PEOPLE v. SERZO June 20, 1997 | Panganiban, J. J. | Right to counsel Digester: Santos, Ihna SUMMARY: Alre!o Alcantara res"on!e! to the "lea o his neighbor to rescue her gran!chil!ren ro# $ario Ser%o. Ater rescuing the gran!chil!ren, Alre!o &as stabbe! b' $ario ro# behin! an! cause! hi# to all in the canal &here the latter re"eate!l' stabbe! hi# to !eath. (rial court oun! $ario guilt' o the cri#e #ur!er. $ario allege! that he &as !enie! e)ecti*e legal re"resentation &hen the trial court !i! not a)or!e! hi# &ith enough ti#e to engage counsel o his o&n choice, !es"ite being re"resente! b' + courta""ointe! la&'ers in se"arate instances. S- hel! that the o"tion to secure counsel !e "arte is not absol ute, es"eciall' in this case &herein it &as use! as a #eans to !ela' the "rocee!ings. DOCTRINE: (he right to counsel o an accuse! is guarantee! b' our -onstitution, our la&s an! our Rules o -ourt. During custo!ial in*estigation, arraign#ent, trial an! e*en on a ""eal, the accuse! is gi*en the o"tion to be re"resente! b' a counsel o his choice. ut &hen he neglects or reuses to e/ercise this o"tion !uring arraign#ent an! trial, the court shall a""oint one or hi#. hile the right to be re"resente! b' counsel is absolute, the accuse!s o"tion to hire one o his o&n choice is li#ite!. Such o"tion cannot be use! to sanction re"rehensible !ilator' tactics, to trie &ith the Rules or to "re3u!ice the e4uall' i#"ortant rights o the state an! the o)en!e! "art' to s"ee!' an! a!e4uate 3ustice.
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CRIME: $ur!er ACTION: Petition or re*ie& on certiorari un!er Rule 56 FACTS: August 22, 1990 Alre!o Alcantara, together &ith his &ie A!elai!a, &ere sta'ing insi!e their house &atching tele*ision at aroun! 11:+0 "#. Susan Ser%o, #other o res"on!ent $ario Ser%o, Jr. an! one 8"ianio entila%ion ca#e nocing at their !oorste"s an! "lea!ing or hel" to bring out her gran!chil!ren &ho &ere being hel! insi!e their house b' $ario. (he s"ouses &ere able to rescue the gran!chil!ren an! to bring the# to a saer "lace. ut &hen returning to their house, Alre!o &as stabbe! b' $ario ro# behin! an! cause! hi# to all in the canal &here the latter re"eate!l' stabb e! hi# to !eath. A!elai!a shoute! or hel" but &as lie&ise attace! b' •
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$ario. ortunatel', ortunatel', the resi!ents in the *icinit' res"on!e! to hel" her thereb' causing $ario to ee. Arraign#ent &as set b' the trial court !uring &hich $ario a""eare! &ithout a counsel. -onse4uentl', -onse4uentl', the trial court a""ointe! Att'. Att'. ilre!o ;inaac as counsel !e o)ici o or arraign#ent onl'. $ario, ho&e*er, #o*e! that the arraign#ent be reset an! that he be g i*en ti#e to engage a counsel o his o&n choice, &hich the trial court grante!. During the resche!ule! arraign#ent, $ario a""eare! &ithout a counsel !e "arte. arcia o PA= as his counsel !e o)icio. arcia b' !eclining to tae the &itness stan!, orcing the !eense to rest its case. oth "arties &ere or!ere! to sub#it their res"ecti*e #e#oran!a in ten !a's, ater &hich the case &oul! be sub#itte! or !ecision. Att'. Att'. >arcia &as urther or!ere! to #aniest &ithin the sa#e "erio! &hether a""ellant &oul! change his #in! an! coo"erate &ith her. her. ?o #e#oran!u# or #aniestation &as e*er @le! b' a""ellant. $ario &rote Ju!ge Angeles + ti#es seeing legal a!*ice an! the earl' resolution o the case. ranch -ler o -ourt $elchise!e A. >uan re"lie! to hi# t&ice, inor#ing hi# that Ju!ge Angeles &as "rohibite! b' la& ro# gi*ing legal a!*ice to litigants in cases "en!ing in his court an! that a !ecision &as orthco#ing.
