PIANDIONG ET AL V. THE PHILIPPINES CCPR/C/70/D/869/1999 19 October 2000 Facts: On 7 Novem November ber 1994, 1994, Piandi Piandiong ong,, Mora Morao! o! and "# "#an an $ere $ere convi convicte cted d o% robber& $it' 'omicide and !entenced to deat' b& t'e Regiona (ria Co#rt o% Caoocan Cit&) ('e *#+reme Co#rt denied t'e a++ea, and conrmed bot' conviction and !entence b& -#dgement o% 19 .ebr#ar& 1997) .#rt'er motion! %or recon!ideration $ere denied on Marc' 1998)
The Communication: Communication: Piandiong et a com+ain! t'at t'e deat' !entence $a! $rong& im+o!ed, beca#!e t'e -#dge con!idered t'at an aggravating circ#m!tance ei!ted, a! t'e crime $a! committed b& more t'an t'ree armed +er!on!) ccording to co#n!e, 'o$ever, t'i! $a! not +roven be&ond rea!onabe do#bt) ('e& %#rt'er caim t'at t'e& $ere 'it in t'e !tomac' in order to mae t'em con%e!!) ('e& %#rt'er !tate t'at t'e te!timonie! o% t'e e&e$itne!!e! de!erved no credence, beca#!e t'e e&e$itne!!e! $ere co!e %riend! o% t'e decea!ed and t'eir de!cri+tion o% t'e +er+etrator! did not coincide $it' t'e $a& Piandiong, Morao! and "#an act#a& ooed) Co#n!e a!o !tate! t'at t'e -#dge erred $'en 'e did not give credence to t'e aibi de%ence) ('e& %#rt'er com+ain t'at t'e deat' +enat& $a! #ncon!tit#tiona and !'o#d not 'ave been im+o!ed %or an&t'ing b#t t'e mo!t 'eino#! crime)
The State Partys De!ense: ('e *tate +art& e+ain! t'at dome!tic remedie! remedie! $ere e'a#!ted $it' t'e *#+re *#+reme me Co#rt3 Co#rt3! ! deci!i deci!ion on o% Marc' Marc' 19 1998 98,, re-ecti e-ecting ng t'e !#++e !#++eme menta nta motion! %or recon!ideration) ('e convict! and t'eir co#n!e co#d 'ave ed a comm#nication $it' t'e #man Rig't! Committee at t'at date) o$ever, t'e& t'e& did did not not do !o, !o, b#t b#t in!t in!tea ead d +eti +etiti tione oned d t'e t'e Pre!i re!ide dent nt %or %or cem cemen enc& c&)) ccording to t'e *tate +art&, in !#bmitting t'em!eve! to t'e Pre!ident3! +o$er, t'e convict! conceded to t'e deci!ion o% t'e *#+reme Co#rt) ('e *tate +art& re%er! to t'e *#+reme Co#rt3! -#dgement $'ic' %o#nd t'at t'e !'ooting o% t'e +oice o5cer in t'e -ee+ne&, t'e !#b!e#ent robber& o% t'e !'ot +oiceman, and na& t'e !econd !'ooting o% 'im $'ie 'e $a! +eading to be bro#g't to 'o!+ita, reveaed br#tait& and mercie!!ne!!, and caed %or t'e im+o!ition o% t'e deat' +enat&) it' regard to t'e caim o% tort#re, t'e *tate +art& note! t'at t'i! $a! not inc inc#d #ded ed in t'e t'e gro# gro#nd nd! ! o% a++e a++ea a to t'e t'e *#+r *#+rem eme e Co#r Co#rt, t, and and t'#! t'#! t'e t'e *#+reme Co#rt did not oo into t'e i!!#e) ('e *tate +art& note! t'at t'e acc#!ed 'ad ega a!!i!tance t'ro#g'o#t t'e tria +roceeding! and t'e a++ea) it' re!+ect to t'e rig't to i%e, t'e *tate +art& note! t'at t'e *#+reme Co#rt 'a! r#ed on t'e con!tit#tionait& o% t'e deat' +enat& a! $e a! t'e met'od! o% eec#tion and %o#nd t'em to be con!tit#tiona)
n re!+ect to co#n!e3! re#e!t to t'e Committee %or interim mea!#re! o% +rotection a! a matter o% #rgenc&, t'e *tate +art& note! t'at co#n!e %o#nd no need to addre!! t'e Committee d#ring t'e &ear t'at 'i! cient! $ere on deat' ro$ a%ter a dome!tic remedie! 'ad been e'a#!ted) ven a%ter t'e Pre!ident granted a 90 da& re+rieve, co#n!e $aited #nti t'e end o% t'at +eriod to +re!ent a comm#nication to t'e Committee)
The Committees Vie": ('e Committee reca! it! -#ri!+r#dence t'at it i! genera& %or t'e co#rt! o% *tate! +artie!, and not %or t'e Committee, to eva#ate t'e %act! and evidence in a +artic#ar ca!e) ('i! r#e a!o a++ie! to #e!tion! a! to t'e a$%#ne!! and credibiit& o% an identication) .#rt'ermore, t'e Co#rt o% ++ea, in addre!!ing t'e arg#ment abo#t t'e irreg#arit& o% t'e ine:#+ identication, 'ed t'at t'e identication o% t'e acc#!ed at t'e tria 'ad been ba!ed on in:co#rt identication b& t'e $itne!!e! and t'at t'e ine:#+ identication 'ad been irreevant) n t'e!e circ#m!tance!, t'e Committee nd! t'ere i! no ba!i! %or 'oding t'at t'e in:co#rt identication o% t'e acc#!ed $a! incom+atibe $it' t'eir rig't! #nder artice 14 o% t'e Covenant) ('e Committee reiterate! t'at it i! %or t'e co#rt! o% *tate! +artie!, and not %or t'e Committee, to eva#ate %act! and evidence in a +artic#ar ca!e, and to inter+ret t'e reevant dome!tic egi!ation) n t'e circ#m!tance!, t'e Committee nd! t'at t'e %act! be%ore it do not revea a vioation o% t'e Covenant in t'i! re!+ect) t i! not %or t'e Committee to eamine i!!#e! o% con!tit#tionait&, t'e !#b!tance o% t'e caim a++ear! to rai!e im+ortant #e!tion! reating to t'e im+o!ition o% t'e deat' +enat& to Piandiong et a name& $'et'er or not t'e crime %or $'ic' t'e& $ere convicted $a! a mo!t !erio#! crime a! !ti+#ated b& artice 6;2<, and $'et'er t'e re:introd#ction o% t'e deat' +enat& in t'e P'ii++ine! i! in com+iance $it' t'e *tate +art&3! obigation! #nder artice 6;1< ;2< and ;6< o% t'e Covenant) n t'e in!tant ca!e, 'o$ever, t'e Committee i! not in a +o!ition to addre!! t'e!e i!!#e!, !ince neit'er co#n!e nor t'e *tate +art& 'a! made !#bmi!!ion! in t'i! re!+ect) ('e Committee reiterate! it! conc#!ion t'at t'e *tate committed a grave breac' o% it! obigation! #nder t'e Protoco b& +#tting t'e aeged victim! to deat' be%ore t'e Committee 'ad conc#ded it! con!ideration o% t'e comm#nication)
The #i$hts Vio%ate&: 1) rtice =, +aragra+' 4 o% t'e O+tiona Protoco to t'e nternationa
Covenant on Civi and Poitica Rig't!
