"The undersigned Provincial Prosecutor Prosecutor of Leyte accuses Ernesto T. Cuesta, Jr., Jr., Pedro G. Dagaño, Renerio P. ergara and !ernardo P. Cuesta of the crie of iolation of #ection $$, Presidential Decree %o. &'(, )RE*#*%G +%D C%#L*D+T*%G C%#L*D+T*%G +LL L+-# +%D DECREE# +ECT*%G +ECT*%G *#/*%G +%D +%D *#/ER*E#0 as aended 1y Presidential Presidential Decree %o. 2'34, coitted as follo5s6
+CT#6 The o7enders, RENERIO P. VERGARA, ERNESTO T. CUESTA, JR., PEDRO G. DAGAÑO DAGAÑO and BERNARDO P. P. CUESTA CUESTA 5ere caught 1y a tea of 1antay dagat e1ers e1ers on 8reventive 8reventive 8atrol. 8atrol. The tea sa5 accused9a88ella accused9a88ellant nt Renerio ergar ergara a thro5 into the sea a 1ottle :no5n in the locality as " badil" containing containing aoniu nitrate and having a 1lasting ca8 on to8 5hich, 5hen ignited and thro5n into the 5ater, could e;8lode. The e;8losion 5ould indiscriinately indiscriinately :ill schools schools and various s8ecies of The tea a88roached the
!" %ause t! be %au'ht, ta&en !" 'athe"ed (sh !" (she"#)a*uat+% $"!du%ts +n Ph+l+$$+ne wate"s w+th the use ! e$l!s+-es, !bn!+!us !" $!+s!n!us
substan%e, !" b# the use ! ele%t"+%+t# . The ere 8ossession of such e;8losives 5ith intent to use the sae for illegal
*R#T D**#*%
G.R. N!. //0123. A$"+l 1, /4456
T7E PEOP8E O9 T7E P7I8IPPINES, plaintif-appellee, vs. RENERIO P. VERGARA, ERNESTO T. CUESTA, JR., PEDRO G. DAGAÑO and BERNARDO P. CUESTA, accused . RENERIO P. VERGARA, accusedappellant . DECISION VITUG, J.: ro the decision, dated 2' e1ruary 2$, of the Regional Trial Court, 4th Judicial Region, !ranch &, in Taclo1an City, ergara alone 5as arraigned and 1rought to trialH his co9accused esca8ed and reained at large. *t 5ould a88ear that at a1out &6$' in the orning of '( July 2?, a tea co8osed of de8utiIed ish -arden and President of the Leyte ish -arden +ssociation Jesus P. !indoy, Police cers Casiiro illas and Diosdado @oron of the Palo P%P #tation, Leyte, ish -ardens @ario Castillote and Estanislao Ca1reros
and ish E;ainer %estor +ldas of the De8artent of +griculture 5ere on 1oard, "Bantay-Dagat ," a 8u81oat, on "8reventive 8atrol" along the unici8al 5aters fronting 1arangays !aras and Candahug of Palo, Leyte, 5hen they chanced u8on a 1lue9colored @oentarily, the tea sa5 a88ellant thro5 into the sea a 1ottle :no5n in the locality as " badil" containing aoniu nitrate and having a 1lasting ca8 on to8 5hich, 5hen ignited and thro5n into the 5ater, could e;8lode. The e;8losion 5ould indiscriinately :ill schools and various s8ecies of The tea a88roached the *n his a88eal, ergara su1itted the follo5ing assignent of errors6 "2. T/E L-ER CRT C@@*TTED GR+E +!#E +T/R*T -/E% *T C@PLETEL *G%RED T/E TE#T*@% E@*L* L*%DE. "?. T/E L-ER CRT C@@*TTED GR+E +!#E +T/R*T -/E% *T G+E @C/ -E*G/T T !*+#ED -*T%E##E# -/#E TE#T*@%*E# -ERE GL+R*%GL *%C%#*#TE%T. "$. T/E L-ER CRT C@@*TTED GR+E +!#E +T/R*T -/E% *T PE%L #/-ED !*+# +G+*%#T T/E +CC#ED DR*%G T/E TR*+L T/*# C+#E." =3>
Eilio Linde sought to corro1orate the clai of a88ellant that it 5as another unidenti
*n the orning of the (th day of July, 2? do you recall 5here you 5ereN
"+
-e 5ere on the sea fronting 1arangays !aras and Candahug.
