MICHAEL JOHN Z. MALTO v. PEOPLE PHILIPPINES G.R. No. 164733, September 21, 2007
OF
THE
Doctrine: The “sweetheart theory” cannot be n!o"e# $or p%rposes o$ se&%a' nterco%rse an# 'asc!o%s con#%ct n ch'# ab%se cases %n#er R( 7610. )onsen )onsentt s mmat mmatera era'' beca%s beca%se e the mere mere act o$ ha!n ha!n* * se&%a' se&%a' nterco%rs nterco%rse e or comm+n* comm+n* 'asc!o%s 'asc!o%s con#%ct con#%ct wth a ch'# who s s%becte# to se&%a' ab%se cons-t%tes the oense. /oreo! /oreo!er er,, a ch'# ch'# s pres%m pres%me# e# by 'aw to be ncapa ncapab'e b'e o$ *!n* *!n* ra-ona' consent to any 'asc!o%s act or se&%a' nterco%rse.
Facts:
7=,000 c!' n#emnty n $a!or o$ ((( as t was proper on'y n a con!c-on $or rape commCe# %n#er the crc%mstances %n#er whch the #eath pena'ty was a%thorDe# by 'aw.
Some-me #%rn* the month o$ No!ember 17 to 1, e--oner /a'to se#%ce# hs st%#ent, (((, a mnor, to n#%'*e n se&%a' nterco%rse se!era' -mes wth hm. ror to the nc#ent, pe--oner an# ((( ha# a “m%t%a' %n#erstan#n*” an# became sweet sweethe hear arts ts.. res ress% s%re re# # an# an# a$ra a$ra# # o$ the the pe--on pe--oner erss threat threat to en# ther ther re'a-o re'a-onsh nshp, p, ((( a*ree# to he!e se&%a' nterco%rse wth the pe--oner. pon #sco!ery o$ what ((( %n#erwent, 555, ((( (((s moth mother er 'e# 'e# 'e# 'e# an a#m a#mn nst stra ra-! -!e e comp'ant comp'ant n (ss%mp-on (ss%mp-on )o''e*e a*anst a*anst hm. She a'so 'o#*e# a comp'ant n the 8ce o$ the )ty rosec%tor o$ asay )ty whch 'e# to the 'n* o$ )rmna' )ase. The The pe-pe--on oner er ## ## not not ma" ma"e a p'ea p'ea when when arra*ne#. 9ence, the tra' co%rt entere# $or hm a p'ea o$ “not *%'ty.” The The tra' tra' co%r co%rtt $o%n# o%n# the the e!# e!#en ence ce $or $or the the prose prosec%c%-on on s%8c s%8cen entt to s%sta s%stan n pe--on pe--oner erss con!c-on. RT) RT) n#s n#s the acc%se acc%se# # /chae /chae'' :ohn :ohn /a'to /a'to y ;arsa#as ;arsa#as *%'ty beyon# beyon# reasonab' reasonab'e e #o%bt #o%bt $or !o'a-on o$ (r-c'e <<<, Sec-on =>a?@,A para*raph 3 o$ R( 7610 The The tra tra'' co%r co%rtt ren# ren#er ere# e# a #ec #ecs son on n# n#n* n* pe--oner *%'ty an# sentence# hm to rec'%son temp tempor ora' a' an# an# to pay pay an n#e n#emn mnt ty y o$ hp. hp. 7=,000 an# #ama*es o$ hp. =0,000. e--oner B%es-one# the tra' co%rts #ecson n the )(. The )( mo#e# the #ecson o$ the tra' co%rt. The appe''ate co%rt a8rme# hs con!c-on an# r%'e# that the tra' co%rt erre# n awar#n* hp.
)onsent s mmatera' beca%se the mere act o$ ha!n* se&%a' se&%a' nterco% nterco%rse rse or comm+n* comm+n* 'asc!o%s 'asc!o%s con#%ct wth a ch'# who s s%becte# to se&%a' ab%se cons-t%tes the oense. /oreo!er, a ch'# s pres%me# by 'aw to be ncapab'e o$ *!n* ra-ona' consent to any 'asc!o%s act or se&%a' nterco%rse. nterco%rse.
)NSNT H T9 )9
The sweetheart theory app'es n acts o$ 'asc!o%sness an# rape, $e'ones commCe# a*anst or wtho%t the consent o$ the !c-m.
Hor p%rposes o$ se&%a' nterco%rse nterco%rse an# 'asc!o%s con#%ct n ch'# ab%se cases %n#er R( 7610, the sweetheart #e$ense s %nacceptab'e. A child exploited exploited in prostuon or subjected subjected to other sexual abuse cannot validly give consent to sexual intercourse intercourse with another person.
The 'an*%a*e o$ the 'aw s c'earE t see"s to p%nsh @tAhose who commt the act o$ se&%a' nterco%rse or 'asc!o%s con#%ct wth a ch' ch'# # e&p' e&p'o ote te# # n pros pros-t -t%%-on on or s%becte# to other se&%a' ab%se.
n'"e rape, there$ore, consent is immaterial in cases involving violaon of Secon 5, Arcle III of A !"#$ . The mere act o$ ha!n* se&%a' nterco%rse or comm+n* 'asc!o%s con#%ct wth a ch'# who s e&p'ote# n pros-t%-on or s%becte# to se&%a' ab%se cons-t%tes the oense. therwse, se&%a' pre#ators '"e pe--oner w'' be %s-e#, or e!en %nw+n*'y tempte# by the 'aw, to !ew her as $ar *ame an# !%'nerab'e prey.?
cr%e'ty, e*"$oita%on an# #scrmna-on, an# other con#i%ons "re+)#icia$ to their #eve$o"'entM "rovi#e sanc%ons &or their co''ission an# carry o%t a pro*ram $or pre!en-on an# #eterrence o$ an# crss nter!en-on n st%a-ons o$ ch'# ab%se, e&p'ota-on, an# #scrmna-on. as we'' as to intervene on (eha$& o& the chi$# hen the parents, *%ar#an, teacher or person ha!n* care or c%sto#y o$ the ch'# $a's or s %nab'e to protect the ch'# a*anst ab%se, e&p'ota-on, an# #scrmna-on or when s)ch acts a-ainst the chi$# are co''ie# (/ the sai# parent, *%ar#an, teacher or person ha!n* care an# c%sto#y o$ the same. Ths s a'so n harmony wth the $oremost cons#era-on o$ the ch'#s best nterests n a'' ac-ons concernn* hm or her. The (est interest o& chi$#ren sha$$ (e the "ara'o)nt consi#era%on in a$$ ac%ons concernin- the', whether %n#erta"en by p%b'c or pr!ate soca' we'$are ns-t%-ons, co%rts o$ 'aw, a#mnstra-!e a%thor-es, an# 'e*s'a-!e bo#es, consstent wth the prncp'es o$ Hrst )a'' $or )h'#ren as en%ncate# n the nte# Na-ons )on!en-on on the R*hts o$ the )h'#. Ever/ e0ort sha$$ (e e*erte# to "ro'ote the e$&are o& chi$#ren an# enhance their o""ort)ni%es &or a )se&)$ an# ha""/ $i&e.
