Mel Dimat vs. People of the Philippines G.R. No. 181184 181184 January 25, 212 !his "ase is a#out the nee$ to prove in the "rime of fen"in% that the a""use$ &ne' or ou%ht to have &no'n that the thin% he #ou%ht or sol$ 'as the fruit of theft or ro##ery. (a"ts) •
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!he %overnment "har%e$ the a""use$ Mel Dimat 'ith violation of the *nti(en"in% +a' #efore the Manila Re%ional !rial ourt -R! /amson /amson Del%a$o, Del%a$o, to%ethe to%etherr 'ith 'ith Jose Mante0uilla Mante0uilla an$ poli"e poli"e offi"e offi"ers rs Danilo Danilo Ramire an$ Ru#en (amilara, testifie$ that in De"em#er 2 Del%a$os 'ife, /onia, #ou%ht from a""use$ Dimat a 13 Nissan /afari #earin% plate num#er *56 for P85,.. !he $ee$ of sale %ave the vehi"les en%ine num#er as !D42126174 an$ its "hassis num#er as RG6 97557. Ramire an$ other offi"ers of the !raffi" Mana%ement Group spotte$ the Nissan /afar /afarii on :. Ro$r Ro$ri%u i%ue e *venue venue,, #eari #earin% n% a susp suspi"i i"ious ous plate plate num#e num#er. r. *fter fter stoppin% an$ inspe"tin% the vehi"le, they $is"overe$ that its en%ine num#er 'as a"tually !D4211176 an$ its "hassis num#er RG697111. !hey also foun$ the parti"ular Nissan /afari on their list of stolen vehi"les. !hey #rou%ht it to their amp rame offi"e an$ there further learne$ that it ha$ #een stolen from its re%istere$ o'ner, Jose Mante0uilla. Mate0uilla affirme$ that the 13 Nissan /afari is his an$ 'as "arnappe$ on May 25, 18 at Ro#inson;s Galleria par&in% area. Dimat "laime$ that he $i$ not &no' Mante0uilla. e #ou%ht the 13 Nissan /afari in %oo$ faith an$ for value from a "ertain Manuel !olentino un$er a $ee$ of sale that %ave its en%ine num#er as !D42126174 an$ its "hassis num#er as RG697557. Dimat sol$ the vehi"le to Del%a$o. e "laime$ that althou%h the Nissan /afari that he sol$ an$ the one in "usto$y of the poli"e offi"ers ha$ the same plate num#er, they 'ere a"tually no the same vehi"le.
Issue )
Held)
hether or not the * erre$ in its $e"ision of "onvi"tin% of *nti>(en"in%?
!he elements of fen"in% are 1 a ro##ery or theft has #een "ommitte$@ 2 the a""use$, 'ho too& no part in the ro##ery or theft, #uys, re"eives, possesses, &eeps, a"0uires, "on"eals, sells or $isposes, or #uys an$ sells, or in any manner $eals in any arti"le or o#Ae"t ta&en $urin% that ro##ery or theft@ -7 the a""use$ &no's or shoul$ have
&no'n that the thin% $erive$ from that "rime@ an$ -4 he inten$s #y the $eal he ma&es to %ain for himself or for another. !he $efense presente$ #y Dimat is fla'e$. First, the Nissan /afari Del%a$o #ou%ht from him, 'hen stoppe$ on the roa$ an$ inspe"te$ #y the poli"e, turne$ out to have the en%ine an$ "hassis num#ers of the Nissan /afari stolen from Mante0uilla. Second. Dimat "laims la"& of "riminal intent as his main $efense. But Presi$ential De"ree 1612 is a spe"ial la' an$, therefore, its violation is re%ar$e$ as malum prohibitum , re0uirin% no proof of "riminal intent.
