Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
*
G.R. No. 122099. July 5, 2000.
central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/0000016c6fb6febb04e8434e003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 1/31
8/8/2019 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 335
_______________
* FIRST DIVISION.
41
42
43
crete proof as to how and when the plan to kill was hatched or
what time had elapsed before it was carried out.
Same; Alibi; Alibi is generally considered with suspicion and
always received with caution because it can be easily fabricated.—
In stark contrast to the evidence pointing to him as one of the
assailants of the victims, accused-appellant proffers the defense of
alibi. At the risk of sounding trite, it must be remembered that
alibi is generally considered with suspicion and always received
with caution because it can be easily fabricated. For alibi to serve
as a basis for acquittal, the accused must establish that: a.] he
was present at another place at the time of the perpetration of the
offense; and b.] it would thus be physically impossible for him to
have been at the scene of the crime.
Same; Frustrated Felonies; Words and Phrases; “Subjective
Phase” and “Objective Phase,” Explained; It is not the gravity of
the wounds inflicted which determines whether a felony is
attempted or frustrated but whether or not the subjective phase in
the commission of an offense has been passed.—The reasoning of
the lower court on this point is flawed because it is not the gravity
of the wounds inflicted which determines whether a felony is
attempted or frustrated but whether or not the subjective phase in
the commission of an offense has been passed. By subjective phase
is meant “[t]hat portion of the acts constituting the crime included
between the act which begins the commission of the crime and the
central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/0000016c6fb6febb04e8434e003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 4/31
8/8/2019 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 335
last act performed by the offender which, with the prior acts,
should result in the consummated crime. From that time forward,
the phase is objective. It may also be said to be that period
occupied by the acts of the offender over which he has control—
that period between the point where he begins and the point
where he voluntarily desists. If between these two points the
offender is stopped by reason of any cause outside of his own
voluntary desistance, the subjective phase has not been passed
and it is an attempt. If he is not so stopped but continues until he
performs the last act, it is frustrated.”
Same; Same; Frustrated and Attempted Felonies,
Distinguished; Requisites.—It must be remembered that a felony
is frustrated when: 1.] the offender has performed all the acts of
execution which would produce the felony; 2.] the felony is not
produced due to causes independent of the perpetrator’s will. On
the other hand, in an attempted felony: 1.] the offender commits
overt acts to commence the perpetration of the crime; 2.] he is not
able to perform all
44
the acts of execution which should produce the felony; and 3.] his
failure to perform all the acts of execution was due to some cause
or accident other than his spontaneous desistance.
Same; Same; Same; The essential element which distinguishes
attempted from frustrated felony is that, in the latter, there is no
intervention of a foreign or extraneous cause or agency between the
beginning of the commission of the crime and the moment when all
the acts have been performed which should result in the
consummated crime.—The distinction between an attempted and
frustrated felony was lucidly differentiated thus in the leading
case of U.S. v. Eduave: A crime cannot be held to be attempted
unless the offender, after beginning the commission of the crime
by overt acts, is prevented, against his will, by some outside cause
from performing all of the acts which should produce the crime. In
other words, to be an attempted crime the purpose of the offender
must be thwarted by a foreign force or agency which intervenes
and compels him to stop prior to the moment when he has
performed all of the acts which should produce the crime as a
consequence, which acts it is his intention to perform. If he has
performed all the acts which should result in the consummation
of the crime and voluntarily desists from proceeding further, it
central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/0000016c6fb6febb04e8434e003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 5/31
8/8/2019 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 335
45
YNARES-SANTIAGO, J.:
central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/0000016c6fb6febb04e8434e003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 7/31
8/8/2019 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 335
_______________
1 Rollo, p. 13.
2 Ibid., p. 14.
47
central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/0000016c6fb6febb04e8434e003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 8/31
8/8/2019 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 335
_______________
48
II
_______________
49
15
that Jeonito was already
16
dead. Their assailants then fled
after the incident. Marlon
17
Araque who sustained injuries
in the arm and 18
back, was thereafter brought to a hospital
for treatment.
