Mitigating circumstances; Immediate vindication of a grave oense G.R. No. 96444 June 23, 992 !"#!$" #% &'" vs. $")N*R# !)J)R"( + %$#R"N&IN#, accused-appellant.
!'I$I!!IN"(, plaintif-appellee,
!)R)(, J.: %)&(•
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This is an appeal rom the decision o the Regional Trial Court, NCJR, Branch VIII, anila dated !cto"er #$, %&&' in Criminal Case No. ($-)'$*& entitled +eople o the hilippines v. eandro aares / 0lorentino+ convicting herein appellant aares o the crime o urder. crimes of murder murder and frustr frustrate ated d /omici /omicide de in t2o separa 1ppel 1ppella lant nt 2as 2as charg charged ed 2ith 2ith the crimes separate te inormations3 CRIM. CASE NO. 85-40579: M0R*"R
CRIM. CASE NO. 85-40580 %R0(&R)&"* '#MII*"
That on or a"out the %%th da/ o !cto"er, %&($, at That on or a"out the %%th da/ o !cto"er, %&($, at night night time, time, purpos purposel/ el/ sought sought to insure insure and "etter "etter night night time, time, purpos purposel/ el/ sought sought to insure insure and "etter accomplish his criminal design, in the Cit/ o anila. accomplish his criminal design, in the Cit/ o anila, hil hilipp ippin ines es,, the the said said accus accused ed,, cons conspir piring ing and hil hilipp ippin ines es,, the the said said accus accused ed,, cons conspir piring ing and and conederating together 2ith 4ve 5$6 others 2hose true conederating together 2ith 4ve 5$6 others 2hose true names, real Identities, and present 2herea"outs are names, real identities, and present 2herea"outs are still un7no2n and helping one another, did then and still un7no2n, un7no2n, and helping one another, 1it/ intent to i, did t/en and t/ere 1ifu+, una1fu+ there 2illull/, 2illull/, unla2ull/ unla2ull/ and eloniousl/, eloniousl/, 2ith intent and feonious+ attac, assaut and use ersona to 7ill, evident premeditation, and treacher/, attac7, vioence uon one R"N)&# !"R"5 R0I*"R), 7+ assa assaul ult. t. and and use use perso persona nall viole violenc nce e upon upon one one mauing and /itting /im 1it/ a 7ase7a 7at at 8I!9818! 8I!9818! VI!J1N VI!J1N : 91B1 91B1:1N :1N,, "/ then and ther there e t/e 7ac, a vital part o the "od/, there"/ in;icting mauling him and hitting him 2ith a "ase"all "at at the "ac7 o the head, a vital part o the "od/, there"/ upon upon him him a clu" clu" 2oun 2ound d at the the "ac7 "ac7 2hic 2hich h is in;icting upon the said 8I!9818! VI!J1N : 91B1:1N necessaril/ mortal and atal, thus perorming all the a clu" 2ound on the head 2hich 2as the direct and acts acts o e
N1T! >R>? R@I8>R1 2hich prevented his death.
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1ppellant aares pleaded not guilt/ to "oth charges. @pon the petition o herein appellant that the t2o 5#6 cases "e consolidated, a oint trial ensued. The prosecution prosecution presented several several 2itnesses, "ut their main arguments 2ere ta7en ta7en rom the testimon/ o Renato ereA, 2ho is the same victim in the 0rustrated omicide case3 o
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e testi4ed that at a"out %%3' p.m. on !cto"er %%, %&($, he and the deceased 8iosdado Vioan 2ere on their 2a/ to a store located at DomeA 9t., aco, anila to "u/ something. The/ 2ere 2al7ing a"reast a"reast 2ith each other, the deceased 2as at his right side and 2as a "it ahead ahead o him, 2hen appellant appellant aar aares es suddenl/ suddenl/ appeared appeared rom "ehind and hit Vioan Vioan 2ith a "ase"all "at at the "ac7 o his head. The latter ran a short distance and ell do2n near the store o one 1le< Blas. Ehen ereA ereA tried to help Vioan he, too, 2as attac7ed "/ aares 2ith the "ase"all "at hitting him at the "ac7 "elo2 the let shoulder. e then grappled grappled 2ith the appellan appellantt or the possessi possession on o the "ase"all "ase"all "at "ut the latterFs latterFs companio companions, ns, namel/ namel/33 Rud/ Rud/ 8o7ling 8o7ling,, opo/, opo/, Inggo and auro 8uado mauled mauled him until he lost consciousness. e 2as "rought to the hilippine Deneral ospital "/ >ugene ani"it and Joselito ereA 2here he 2as treated or the inuries he sustained
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1ppellant eandro aares / 0lorentino denied the allegations o the prosecution. o
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e identi4ed in court the "ase"all "at used "/ aares
e asserts that he 7ne2 the deceased 8iosdado Vioan "/ the name 8ado, having met him once at the store, and Renato ereA "/ the name Balat. 1t the time o the incident, he 2as inside the store o 1le< Blas 2ith a"out eight 5(6 other eople 2atching television. ence, he did not see 2ho hit 8iosdado Vioan and Renato ereA. 1ter the commotion, upon the advise o 1le< Blas, he 2ent home and slept. 1t a"out 3' in the morning o !cto"er %#, %&($, he 2as arrested inside their house. Eithout as7ing an/ =uestion, he 2ent 2ith the arresting oGcers to the police station 5T9N, earing o 1ugust %, %&((, pp. *#-*H6.
