LITO CORPUZ vs PEOPLE G.R. No. 180016 DATED: April 29, 2014 PONENTE: PERALTA, PERALTA, J.
FACTS: An information was led against Lito Cor!" for the
ri! ri!e e of estafa, estafa, "herei# $%i& D%#ilo T%#'o( i$ e#'%'e& i# the )*$i#e$$ of le#&i#' !o#e( to %$i#o pl%(er$. •
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+%( 2, 1991 1991 petitio# petitio#er er Lito orp*orp*- %ppro%h %ppro%he& e& hi! %#& oere& to $ell hi$ /e"elr( piee$ i# % o!!i$$io# )%$i$ i# "hih D%#ilo T%#'o( %'ree&. e the# the# '%e '%e Lito Lito orp* orp*- $eer% $eer%ll /e"el /e"elrie rie$ $ th%t th%t h%$ %# %''re'%te %l*e of P98, 000 %$ ei&e#e )( % reeipt. oth %'ree& th%t "ithi# $i3t( &%($ Lito orp*- $h%ll re!it the proee&$ of the $%le or if *#$ol& $h%ll ret*r# the $%!e. Lito orp*- the# pro!i$e& to p%( the %l*e of the $%i& ite!$.
t%e enalties for t%at wo!ld &onstit!te /!di&ial legislation and t%at such duty does not belong to the court but to the legislat legi slature. ure. Other J*$tie$ h%$ their o"# opi#io# %$ to the p*#i$h!e#t, $o!e o#*r$ "ith the po#e#te, other$ i#o7e& the %rt of the RP th%t i# %$e$ of e3e$$ie pe#%ltie$ the o*rt $h%ll re#&er the proper &ei$io# %#& $h%ll report to the hief e3e*tie the re%$o#$ th%t $*h $%i& %t $ho*l& )e !%&e $*)/et of le'i$l%tio# %#& "itho*t $*$pe#&i#' the $e#te#e. 1!sti&e Cario in %is %is dissenting oinion $%i& oinion $%i& th%t the r$t p%r%'r%ph of %rtile 1 $ho*l& )e hel& *#o#$tit*tio#%l %$ it i$ %'%i#$t %rtile 191; of the o#$tit*tio# %#& th%t %or&i#' to the *#ier$%l &el%r%tio# of h*!%# ri'ht$ DR %#& %ltho*'h i$ % #o#?)i#&i#' i#$tr*!e#t, $*h >DR for!$ p%rt of the Philippi#e l%" for it i$ % 'e#er%ll( %epte& pri#iple of i#ter#%tio#%l l%". RULI23: ERE@ORE, the Petitio# for Reie" o# ertior%ri &%te&
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O# the i#for!%tio# le& )( D%#ilo T%#'o( it "%$ $%i& th%t Lito orp*- "ith %# i#te#t to &efr%*& $%i& T%#'o( !i$%ppropri%te&, !i$%ppl( %#& o#ert $*h /e"elrie$ i#to hi$ per$o#%l *$e&. erei#, Lito Cor!" led a not g!ilt# lea $!t t%e Regional Trial Co!rt r*le& Co!rt r*le& i# favor of Tang&o# and senten&ed Cor!" g!ilt# of t%e &rime of estafa and to s!'er t%e enalt# of imrisonment !nder t%e indeterminate senten&e law of (#rs and )mons to *(#rs and + mont%s, Lito orp*- %ppe%le& to the o*rt of Appe%l$ "here it &e#ie& the %ppe%l %#& r*le& the $%!e, orp*- the# %ppe%le& to the 5*pre!e o*rt )( "%( of ertior%ri, ertior%ri ,
ISSUE: hether or #ot the RT %#& A erre& i# their r*li#' %#& th%t the p*#i$h!e#t "%$ h%r$h.
-EL.: The -EL.: The 5*pre!e 5*pre!e o*rt r*le& r*le& th%t i#&ee& i#&ee& the the petitio#er petitio#er Lito orp*- "%$ '*ilt( of the ri!e of e$t%f%.