Marlon Araque was examined by Dr. Salvador
Manimtim,
19
head of the Medico Legal Division of the UP- 20
PGH, who thereafter issued a Medical Certificate
indicating that Marlon Araque sustained two (2) lacerated
wounds, one measuring 5 centimeters in length 21
located in
the center (mid-parietal area) of the ear. The second
lacerated wound measuring 2 centimeters in length is
located at22 the mid-frontal area commonly known as the
forehead. A third lacerated wound measuring
23
1.5
centimeters long is located at the forearm and a fourth
which is a stab wound measuring 3 24centimeters is located
at the right shoulder at the collar. Elaborating on the
central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/0000016c6fb6febb04e8434e003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 10/31
8/8/2019 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 335
_______________
15 Id., p. 10
16 Id., pp. 7, 10.
17 Id., p. 10.
18 Id., pp. 10-12; Exhibit A.
19 TSN, 22 July 1992, pp. 6, 11.
20 Ibid., pp. 7-8; Exhibit I and series.
21 Id., pp. 8-9.
22 Id., p. 9.
23 Id., pp. 9, 18.
24 Id., pp. 8-9, 19-20.
25 Id., pp. 21-23.
26 TSN, 13 June 1994, p. 6.
27 Ibid., p. 6; Exhibit H and series.
50
central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/0000016c6fb6febb04e8434e003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 11/31
8/8/2019 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 335
_______________
51
_______________
52
_______________
53
central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/0000016c6fb6febb04e8434e003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 14/31
8/8/2019 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 335
54
central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/0000016c6fb6febb04e8434e003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 15/31
8/8/2019 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 335
central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/0000016c6fb6febb04e8434e003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 16/31
8/8/2019 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 335
55
COURT
How many stabbed [him], if you know?
A Three (3), sir.
COURT
In what particular part of his body was stabbed wound
(sic)?
A Witness pointing to his back upper right portion of the
back, another on the lower right portion and another on
the middle portion of the left side at the back.
COURT
Proceed.
Q Will you please inform the Honorable Court why you
are (sic) lost consciousness?
A I was hit by [a] lead pipe by Samson and Bonifacio.
Q And when did you regain consciousness?
A After three minutes.
Q And when you gain[ed] consciousness, what happened
to your brother?
A He was already dead.
Q How about you, what did you do?
A I go (sic) to the Hospital.
Q How about the accused, the persons who way laid, what
happened to them?
43
A From what I know, they ran away.
_______________
56
A Yes, sir.
Q Were (sic) there no occasion on August 14, 1991 when
you visited Sonny Sari-Sari Store at 4:00 p.m. on
August 14, 1991?
A No, sir.
Q And did you not have a drinking spree with George dela
Torre?
A No, sir.
Q Marlon dela Torre?
A No, sir.
Q Bonifacio?
A With your borther (sic)?
Q So you want to tell this Honorable Court that there was
no point in time on August 14, 1991 at 4:00 p.m. that
you did not take a sip of wine?
A No, sir.
Q Neither your brother?
Atty. Agoot
Objection, Your Honor, the question is vague.
COURT
Ask another question.
Q Mr. Witness, will you please tell the Honorable Court
where this George dela Torre, Marlon dela Torre and a
certain Bonifacio were?
Atty. Agoot
Witness is incompetent.
Q Mr. Witness, you testified that it was your brother the
deceased who invited you to Purok 4?
A Yes, sir.
central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/0000016c6fb6febb04e8434e003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 18/31
8/8/2019 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 335
Atty. Lumakang
44
That will be all for the witness, your Honor.
_______________
57
_______________
central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/0000016c6fb6febb04e8434e003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 19/31
8/8/2019 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 335
58
50
purpose, concert of action and community of interest.
Indeed—
More explicitly—
_______________
50 People v. Lotoc, G.R. No. 132166, 19 May 1999, 307 SCRA 471, citing People
v. Magallano, 266 SCRA 305 [1997].
51 People v. Heracleo Manriquez y Alia, et al., G.R. Nos. 122510-11, 17 March
2000, p. 12, 328 SCRA 385, citing People v. Silvestre, 244 SCRA 479 [1995]; People
v. Hubilla, Jr., supra; People v. Pecho, 262 SCRA 518 [1996].
