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NATURE: Appeal from a judgment of the Municipal Court Batangas, Batangas, convicting the accused of violation of Article 133 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC), and
sentencing him to serve six (6) months and one (1) day of prison correccional, with the accessories of the law and to pay one-half (1/2) of the cost.
ANTECEDENTS: 1. 1962 April 4 – Tengson, a minister of the sect “Christ is the Answer” went to Bauan, Batangas together with his assistant, Eduardo Olegario, after receiving
a telegram informing him of the death of the wife of Tiburcio Cepillo. There they perfomed a religious service consisting of the singing of the hymns and
reading of passages from the Bible. Cepillo informed Tengson that as per his deceased wife’s wishes, her remains would be buried in the Bauan Roman
Catholic Cemetery the next day.
2. The next day, before the funeral cortege for his deceased wife started, Cepillo requested Tengson to perform yet another religious service for his
deceased wife in the sect barrio chapel. After the service, the funeral cortege headed to the Poblacion while Tengson and his assistant waited for its
arrival at the Bauan Municipal Hall.
3. Tengson directed the funeral cortege to the cemetery, but in the process stopped in front of an unfinished Roman Catholic Chapel, where some religious
rites were conducted before the interment.
4. Upon the foregoing facts, Tengson was found guilty of violating Article 133 of the RPC, thus this appeal.
SC DECISION REVERSED the decision of the Batangas, Batangas Municipal Court, ACQUIT the ACCUSED, with costs de oficio.
(Bottomline)
Please read the other opinions (concurring, dissenting and concurring, dissenting) in the decision if you have extra time.