R& J0*GM"N&3 ound accused appellant guilt/ o the crimes charged against him3 RIM. )(" N#. 8:4<9&/e ourt =nds accused G0I$& 7e+ond reasona7e dou7t of t/e crime of Murder as de4ned and penaliAed "/ 1rt. #)(, par, %, Rev. enal Code, and there "eing no modi/ing circumstance to consider, here"/ sentences him to sufer imprisonment o RECLUSION PERPETUA 2ith the accessor/ penalties o the la2 to pa/ 1rlene Vioan and her child the sum o3 ',''','' %#,'''.'' as uneral euries as de4ned in par. %, 1rt. #HH and penaliAed "/ 1rt. #*, "oth o the Rev. enal Code, here"/ sentencing him to an imprisonment o !N> 5%6 !NT and to pa/ the cost o suit.
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ence this appeal. )!!"$$)N&?( #N&"N&I#N(o
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1ppellant aares asserts that the trial court gravel/ erred in imposing the penalt/ o reclusio !er!e"u# upon him. e avers that such a penalt/ is tantamount to a cruel, degrading or inhuman punishment 2hich is prohi"ited "/ the Constitution. 1ppellant points out that hours "eore the clu""ing incident, Ro"erto aares, appellantFs /ounger "rother, 2as mauled "/ the group o 8iosdado Vioan as cited "/ the lo2er court reerring to the entr/ in the olice Blotter and the s2orn statement o Ro"erto aares. &/e mauing of t/e atter is a 7ig insut and tru+ oending to t/e aeant and /is fami+. 'ence, t/e cu77ing of *iosdado @io>an 7+ /erein aeant 1as a vindication of t/e grave oense committed against /is fami+. a mitigating circumstance under paragraph $ o 1rticle % o the Revised enal Code. Considering urther that the appellant 2as ust nineteen 5%&6 /ears old at the time he committed the ofense the penalt/ imposed "/ the court # $uo should have "een seventeen 5%*6 /ears, our 5)6 months and one 5%6 da/ 5Brie or the 1ppellant, Rollo, pp. $#-$(6.
I((0"- E!N the mitigating circumstance o immediate vindication can "e applied in avor o the appellant '"$*- N!.
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1ppellantFs sole deense is ali"i. 1ccording to him, he 2as inside the store o 1le< Blas, 2atching television, 2hen the incident occurred, 1le< Blas even advised him to go home so as not to "e involved in the incident. o2ever, the latter 2as not presented to corro"orate appellantFs testimon/. 1li"i is the 2ea7est deense an accused can concoct. In order to prosper, it must "e so convincing as to preclude an/ dou"t that the accused could have "een ph/sicall/ present at the place o the crime or its vicinit/ at the time o the commission 5eople v. acao, 9r., D.R. No. &)#', 9eptem"er ). %&&% 5#'% 9CR1 %*6.
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In the case at "ar, appellant 2as 2ithin the vicinit/ o the scene o the crime at the time o its commission.
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0urthermore, appellant 2as ositivel/ identi4ed "/ Renato ereA as the perpetrator o the crime. In the ace o the clear and positive testimon/ o the prosecution 2itness regarding the participation o the accused in the crime, the accusedFs ali"i d2indles into nothingness. The ositive identi4cation o the accused "/ the 2itness as the perpetrator o the crime cannot "e overcome "/ the mere denial o the accused. 9uch positive identi4cation o the accused that he 7illed the victim esta"lishes the guilt o the accused "e/ond moral certaint/ 5eople v 1rro/o, su!r#6. The trial court correctl/ ruled that the crime 2as attended "/ treacher/. There is treacher/, the la2 sa/s, 2hen the ofender adopts means, methods or orms in the e
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aving esta"lished the guilt o herein appellant. the nean. (uc/ interva of time 1as more t/an suDcient to ena7e aeant to recover /is serenit+ B!eoe v. Eenito, G.R. No. $:3242, *ecem7er <, 9<6 F<4 (R) 2<C. 'ence, t/e mitigating circumstance of immediate vindication of a grave oense cannot 7e areciated in /is favor. 8I9!9ITIV>3 IN VI>E !0 T> 0!R>D!IND, the decision appealed rom is 100IR>8 2ith modi4cation that the indemnit/ is increased to $','''.'' in accordance 2ith the polic/ o this Court on the matter.
