibid.p.10)
KnowingthatPatriciowasreallydeterminedtokillherfatherbyrefusingtoheedherpleas,Joselynshouted
for help, since there were already several people around witnessing that fatal incident, but to her
consternationnobodyliftedasinglefingertohelpthem.(ibid.pp.6,10,18,2122)Onlyafterherfatherlay
seatedontheflooroftheirFordFieraafterbeinghitontheleftsideofhisbodythatshewasabletoopen
thedoorofthesaidvehicle.(Ibid.p12)
After this precise moment, her younger sister, upon seeing their father bathing with his own blood,
embraced him, causing Patricio to cease from his ferocious assault and noticing the presence of several
people,hefled.(Ibid.p.22)
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Thereafter,anenragedJocelynchasedhim,butsincetheassailantranfasterthanher,shewasnotableto
overtake him, thus, she instead decided to go back to where her father was and carried him inside the
TamarawwhobumpedthemandconsequentlybroughthimtoSanPedroHospitalwherehewasattended
toattheEmergencyRoom.(ibid.p13)
While at the Emergency Room, Benito who was on a very critical condition, due to multiple (13) stabbed
wounds,wasoperatedbyDr.RolandoChiu.Aftertheoperation,hewassubsequentlybroughttotheICU
andstayedthereforthree(3)weeks.(July12,1991,pp.3and4)
Inalastditchefforttosavehislife,havingonly10to20percentsurvival,BenitowasairliftedtoManilaand
wasdirectlyconfinedattheChineseGeneralHospital.Afterthree(3)weeksofconfinement,Benitoexpired.
CAUSE OF DEATH SEPSIS (an overwhelming infection). This means that the infection has already
circulatedinthebloodalloverthebody.(ibid.pp.67)
(pp.5965,Rollo.)
Accusedappellant contends that under the 1987 Constitution and prior to the promulgation of Republic Act No.
7659,thedeathpenaltyhadbeenabolishedandhence,thepenaltythatshouldhavebeenimposedforthecrime
of murder committed by accusedappellant without the attendance of any modifying circumstances, should be
reclusiontemporalinitsmediumperiodor17years,4monthsand1day,to20yearsofreclusiontemporal.
Reasonsoutaccusedappellant:
. . . Since the death penalty (or capital punishment) is not imposable when the stabbing and killing
happened,thecomputationofthepenaltyshouldberegardedfromreclusionperpetuadownandnotfrom
death penalty. Indeed, the appropriate penalty is deducible from reclusion perpetua down to reclusion
temporal in its medium period. Hence, there being no modifying circumstances present (p. 5 Decision,
ibid.),thecorrectpenaltyshouldbeinthemediumperiod(Art.64,par.1,RevisedPenalCode)whichis17
years,4monthsand1dayto20yearsofreclusiontemporal.
(p.10,Appellant'sBrief,ff.p.50,Rollo.)
ThequestionraisedbyaccusedappellantwassettledbythisCourtinPeoplevs.Muoz(170SCRA107[1989])
thusly:
InPeoplevs.Gavarra,JusticePedroL.YapdeclaredfortheCourtthat"inviewoftheabolitionofthedeath
penaltyunderSection19,ArticleIIIofthe1987Constitution,thepenaltythatmaybeimposedformurderis
reclusiontemporalinitsmaximumperiodtoreclusionperpetua," thereby eliminating death as the original
maximumperiod.Later,withoutcategoricallysayingso,theCourt,throughJusticeAmeurfinaA.Melencio
HerrerainPeoplevs.MasangkayandthroughJusticeAndresR.NarvasainPeoplevs.Atencio,dividedthe
modifiedpenaltyintothreenewperiods,thelimitsofwhichwerespecifiedbyJusticeEdgardoL.Parasin
Peoplevs.Intino,asfollows:thelowerhalfofreclusiontemporalmaximumastheminimumtheupperhalf
ofreclusiontemporalmaximumasthemediumandreclusionperpetuaasthemaximum.
TheCourthasreconsideredtheabovecasesand,afterextendeddiscussion,cometotheconclusionthat
the doctrine announced therein does not reflect the intention of the framers as embodied in Article III,
Section19(1)oftheConstitution.Thisconclusionisnotunanimous,tobesure.Indeed,thereismuchtobe
said of the opposite view, which was in fact shared by many of those now voting for its reversal. The
majorityoftheCourt,however,isofthebeliefthattheoriginalinterpretationshouldberestoredasthemore
acceptablereadingoftheconstitutionalprovisioninquestion.
The advocates of the Masangkay ruling argue that the Constitution abolished the death penalty and
thereby limited the penalty for murder to the remaining periods, to wit, the minimum and the medium.
Theseshouldnowbedividedintothreenewperiodsinkeepingwiththethreegradeschemeintendedby
thelegislature.ThosewhodisagreefeelthatArticleIII,Section19(1)merelyprohibitstheimpositionofthe
death penalty and has not, by reducing it to reclusion perpetua, also correspondingly reduced the
remainingpenalties.Theseshouldbemaintainedintact.
AreadingofSection19(1)ofArticleIIIwillreadilyshowthathereisreallynothingthereinwhichexpressly
declares the abolition of the death penalty. The provision merely says that the death penalty shall not be
imposedunlessforcompellingreasonsinvolvingheinouscrimestheCongresshereafterprovidesforitand,
if already imposed, shall be reduced to reclusion perpetua. The language, while rather awkward, is still
plainenough.Anditisasettledruleoflegalhermeneuticsthatifthelanguageunderconsiderationisplain,
it is neither necessary nor permissible to resort to extrinsic aids, like the records of the constitutional
convention,foritsinterpretation.