"M
-hat unici8alityN
"+
Palo, Leyte.
"M
Did you have anyone 5ith you in this 8articular incidentN
"+
es, sir.
"M
-ho 5ere theyN
"+
T5o 8oliceen Casiiro illas, Jr. and Diosdado @oron and y fello5
"M
-ill you identify your co9
"+
@ario Castillote, Estanislao Ca1reros, Jr.
"M "+ "M
/o5 a1out that e8loyee fro the De8artent of +griculture, 5ho 5as heN %estor +ldas. -hat 5ere you doing at that 8articular tie on this 8lace fronting 1arangay !aras and !arangay Candahug, Palo, LeyteN
"+
-e 5ere 5atching for illegal
"M
-hat is your authority in this 8articular tas:N
"+
-e are the 1antay dagat e1ers of Palo.
AM
Do you have any 5ritten authoriting evidencing that 8ositionN
"+
es, aa, our de8utiIed *D )5itness is sho5ing *D %o. 2($?920
"*#C+L D+G+%D+%6 or the records your honor * 5ill Kuote this *D6 This is to certify that Jesus P. !indoy is a de8uty irector, De8artent of +griculture, Region 4. "*#C+L D+G+%D+%6 "M
#ince you claied that you 5ere on the sea fronting 1arangays !aras and Candahug in 5hat vehicle 5ere you in at that oentN
"+
-e 5ere in a otoriIed 8u81oat.
"M
#o, 5hat unusual incident if any that trans8iredN
"+
*n that orning 5e sa5 a 1lue 8u8 1oat 5hich is a1out ?'' eters a5ay fro us.
"CRT -hat tie in the orningN "+
+1out &6$' in the orning ore or less.
"*#C+L D+G+%D+%6 "M
+1out ho5 long is this colored 1lue 8u81oatN
"+
@ore or less $' feet.
"M
+t a1out this distance of ?'' eters 5ere you a1le to visualiIe or see if there 5ere any 8assengers in that 1lue colored 8u81oatN
"+
es, aa.
"M
-ere you a1le to identify theN
"+
es, sir.
"M
-ho 5ere theyN
"+
The one in front of the 8u81oat 5as Renerio ergara, !ernardo Cuesta, Pedro Dagaño and Ernesto Cuesta, Jr.
"M
ou entioned of Renerio ergara, 5ho you sa5 in that 1lue colored 8u81oat and you identi
"+ "M
es, they are one and the sae 8erson. +t the tie you sa5 these 8ersons loaded in that color 1lue 8u81oat 5hat 5ere they doingN
"+
* sa5 the 8addling.
"M
To5ards 5hat directionN
"+ "M
To5ards the direction of #aar. +nd 5here 5ere you in relation 5ith that 8u81oat that 5as 8addled to5ards #aar areaN
"+
-e 5ere situated 8arallel to the.
"M
#o 5hat ha88ened at this 8articular tieN
"+
That 5as 5hen 5e sa5 Renerio ergara thre5 a 1ottle to the sea and after that 5e heard an e;8losion.
"M
Did you coe to :no5 5hat 8articular 1ottle 5as it thro5n to the seaN
"+
*t 5as a dynaite )1adil0.
"M
+s a e1er of this 1antay dagat are you failiar 5ith this 1adil 5hich you earlier entionedN
"+
es, sir.
"M
-ill you descri1e this 8articular deviceN
"+
This 1ottle is
"M
#o in case this is used 1y
"+
*t is ignited and then thro5n to the sea and this result in the :illing of
"M
*n this 8articular instance 5hen you heard the e;8losion ho5 far 5ere you to this 1lue 8u81oatN
"+
+1out ?'' eters.