RTC -on*icte! $ario on the basis o the e*i!ence "resente! b' the "rosecution. (rial court note! that a""ellant si#"l' reuse! to secure the ser*ices o a counsel !e "arte an! to "resent e*i!ence in his !eense !es"ite a#"le o""ortunit' accor!e! to hi#. •
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Res"on!ents argu#ent: (he trial court !i! not gi*e hi# enough ti#e to engage a counsel !e "arte, e)ecti*el' !e"ri*ing hi# o the chance to "resent e*i!ence in his !eense. RULING: Assaile! !ecision a)ir#e! but grant o #oral !a#ages !elete!. Whether the lower cort erre! "# #ot $"v"#$ re%&o#!e#t t"'e to e#$($e co#%el o) h"% ow# cho"ce (#! w(% !e#"e! o) e*ect"ve le$(l re&re%e#t(t"o# + NO. •
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hile the accuse!s right to be re"resente! b' counsel is i##utable, his o"tion to secure the ser*ices o counsel !e "arte is not absolute. (he court is oblige! to balance the "ri*ilege to retain a counsel o choice against the States an! the o) en!e! "art's e4uall' i#"ortant right to s"ee!' an! a!e4uate 3ustice. (hus, the court #a' restrict the accuse!s o"tion to retain a counsel !e "arte i the accuse! insists on an attorne' he cannot a)o r!, or the chosen counsel is not a #e#ber o the bar, or the attorne' !eclines to re"resent the accuse! or a *ali! reason, e.g. conict o interest an! the lie. Also, the right to counsel !e "arte is, lie other "ersonal rights, &ai*able so long as 1B the &ai*er is not contrar' to la&, "ublic or!er, "ublic "olic', #orals or goo! custo#sC or "re3u!icial to a thir! "erson &ith a right recogni%e! b' la& an! 2B the &ai*er is une4ui*ocall', no&ingl' an! intelligentl' #a!e. Sa'son *. Peo"le: (he !ut' o the court to a""oint a counsel ! e o@cio is not #an!ator' &here the accuse! has "rocee!e! &ith the arraign#ent an! the trial &ith a counsel o his choice but, &hen the ti#e or the "resentation o the e*i!ence or the !eense &as !ue, he a""ears b' hi#sel alone because o the ine/cusable absence o his counsel. In this case, res"on!ent ha! been gi*en a#"le ti#e to secure the ser*ices o a counsel !e "arte, but his subse4uent a""earances in court &ithout such counsel an! his act o allo&ing this situation to continue until the "resentation o his
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e*i!ence betra's his lac o intention to !o so. It e*en a""ears that he &as #erel' !ela'ing his o&n "resentation o e*i!ence on "ur"ose to the "r e3u!ice o the o)en!e! "art', the trial court an! the or!erl' a!#inistration o 3ustice. urther#ore, res"on!ent !i! not !e#onstrate in &hat &a' the ser*ices o his counsels !e o@cio &ere unsatisactor'.
NOTES: D"%c%%"o# o# the r"$ht o) (# (cc%e! to co#%el: (he right o an accuse! to counsel is guarantee! b' the -onstitution, the su"re#e la& o the lan!. (his right is grante! to #ini#i%e the i#balance in the a!*ersarial s'ste# &here the accuse! is "itte! against the a&eso#e "rosecutor' #achiner' o the state. Justice lac: (his is a recognition that an a*erage accuse!B !oes not ha*e the "roessional sill to "rotect hi#sel beore a tribunal &ith "o&er to tae his lie or libert', &herein the "rosecutorB is an e/"erience! an! learne! counsel. Justice Sutherlan! in Po&ell *. Alaba#a, on &h' an accuse! nee!s a co#"etent counsel: o 8*en the intelligent an! e!ucate! la'#an has s#all an! so#eti#es no sill in the science o la&. I charge! &ith cri#e, he is inca"able, generall', o !eter#ining or hi#sel &hether the in!ict#ent is goo! or ba!.
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una#iliar &ith the rules o e*i!ence. ;et &ithout the ai! o counsel he #a' be "ut on trial &ithout a "ro"er charge, an! con*icte! u"on inco#"etent e*i!ence, or e*i!ence irrele*ant to the issue or other&ise ina!#issible.
