People v Sto Tomas
FACTS: On the evening of May 23 1967 Salva!on "#$lla %ife of he#ein appellant Pa!ito Sto& Tomas an' the appelant(s mothe# in la% Consola!ion "#$lla %e#e fo$n' 'ea' 'ea' insi'e insi'e the ho$se ho$se of the "#$ll "#$llas( as(&& Pa!ito a!ito %as %as !onvi! !onvi!te' te' %ith the !#ime !#ime of Pa##i!i'e& )n his 'efense Pa!ito !onten's that the t#ial !o$#t e##e' in !onsi'e#ing the '%elling as an agg#avating !i#!$mstan!e *e!a$se the vi!tim(s stay in the ho$se of Consola!ion "#$lla is only tempo#a#y hen!e it may not *e !onsi'e#e' as he# '%elling )SS+,: )SS+,: -O. -O. the !#ime !#ime !ommit !ommite' e' to a pe#son pe#son(s (s '%ell '%elling ing may may *e !onsi' !onsi'e# e#e' e' as aagg#avating even if the vi!tim(s stay in the ho$se is tempo#a#y: /,0: /,0: The S$p#e S$p#eme me Co$#t Co$#t #$le' #$le' that that it may *e !onsi' !onsi'e# e#e' e' as an agg#ava agg#avatin ting g !i#!$mstan!e !i#!$mstan!e '$e to the fa!t that it is %he#e Consola!ion "#$lla %as staying togethe# %ith the othe# vi!tim .ativi'a' "#$lla "#$lla an' Salva!ion "#$lla& The Co$#t eplaine' eplaine' that vi!tim Salva!ion "#$lla !onsi'e#e' this ho$se as tempo#a#y soo$#n in o#'e# to es!ape the *#$talities of the appellant *#o$ght *#o$ght *y his ealo$sy& ealo$sy& The Co$#t f$#the# #eite#ate' #eite#ate' heag gr a v a t i ngc i r c ums t a nc eo fd we we l l i ngi spr e s e ntwhe nt heap pe l l a ntk i l l e dhi swi f e that t i nt heho us eo c c u pi e dbyhe ro t he rt ha nt hec o nj ug a lho me me .He nc e ,i nt hec a s ea tb a rt he a gg r a v at i ngc i r c ums t a nc eo fd we we l l i ngs h o ul db ec o n s i d e r e d. Peo pl evApduhan FACTS:Respondent along with five other persons entered the house of the spouses Miano,shooting Geronimo Miano and Norberto Aton that killed both and took money amountingto Php 322!! I SSUE:Whet herornott he aggr avat i ng c i r c ums ms t anc e ofdwel l i ng may be c onsi der ed i n c r i me so fr o b be r y . HELD:I ti sawe l ls e t t l e dr u l ei st ha tdwe l l i ngi sag gr a v at i ngi nr o b b e r ywi t hv i o l e nc eo r i nt i mi d at i o no fpe r s o ns ( U. S.v .Le y b a,8 Ph i l .6 7 1;Pe o p l ev .Se b a s t i a n,85 Phi l .60 2 ; Pe o p l ev p i l i ,8 5 Ph i l .5 21 ) ,l i k et he o ff e ns ea tb a r . The r a t i o n al eb e h i n d t hi s .Na p r o n o unc e me nti st ha tt hi sc l a s so fr o b be r yc o ul db ec o mm mmi t t e d wi t ho utt hene c e s s i t yo f t r a ns g r e s s i ngt hes a nc t i t yo ft heho me me Mo . r ada i si nhe r e nto n l yi nc r i me swh whi c hc o ul db e c o mm mmi t t e di nnoo t he rp l a c et ha ni nt heho us eo fa no t he r ,s u c ha st r e s p as sa ndr o b be r yi na n i nha bi t e d ho us e( Aq ui no ,Vo l .I ,p .2 8 6) .Thi sCo ur ti n Pe o p l ev . Pi nc a( L1 6 59 5 ,Fe b .2 8 , 19 62) ,c i t i ngPe o pl ev . V al de z( 6 4Phi l .8 60 ) ,r ul e dt ha tt he" c i r c ums t a nc e s( o fdwe l l i nga nd s c a l i ng )we r ec e r t a i nl y no ti nhe r e nti nt he c r i me c o mmi t t e d ,b e c a us e ,t he c r i me b e i ng r o b b e r ywi t hv i o l e nc eo ri nt i mi d at i o na ga i ns tp e r s o n s( s p e c i fic a l l y ,r o b b e r ywi t h ho mi mi c i d e ) t heaut ho r st he r e o fc o ul dha v ec o mm mmi t t e di twi t ho utt hene c e s s i t yo fv i o l a t i ngors c a l i ngt he do mi mi c i l eo ft he i rv i c t i m. "Cue l l oCa l o no pi ne st ha tt hec o mm mmi s s i o no ft hec r i mei na no t he r ' s d we we l l i ngs ho wsg r e a t e rp e r v e r s i t yi nt hea c c u s e dandpr o d uc e sg r e a t e ra l a r m PEOPLE v DISCALSOTA FACTS:
)SS+,: -hethe# o# not the agg#avating !i#!$mstan!e of evi'ent p#eme'itation may *e app#e!iate' as a 4$alifying !i#!$mstan!e /,0: )n this !ase the 5#st 2 elements of evi'ent p#eme'itation is p#esent %hi!h a#e:
( a )t het i mewhe nt hea c c us e dde t e r mi ne dt oc o mmi tt hec r i me ;( b )a na c tma ni f e s t l y i ndi c a t i ngt h att heac c us e dha sc l ungt ohi sd e t e r mi na t i o n Ho we v e r ,t het hi r de l e me nti sno tp r e s e nt( c )s u ffic i e n tl a ps eo ft i meb e t we e nt he de t e r mi na t i o na nde x e c ut i o nt oal l o w hi ms e l ft or e fle c tup o nt hec o ns e q ue nc e so fhi s ac t . ” Thes p a no fl e s st ha no neho urc o ul dno tha v ea ffo r d e dt hef o r me rf ul l
o p po r t uni t yf o rme d i t a t i o na ndr e fle c t i o no nt hec o ns e q ue nc e so ft hec r i mehe c ommi t t ed.Thee s s e nc eo fpr e me di t a t i o ni st hatt hee x e c ut i o no ft hec r i mi nal ac tmus tb epr e c e de db yc o o lt ho ug hta ndr e fl e c t i o no nt her e s o l ut i o nt oc a r r y o utt hec r i mi na li nt e ntd ur i ngas p ac eo ft i mes uffic i e ntt oa r r i v ea tac a l m j udgme nt . Whe r e no s uffic i e nt l aps eo ft i me i s appr e c i abl ef r o m t he de t e r mi na t i o nt oc o mmi tt hec r i meunt i li t se x e c ut i o n,e v i de ntp r e me di t a t i o n c a nno tb ea ppr e c i a t e d . People v Escote FACTS: SPO1 Jose Manio was on a bus on the way home when suddenly 6 guys boarderd the bus including herein appellant. Suddenly, Escote, along with his friend Juan whipped out their guns and announce a holdup. They let off a single shot to sare the passengers.
Thef e l o nst he nwe ntt ot he
pl ac e Mani o ,J r . was s e at e d and de mande dt hat he s ho w t he m hi s i de nt i fic a t i o nc a r dandwal l e t .Mani o ,Jr .br o ug hto uthi si de nt i fic a t i o nc a r d. The yal s oa s k e df o rh i sg una ndt he ys a i dt ha tt hi swi l la l s ob et hes a meg un t hatwi l lki lhi m.Mani opl e ade df o rhi sl i f ebutwass t i l ls ho tb yt hef e l o ns t ha tc a us e dt hef o r me r ’ sde a t h.Thef e l o nswe r ec o n vi c t e do fr o b be r ywi t h ho mi c i dewi t ha na gg r a v at i ngc i r c ums t anc eo ft r e a c he r y . )SS+,:-hethe# o# not the agg#avating !i#!$mstan!e of t#ea!he#y is p#esent in this !ase
ur ta gr e e swi t ht het r i a lc o u r tt ha tt r e a c he r ywa sa t t e nd anti nt he /,0: TheCo c o mmi s s i o no ft hec r i me .The r ei st r e a c he r ywhe nt hef o l l o wi nge s s e nt i a le l e me nt s ar epr e s e nt ,v ( a )a tt het i meo ft hea t t a c k ,t hev i c t i m wa sno ti n apo s i t i o nt o i z : d e f e n d hi ms e l f ;a nd ( b )t he a c c us e dc o ns c i o us l ya nd d e l i b e r a t e l ya do p t e dt he part i c ul armeans,me t hods orf or msofat t ac k empl oy ed by hi m.The es s enc e of t r e a c he r yi st hes u dd e na ndune x p e c t e da t t a c kb ya na g gr e s s o ro nt heuns u s p e c t i ng v i c t i m,de pr i v i ngt hel a t t e ro fa nyc hanc et ode f e ndhi ms e l fa ndt he r e b ye ns ur i ngi t s c o mmi s s i o nwi t ho utr i s ko fhi ms e l f .Tr e a c he r yma ya l s ob eap pr e c i a t e de v e ni ft he v i c t i m wa swa r n e do ft heda ng e rt ohi sl i f ewhe r ehewa sde f e ns e l e s sa nduna bl et o
fle eatt het i meo ft hei nfli c t i o no ft hec o updeg r a c e . I nt hec a s eatb ar ,t hev i c t i m suffer edsi xwounds.Whent hevi c t i m wasshot ,hewasdef ensel es s.Hewasshotat c l o s er a ng e ,t husi ns u r i nghi sde a t h.Thevi c t i m wa so nhi swa yt or e j o i nhi sf a mi l y a f t e raha r dda y ’ swo r k .I ns t e ad,hewa sme r c i l e s s l ys ho tt ode at h,l e a vi nghi sf a mi l y i n gri eff or hi s unt i mel y demi se .The ki l l i ng i s a gri m exampl e oft he ut t er i nhumani t yofmant ohi sf el l owmen.