"M
#o 5hat did you do after you heard this e;8losionN
"+
+fter the e;8losion 5e slo5ly a88roached the.
"M
ro the tie you sa5 this 1ottle 1eing thro5n to the sea 1y ergara u8 to the tie you heard this e;8losion a1out ho5 any inutes ela8sedN
"+
+1out $ seconds.
"M
+t a1out ho5 near 5ere you to this 1lue 8u81oatN
"+
-e 5ent near to a distance of one hundred eters.
"M
#o, 5hat did you do at this distanceN
"+
-e :e8t on 5atching the
"M
-ere you a1le to recogniIe these t5o 8ersons 5ho divedN
"+
es, aa.
"M
-ho 5ere theyN
"+
Renerio ergara and !ernardo Cuesta.
"M
ou said there 5ere four 8ersons loaded in that 8u81oat. /o5 a1out the other t5o 5hat 5ere they doingN
"+
The t5o 8ersons 5ere there, one 5atching the hose that 5as used 1y the t5o 8ersons 5ho dived for 1reathing.
"M
#o, 5hat else did you doN
"+
-hen 5e a88roached the 8u81oat it 5as Casiiro illas, a 8olicean 5ho 1oarded the 8u81oat.
"M
/o5 a1out you 5hat did you do 5hen Casiiro illas 1oarded the 8u81oatN
"+
* 5as the one holding on to the 1lue 8u81oat.
"M
#o, 5hat else 5as done if any 1y the e1ers of your teaN
"+
-hile 5e 5ere there 5e let the t5o 8ersons 5ho dived surface and they 5ere carrying 5ith the
"M
Do you :no5 the s8ecie of this 1olinaoN
"+
+nchovies.
"M
+1out ho5 heavy 5ere these
"+
+1out one :ilo 8er
"M
/o5 any contra8tion 5ere carried 1y theN
"+
Each one of the 5as carrying one si1ot )
"CRT #o, t5o divers t5o netsN "+
es, sir.
"M
+nd each has a catch of one :iloN
"+
+lost one :ilo.
"M
#o, t5o nets t5o :ilos ore or lessN
"+
es, sir.
"*#C+L D+G+%D+%6 "M
#o, after that 5hat did you doN
"M
-hen 5e arrived at our te8orary station at !aras, Palo 5e gave the
"M
Do you recall if you ade an a88rehension re8ort of the incident you 5itnessedN
"+
es, aa.
"M
"+
* sho5 you a original co8y of a88rehension re8ort dated July (, 2? addressed to the Regional Director, De8artent of +griculture, Taclo1an City stating that the follo5ing o7enders naely Renerio ergara y Prisno, Pedro Dagaño y Gadin, Ernesto Cueta y To1illa and !ernardo Cuesta y Pedrero 5ere a88rehended and the violation is
%estor +ldas, an +gricultural Technologist and ish E;ainer 5or:ing 5ith the De8artent of +griculture, Palo, Leyte, 5ho e;ained the
unlawul !" an# $e"s!n t! %at%h, ta&e !" 'athe" !" %ause t! be %au'ht, ta&en !" 'athe"ed (sh !" (she"#)a*uat+% $"!du%ts +n Ph+l+$$+ne wate"s w+th the use ! e$l!s+-es, !bn!+!us !" $!+s!n!us substan%e, !" b# the use ! ele%t"+%+t# as de
<7ERE9ORE, the decision of the court a quo a88ealed fro is ared in tot o. Costs against accused9a88ellant.
SO ORDERED. Padilla !"hair#an$ , Bellosillo %apunan and &er#osisi#a 'r( ''( concur.
=2>
Records, 8. 2.
=?>
T#%., ?? January 2$, 88. ?94.
=$>
T#%., ?? January 2$, 88. 4922.
=(>
)ollo, 8. ?(.
=3>
)ollo, 8. 4'.
=O>
T#%., ?? January 2$, 88. (92(.