52 People v. Maranion, 199 SCRA 421 [1991].
53 People v. Trinidad, 162 SCRA 714 [1988].
54 People v. Datun, 272 SCRA 380 [1997].
59
central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/0000016c6fb6febb04e8434e003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 21/31
8/8/2019 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 335
_______________
60
_______________
60 People v. Maldo, G.R. No. 131347, 19 May 1999, 307 SCRA 424,
citing People v. Magallano, supra; People v. Palomar, 278 SCRA 114
[1997]; People v. Dinglasan, 267 SCRA 26 [1997]; People v. Cabiles, Sr.,
268 SCRA 271 [1996].
61 TSN, 18 November 1991, p. 7.
62 TSN, 13 June 1994, pp. 7-9, 10-12; Exhibits H-1, H-2 and H-3.
63 TSN, 13 June 1994, p. 6.
64 Ibid., pp. 10-11.
61
central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/0000016c6fb6febb04e8434e003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 23/31
8/8/2019 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 335
_______________
62
_______________
69 People v. Belaro, G.R. No. 99869, 26 May 1999, 307 SCRA 591, citing
People v. Zamora, 278 SCRA 60 [1997]; People v. Balderas, 276 SCRA 470
[1997]; People v. Patawaran, 274 SCRA 130 [1997]; People v. Balmoria,
287 SCRA 687 [1998]; People v. Ravanes, 283 SCRA 634 [1998].
70 People v. Andres, 296 SCRA 318 [1998]; People v. Enriquez, 292
SCRA 656 [1998].
71 Rollo, p. 38.
63
central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/0000016c6fb6febb04e8434e003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 25/31
8/8/2019 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 335
_______________
72 Aquino R.C. and Grino-Aquino C.C., Revised Penal Code, Vol. 1, 1997 ed., p.
109.
73 Ibid., p. 108.
74 Id., p. 98.
75 36 Phil. 209 [1917].
64
_______________
65
_______________
central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/0000016c6fb6febb04e8434e003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 27/31
8/8/2019 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 335
66
85
tence Law, the minimum of the imposable penalty shall be
within the range of the penalty next lower in degree, i.e.
prision correccional in its maximum period which has a
range of six (6) months and one (1) day to six (6) years.
What now remains to be determined is the propriety of
the awards made by the trial court with regard to the civil
aspect of the case for the death of Jeonito Araque and the
injuries sustained by Marlon Araque.
Anent actual or compensatory damages, it bears
stressing that only substantiated and proven expenses or
those which appear to have been genuinely incurred in
connection with the death, wake
86
or burial of the victim will
be recognized by the courts. In this case, the expenses
incurred for the wake, funeral87 and burial of the deceased
are substantiated by receipts. The trial court’s award for
actual damages for the death of Jeonito Araque should
therefore be affirmed. 88
In line with current jurisprudence, the award of
P50,000.00 as civil indemnity ex delicto must also be
sustained as it requires no proof other than the fact of
death of89 the victim and the assailant’s responsibility
therefor. The award for moral damages for the pain and
sorrow suffered by the victim’s family in connection with
his untimely death must likewise be affirmed. The award is
adequate, reasonable
_______________
central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/0000016c6fb6febb04e8434e003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 28/31
8/8/2019 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 335
67
central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/0000016c6fb6febb04e8434e003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 29/31
8/8/2019 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 335
_______________
68
97
proper. The award for exemplary damages must, however,
be retained considering that under Article 2230 of the Civil
Code, such damages may be imposed “when the crime98is
committed with one or more aggravating circumstances.”
Finally, this Court has observed that the trial court did
not render judgment against accused Samson dela Torre,
notwithstanding that he was arraigned and pleaded not
guilty to both charges. Under the circumstances, he should
be deemed to have been tried in absentia and, considering
the evidence presented by the prosecution against him,
convicted of the crime charged together with appellant
Agapito Listerio.
WHEREFORE, the appealed decision is AFFIRMED
with the following MODIFICATIONS:
_______________
69
——o0o——
central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/0000016c6fb6febb04e8434e003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 31/31