Noe!)er , 200 of petitio#er Lito orp*- i$ here)( DENBED. o#$eC*e#tl(, the Dei$io# &%te& +%rh 22, 200 %#& Re$ol*tio# &%te& 5epte!)er , 200 of the o*rt of Appe%l$, "hih %r!e& "ith !o&i%tio# the Dei$io# &%te& J*l( 0, 2004 of the Re'io#%l Tri%l Tri%l o*rt, r%#h 46, 5%# @er#%#&o @er#%#&o it(, #&i#' petitio#er '*ilt( )e(o#& re%$o#%)le &o*)t of the ri!e of E$t%f% *#&er Artile 1, p%r%'r%ph 1;, $*)? p%r%'r%ph ); of the Rei$e& Pe#%l o&e, %re here)( A@@BR+ED "ith +ODB@BATBON +ODB@BATBON th%t the pe#%lt( i!po$e& i$ the i#&eter!i#%te pe#%lt( of i!pri$o#!e#t r%#'i#' fro! TREE ; EAR5, TO 2; +ONT5 %#& ELEFEN DA5 DA5 of pri$io# orreio#%l, %$ !i#i!*!, to @B@TEEN 1; EAR5 of rel*$io# te!por%l %$ !%3i!*!. P*r$*%#t to Artile of the Rei$e& Pe#%l o&e, let % op( of thi$ Dei$io# )e f*r#i$he& the Pre$i&e#t of the Rep*)li of the Philippi#e$, thro*'h the Dep%rt!e#t of J*$tie. Al$o, let % op( of thi$ Dei$io# )e f*r#i$he& the Pre$i&e#t of the 5e#%te %#& the 5pe%7er of the o*$e of Repre$e#t%tie$. 5O ORDERED.
ETENDED B55>E5: B55>E5 %#& R>LBNG Can t%e &o!rt admit as eviden&e a %oto&o# of do&!ment wit%o!t violating t%e $est eviden&e r!le 4onl# original do&!ments0 as a general r!le0 is admissi$le as eviden&e56 e$. The e$t%)li$he& &otri#e i$ th%t "he# % p%rt( f%ile& to i#terpo$e % ti!el( o)/etio# to ei&e#e %t the ti!e the( "ere oere& i# ei&e#e, $*h o)/etio# $h%ll )e o#$i&ere& %$ "%ie&. ere, orp*- #eer o)/ete& to the %&!i$$i)ilit( of the $%i& ei&e#e %t the ti!e it "%$ i&e#tie&, !%r7e& %#& te$tie& *po# i# o*rt )( T%#'o(. orp*- %l$o f%ile& to r%i$e %# o)/etio# i# hi$ o!!e#t to the pro$e*tio#I$ for!%l oer of ei&e#e %#& ee# %&!itte& h%i#' $i'#e& the $%i& reeipt.
8%at is t%e form of demand re9!ired in estafa wit% a$!se of &onden&e6 Note r$t th%t the ele!e#t$ of e$t%f% "ith %)*$e of o#&e#e %re %$ follo"$:
%; th%t !o#e(, 'oo&$ or other per$o#%l propert( i$ reeie& )( the oe#&er i# tr*$t, or o# o!!i$$io#, or for %&!i#i$tr%tio#, or *#&er %#( other o)li'%tio# i#oli#' the &*t( to !%7e &elier( of, or to ret*r# the $%!eK ); th%t there )e !i$%ppropri%tio# or o#er$io# of $*h !o#e( or propert( )( the oe#&er or &e#i%l o# hi$ p%rt of $*h reeiptK ; th%t $*h !i$%ppropri%tio# or o#er$io# or &e#i%l i$ to the pre/*&ie of %#otherK %#& &; th%t there i$ % &e!%#& !%&e )( the oe#&e& p%rt( o# the oe#&er.
