Case Title Docket Number
People v. Robios G.R. No. 138453
Date Di!est by"
May 29, 22 Shanelle Napoles
Summary/Nature of the Case: Insanity as exempting circumstance
#acts o$ t%e Case"
Melencio Robios was found guilty with the complex crime of parricide with unintentional abortion and was sentenced of death. May 31, 1995, he was accused of killing his pregnant wife. March 5, 1995 !oren"o Robios, son of Melencio heard his parents #uarreling and saw Melencio stab her mom !oren"a with an $%inch double bladed knife on the right shoulder. &n the same day, 'en(amin, brother of !oren"a reported that Melencio has also killed their uncle. 'en(amin knowing what Melencio did to her sister, went to her sister)s house and when he was 15*m away, saw Melencio and the latter shouted +ts good you would see how your sister would die.- 'en(amin sought the help of the police. /&1 saw Melencio embracing her wife uttering the words + will kill myself, will kill myself-. m yself-. !oren"a, who was lying on her back and facing upward, was no longer breathing. he appeared to be dead. 0ppellant dropped the knife which was taken by /&3 Martin. 0ppellant tried to resist the people who held him but was oerpowered. 2he police, with the help of the barangay officials present, tied his hands and feet with a plastic rope. oweer, before he was pulled away from the body of his wife and restrained by the police, appellant admitted to Rolando 4alde", a neighbor of his and a barangay kagawad, that he had killed his wife, showing him the bloodstained knife. pecial report showed that !oren"a Robios was six 67 months pregnant. he suffered 81 stab wounds on the different parts of her body and that the appellant was under the influence of alcohol and also stabbed himself. Melencio admitted that she killed his wife but wish to be exempted of his criminal liability inoking insanity. is son testified that Melencio saw someone in their house that wanted to kill him. 0 nurse said that Melencio +isolated himself, laging nakatingin sa malayo, rarely talked, (ust stared at her and murmured alone-. 0 detention prisoner witnessed the appellant usually refusing to respond in the counting of prisoners. ometimes, he stayed in his cell een if they were re#uired to fall in line in the pla"a of the penal colony. 0nd another prisoner said that accused sometimes was lying down, sitting, looking, or staring on space and without companion, laughing and sometimes crying. 0nd Melencio said that he did not know that he was charged for the crime of parricide with unintentional abortion. e could not remember when he was informed by his children that he killed his wife. e could not beliee that he killed his wife &ssues at 'a()"
1. an he he be exemp exempted ted on on the grounds grounds of of insanity insanity: : . ;hat is the the prope properr penalt penalty y for for him: him: 'el)"
1. 2estimonies 2estimonies from from both prosecution prosecution and defense defense witnesses witnesses show no no substantial substantial eidence that appellant appellant was completely depried of reason or discernment when he perpetrated the brutal killing of his wife. 2he fact that appellant admitted to responding law enforcers how he had (ust killed his wife may hae been a manifestation of repentance and remorse %% a natural sentiment of a husband who had reali"ed the
wrongfulness of his act. is behaior at the time of the killing and immediately thereafter is inconsistent with his claim that he had no knowledge of what he had (ust done and he was not insane during the commission of the crime. . ince appellant was conicted of the complex crime of parricide with unintentional abortion, the penalty to be imposed on him should be that for the graer offense which is parricide and punishable with reclusion perpetua to death. Ruling: Additional Relevant Notes: 1.