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The question as we see it is not whether the framers intended to abolish the death penalty or merely to
prevent its imposition. Whatever the intention was, what we should determine is whether or not they also
meanttorequireacorrespondingmodificationintheotherperiodsasaresultoftheprohibitionagainstthe
deathpenalty.
It is definite that such a requirement, if there really was one, is not at all expressed in Article III, Section
19(1)oftheConstitutionorindicatedthereinbyatleastclearandunmistakableimplication.Itwouldhave
been so easy, assuming such intention, to state it categorically and plainly, leaving no doubts as to its
meaning.
Onesearchesinvainforsuchastatement,expressorevenimplied.Thewriterofthisopinionmakesthe
personalobservationthatthismightbestillanotherinstancewheretheframersmeantonethingandsaid
anotherorstrangely,consideringtheirloquacityelsewheredidnotsayenough.
The original ruling as applied in the Gavarra, Masangkay, Atencio and Intino cases represented the
unanimousthinkingoftheCourtasitwasthenconstituted.Allbuttwomembersatthattimestillsitonthe
Courttoday.Ifwehaveseenfittotakeasecondlookatthedoctrineonwhichwewereallagreedbefore,it
isnotbecauseofachangeinthecompositionofthisbody.ItisvirtuallythesameCourtthatischangingits
mindafterreflectingonthequestionagaininthelightofnewperspectives.Andwellitmight,andcan,for
the tenets it lays down are not immutable. The decisions of this Court are not petrified rules grown rigid
oncepronouncedbutvital,growingthingssubjecttochangeasalllifeis.Whilewearetoldthatthetrodden
path is best, this should not prevent us from opening a fresh trial or exploring the other side or testing a
newideainaspiritofcontinuinginquiry.
Accordingly, with the hope that "as judges, (we) will be equal to (our) tasks," whatever that means, we
herebyreversethecurrentdoctrineprovidingforthreenewperiodsforthepenaltyformurderasreduced
by the Constitution. Instead, we return to our original interpretation and hold that Article III, Section 19(1)
does not change the periods of the penalty prescribed by Article 248 of the Revised Penal Code except
only insofar as it prohibits the imposition of the death penalty and reduces it to reclusion perpetua. The
rangeofthemediumandminimumpenaltiesremainsunchanged.
TheCourtrealizesthatthisinterpretationmayleadtocertaininequitiesthatwouldnothavearisenunder
Article248oftheRevisedPenalCodebeforeitsmodification.Thus,apersonoriginallysubjecttothedeath
penaltyandanotherwhocommittedthemurderwithouttheattendanceofanymodifyingcircumstancewill
nowbebothpunishablewiththesamemediumperiodalthoughtheformerisconcededlymoreguiltythan
the latter. True enough. But that is the will not of this Court but of the Constitution. That is a question of
wisdom,notconstruction.OfsomerelevanceperhapsistheparableintheBibleoftheworkmanwhowas
paidthestipulateddailywageofonepennyalthoughhehadworkedlongerthanothershiredlaterinthe
day also paid the same amount. When he complained because he felt unjustly treated by the hoe
jurisdictionofthecourtovertheperson.Anappearancemaybemadtagreewithmeforapenny?
TheprobleminanyeventisaddressednottothisCourtbuttotheCongress.Penaltiesareprescribedby
statuteandareessentiallyandexclusivelylegislative.Asjudges,wecanonlyinterpretandapplythemand
have no authority to modify them or revise their range as determined exclusively by the legislature. We
shouldnotencroachonthisprerogativeofthelawmakingbody.
Comingbacktothecaseatbar,wefindthattherebeingnogenericaggravatingormitigatingcircumstance
attending the commission of the offenses, the applicable sentence is the medium period of the penalty
prescribedbyArticle248oftheRevisedPenalCodewhich,conformablytothenewdoctrinehereadopted
andannounced,isstillreclusionperpetua.Thisisthepenaltyweimposedonalltheaccusedappellantsfor
eachofthethreemurderstheyhavecommittedinconspiracywiththeothers.Theawardofcivilindemnity
fortheheirsofeachofthevictimsisaffirmedbuttheamountthereofisherebyincreasedtoP30,000.00in
linewiththepresentpolicy.
(atpp.120125.)
TheaboverulingwasreiteratedinPeoplevs.Parominog (203 SCRA 673 [1991]) and in Peoplevs.De la Cruz
(216SCRA476[1992]).
Finally, accusedappellant claims that the penalty of reclusion perpetua is too cruel and harsh a penalty and
pleads for sympathy. Courts are not the forum to plead for sympathy. The duty of courts is to apply the law,
disregardingtheirfeelingofsympathyorpityforanaccused.DURALEXSEDLEX.Theremedyiselsewhere
clemencyfromtheexecutiveoranamendmentofthelawbythelegislative,butsurely,atthispoint,thisCourtcan
butapplythelaw.
WHEREFORE,theappealeddecisionisherebyAFFIRMED.
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SOORDERED.
Narvasa,C.J.,Davide,Jr.,FranciscoandPanganiban,JJ.,concur.
TheLawphilProjectArellanoLawFoundation

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