Is t%e date of o&&!rren&e of time material in estafa &ases wit% a$!se of &onden&e6 No. Bt i$ tr*e th%t the 'r%%!e# of the ri!e of e$t%f% "ith %)*$e of o#&e#e *#&er Artile 1, p%r%'r%ph 1, $*)p%r%'r%ph ); of the RP i$ the %ppropri%tio# or o#er$io# of !o#e( or propert( reeie& to the pre/*&ie of the o"#er %#& th%t the ti!e of o*rre#e i$ #ot % !%teri%l i#'re&ie#t of the ri!e. e#e, the e3l*$io# of the perio& %#& the "ro#' &%te of the o*rre#e of the ri!e, %$ reete& i# the B#for!%tio#, &o #ot !%7e the l%tter f%t%ll( &efetie. F!rt%er0 t%e following satises t% e s!7&ien of information: 1. The &e$i'#%tio# of the oe#$e )( the $t%t*teK 2. The %t$ or o!i$$io#$ o!pl%i#e& of %$ o#$tit*ti#' the oe#$eK . The #%!e of the oe#&e& p%rt(K %#& 4. The %ppro3i!%te ti!e of the o!!i$$io# of the oe#$e, %#& the pl%e "herei# the oe#$e "%$ o!!itte&.
The 4th ele!e#t i$ $%ti$e&. Ee# tho*'h the i#for!%tio# i#&i%te$ th%t the ti!e of oe#$e "%$ o!!itte& o# or %)o*t the th of J*l( 1991,M $*h i$ #ot f%t%l to the pro$e*tio#I$ %*$e o#$i&eri#' th%t 5etio# 11 of the $%!e R*le reC*ire$ % $t%te!e#t of the prei$e ti!e o#l( "he# the $%!e i$ % !%teri%l i#'re&ie#t of the oe#$e.
No $pei t(pe of proof i$ reC*ire& to $ho" th%t there "%$ &e!%#&. De!%#& #ee& #ot ee# )e for!%lK it !%( )e er)%l. The $pei "or& &e!%#&M #ee& #ot ee# )e *$e& to $ho" th%t it h%$ i#&ee& )ee# !%&e *po# the per$o# h%r'e&, $i#e ee# % !ere C*er( %$ to the "here%)o*t$ of the !o#e( i# thi$ %$e, propert(, "o*l& )e t%#t%!o*#t to % &e!%#&. B# T*)) . People, "here the o!pl%i#%#t !erel( er)%ll( i#C*ire& %)o*t the !o#e( e#tr*$te& to the %*$e&, the C*er( "%$ t%#t%!o*#t to % &e!%#&. a# a sole witness $e &onsidered &redi$le6 e$. Note r$t th%t $ettle& i$ the r*le th%t i# %$$e$$i#' the re&i)ilit( of "it#e$$e$, 5 'ie$ 're%t re$pet to the e%l*%tio# of the tri%l o*rt for it h%& the *#iC*e opport*#it( to o)$ere the &e!e%#or of "it#e$$e$ %#& their &eport!e#t o# the "it#e$$ $t%#&, %# opport*#it( &e#ie& the %ppell%te o*rt$, "hih !erel( rel( o# the reor&$ of the %$e. The %$$e$$!e#t )( the tri%l o*rt i$ ee# o#l*$ie %#& )i#&i#' if #ot t%i#te& "ith %r)itr%ri#e$$ or oer$i'ht of $o!e f%t or ir*!$t%#e of "ei'ht %#& i#*e#e, e$pei%ll( "he# $*h #&i#' i$ %r!e& )( the A. Tr*th i$ e$t%)li$he& #ot )( the #*!)er of "it#e$$e$, )*t )( the C*%lit( of their te$ti!o#ie$, for i# &eter!i#i#' the %l*e %#& re&i)ilit( of ei&e#e, the "it#e$$e$ %re to )e "ei'he& #ot #*!)ere&.