Prov"%"o#% $r(#t"#$ the (cc%e! the r"$ht to co#%el: ,-/ Co#%t"tt"o# S8-. 12. 1B An' "erson un!er in*estigation or the o co##ission o an o)ense shall ha*e the right to be inor#e! o his right to re#ain silent an! to ha*e co#"etent an! in!e"en!ent counsel "reerabl' o his o&n choice. I the "erson cannot a)or! the ser*ices o counsel, he #ust be "ro*i!e! &ith one. (hese rights cannot be &ai*e! e/ce"t in &riting an! in the " resence o counsel. S8-. 15 1B ?o "erson shall be hel! to ans&er or a o cri#inal o)ense &ithout !ue "rocess o la&. 2B In all cri#inal "rosecutions, the accuse! shall be "resu#e! innocent until the contrar' is "ro*e!, an! shall en3o' the right to be hear! b' hi#sel an! counsel, / / /. Rle% o) Cort o RE;8 112 Preli#inar' In*estigation. S8-. 7. When accused lawfully arrested without warrant. / / /
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126 o the Re*ise! Penal -o!e, as a#en!e!, &ith the assistance o a la&'er an! in case o nona*ailabilit' o a la&'er, a res"onsible "erson o his choice. / / /. RE;8 11+ Arrest. S8-. 15. Right of attorney or relative to visit person arrested. An' #e#ber o the bar shall, at the re4uest o the "erson arreste! or o another acting in his behal, ha*e the right to *isit an! coner "ri*atel' &ith such "erson, in the 3ail or an' other "lace o custo!' at an' hour o the !a' or, in urgent cases, o the night. (his right shall also be e/ercise! b' an' relati*e o the "erson arreste! sub3ect to reasonable regulation. RE;8 116 Rights o Accuse!. S8-. 1. Rights of accused at the trial .In all cri#inal "rosecutions, the accuse! shall be entitle!: cB (o be "resent an! !een! in "erson an! b' counsel at e*er' stage o the "rocee!ings, ro# the arraign#ent to the "ro#ulgation o the 3u!g#ent. RE;8 11F. S8-. F. Duty of court to inform accused of his right to counsel. eore arraign#ent, the court shall inor# the accuse! o his right to counsel an! shall as hi# i he !esires to ha*e one.Enless the accuse! is allo&e! to !een! hi#sel in "erson, or he has e#"lo'e! counsel o his choice, the court #ust assign a counsel de ocio to !een! hi#. S8-. 7. Appointment of counsel de ocio.(he court, consi!ering the gra*it' o the o)ense an! the !i)icult' o the 4uestions that #a' arise, shall a""oint as counsel !e o@cio onl' such #e#bers o the bar in goo! stan!ing &ho, b' reason o their e/"erience an! abilit' #a' a!e4uatel' !een! the accuse!. ut in localities &here such #e#bers o the bar are not a*ailable, the court #a' a""oint an' "erson, resi!ent o the "ro*ince an! o goo! re"ute or "robit' an! abilit', to !een! the accuse!. RE;8 122. S8-. 1+. Appointment of counsel de ocio for accused on appeal.It shall be the !ut' o the cler o the trial court u"on the "resentation o a notice o a""eal in a cri#inal case, to ascertain ro# the a""ellant, i he be con@ne! in "rison, &hether he !esires the -ourt o A""eals or the Su"re#e -ourt to a""oint a counsel to !een! hi# de ocio an! to trans#it &ith the recor!, u"on a or# to be "re"are! b' the cler o the a""ellate court, a certi@cate o co#"liance &ith this ! ut' an! o the res"onse o the a""ellant to his in4uir'.
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RE;8 125. S8-. 2. Appointment of counsel de ocio for the accused.-- I it a""ears ro# the recor! o the case as trans#itte!: aB that the accuse! is con@ne! in "rison, bB &ithout counsel de parteon a""eal, an! cB signe! the notice o a""eal hi#sel, then the cler o the -ourt o A""eals shall !esignate a #e#ber o the bar to !een! hi#, such !esignation to be #a!e b' rotation, unless other&ise !irecte! b' or!er o the court. An accuse!a""ellant not con@ne! in "rison shall not be entitle! to a counsel de ocio, unless the a""oint#ent o
such counsel is re4ueste! in the a""ellate court &ithin ten 10B !a's ro# recei"t o the notice to @le brie an! the right thereto is establishe! b' a)i!a*it. RA /01 An act !e@ning certain rights o "erson arreste!, !etaine! o or un!er custo!ial in*estigation as &ell as the !uties o the arresting, !etaining an! in*estigating o)icers, an! "ro*i!ing "enalties or *iolations thereo