EVANGELISTA VS SISTOZAdigest.docx

EVANGELISTA VS SISTOZA FACTS: Peti Petiti tion oner er Dani Danilo lo Evan Evange geli list sta a come comes s to us via the via the instant Petition for the Issuance of a Writ of Habeas Corpus to seek his release from imprisonment on the ground that after giving retroactive application to the provisions of Republic Act No !"#$ Peti Petiti tion oner er %as %as indi indict cted ed for for robbe obber& r& and and ille illega gall possession of the firearm used in the commission of  the robber& and thereafter convicted of the said crimes 'or illega illegall posses possessio sion n of firear firearms( ms( petiti petitione onerr %as %as sent senten ence ced d to suff suffer er the the inde indete term rmin inat ate e pena penalt lt& & of  impr impris ison onme ment nt of eigh eighte teen en )*!+ )*!+ &ear &ears s of reclusion temporal a temporal as minimum to reclusion reclusion perpetua perpetua as  as ma,i ma,imu mum m -n the the othe otherr hand hand(( the the inde indete term rmin inat ate e penal penalt& t& of impr impris ison onme ment nt of si, si, ).+ ).+ &ear &ears s of prision of prision correccional  as   as minimum to ten )*/+ &ears of prision of  prision mayor as mayor as ma,im ma,imum um %as impos imposed ed b& the trial trial court court upon the p etitioner for robber& -n appeal( the CA sentenced the accused0appellant to suffer1 )*+ an indeterminate penalt& of imprisonment of  'our )$+ 2ears( 3%o )"+ 4onths and -ne )*+ Da& of  Prision Correccional  as  as minimum to 5i, ).+ 2ears and Eight Eight )!+ 4onth 4onths s of Prision Prision Mayor as Mayor as ma,imu ma,imum m for  robbe obber& r&(( and and )"+ )"+ an indet ndeter ermi min nate ate pena penallt& of  imprisonment of 3%elve )*"+ 2ears( 'ive )6+ 4onths and Eleven )**+ da&s of Prision Mayor  as  as minimum to 5eventeen )*7+ 2ears( 'our )$+ 4onths and -ne )*+ da& of Reclusion Temporal  as   as ma,imum in for illegal possession of firearm ISSUE: W-N the Writ of Habeas Corpus should be granted

service of t%o prison terms( the second sentence did not commence to run until the e,piration of the first

'ortu 'ortunat natel& el&(( ho%eve ho%ever( r( petit petition ioner er can and shall shall be restored to his libert& in light of recent  ;urisprudence( %hich %hich shed light on the correct interpretation of the follo%ing provisions of Republic Act No !"#$ 3he -ffice of the 5olicitor
=We =We cannot cannot accept accept either either of these these interp interpret retati ations ons because the& ignore the plain language of the statute  A simple reading thereof sho%s that if an unlicensed firearm is used in the commission of an& crime( there can be no separate offense of simple illegal possession of firearms > > >

HELD: 2es -n 8ul& .( *##7( Republic Act No !"#$ took effect 3he said la% effectivel& reduced the imposable penalt& for  the offense of illegal possession of firearms Hence( for  the illegal possession of a lo% po%ered firearm such as that that of the the peti petiti tion oner er9s 9s(( the the pena penalt lt& & is no% no% prision correccional in correccional in its ma,i a,imum mum per period %hich hich has has a duration of four )$+ &ears( t%o )"+ months( and one da& to si, ).+ &ears( and a fine of not less than 'ifteen 3housa 3housand nd Pesos Pesos )P*6(/ )P*6(/// ////+ //+ It is the retroa retroacti ctive ve applic applicati ation on of this this provis provision ion of la% %hich %hich petiti petitione oner  r  seeks to for%ard his cause Petitioner is of the mistaken belief that the t%o terms of  imprisonment are to be served simultaneousl& Article 7/ of the Revised Penal Code is clear on the matter of  service of t%o or more penalties When the culprit has to serve t%o or more penalties( he should serve them simult simultane aneous ousl& l& if the nature nature of the penalt penalties ies %ill %ill so permit permit:: other% other%ise ise said said penalt penalties ies shall shall be e,ecut e,ecuted ed successiv successivel& el&(( follo%ing follo%ing the order of their their respectiv respective e severit& severit& 3erms erms of imprisonm imprisonment ent must therefore therefore be served successivel& 3hus( %e have held that in the

4oreover( penal la%s are construed liberall& in favor of  the accused In this case( the plain meaning of RA !"#$9s !"#$9s simple simple langua language ge is most most favora favorable ble to herein herein appellant ?eril&( no other interpretation is ;ustified( for  the the lang langua uage ge of the the ne% ne% la% la% demo demons nstr trat ates es the the legislati legislative ve intent intent to favor the accused accused Accordi Accordingl& ngl&(( appellant cannot be convicted of t%o separate offenses of illegal possession of firearms and direct assault %ith atte attemp mpte ted d homi homici cide de 4ore 4oreov over er(( sinc since e the the crim crime e commit committed ted %as direct direct assaul assaultt and not homici homicide de or  murd murder er(( ille illega gall poss posses essi sion on of fire firear arms ms cann cannot ot be deemed an aggravating circumstance > > >

3he 3he la% is clear1 clear1 the accuse accused d can be convict convicted ed of  simple illegal possession of firearms( provided that @no other crime %as committed b& the person arrested@ If  the intention of the la% in the second paragraph %ere to refer onl& to homicide and murder( it should have

e,pressl& said so( as it did in the third paragraph ?eril&( %here the la% does not distinguish( neither  should %e

In view of the well-entrenche r!le th"t cri#in"l l"w$ $h"ll %e &iven retro"ctive effect if f"vor"%le to the "cc!$e' (etitioner D"nilo Ev"n&eli$t" i$ ee#e to h"ve co##itte onl) the cri#e of 

ro%%er) for which he h"$ "lre") $erve #ore th"n the #"*i#!# (erio of the (en"lt) i#(o$e !(on hi#+