Teehankee v. Madayag, 140 SCRA 425 (1985) Topic: Rule 110, Sec 14 - Amendment/substitution of Information 1.
2.
3.
On Jul 1!, 1!!1 an information for t"e crime of frustrated murder #as filed a$ainst %laudio %laudio Tee"an&ee ee"an&ee Jr' Jr' alle$edl alle$edl committe committed d to (aureen )a*arro +ultman' After t"e prosecution "ad rested its case, t"e petitioner mo*ed for lea*e to file a demurrer to e*idence, but before t"e motion #as filed, t"e *ictim died' So, t"e pri*ate prosecutor filed an omnibus motion for lea*e of court to file t"e amended information . T"e amended information filed on October 1, 1!!1 c"ar$es Tee"an&ee of murder' T"e trial court court admitted admitted t"e amended amended informat information' ion' urin$ t"e arrai$nment, t"e petitioner refused to be arrai$ned on t"e amended informat information ion contendi contendin$ n$ t"e lac& of a prelimin preliminar ar in*esti$ in*esti$atio ation n t"ereon' T"e .ud$e, t"en, ordered t"e plea of not $uilt be entered for petitioner' T"e prosecution #as ordered to present its e*idence' T"e petitioners counsel manifested t"at "e did not #ant to ta&e part in t"e proceedin$s because of t"e le$al issue raised' So, t"e trial court appointed a counsel de officio to represent t"e petitioner'
Petitione a!!eged that" T"ere T"ere bein$ bein$ a substant substantial ial amendment, amendment, t"e same ma no lon$er be allo#ed after arrai$nment and durin$ t"e trial - "e said t"ere is a need to establis" t"at t"e same mortal #ounds #"ic" #ere initiall frustrated b timel medical assistance ultimatel caused t"e deat" of t"e *ictim, because as for "im, t"is deat" could "a*e been caused b a super*enin$ act #"ic" is not imputable to petitioner offender2 Since Since t"e amende amended d infor informat mation ion for murde murderr c"ar$ c"ar$es es an entir entirel el different offense, in*ol*in$ as it does a ne# fact, t"at is, t"e fact of deat" #"ose cause "as to be establis"ed, it is essential t"at anot"er preliminar in*esti$ation in*esti$ation on t"e ne# c"ar$e be conducted conducted before t"e ne# information can be admitted' +ence, +ence, petition petitioner er no# see&s see&s, amon$ ot"er t"in$s, for t"e S% to null nullif if t"e t"e resp respon onde dent nt .ud$ .ud$e ess admi admitt ttan ance ce of t"e t"e amen amende ded d info inform rmat atio ion, n, and and to comp compel el t"e t"e .ud$ .ud$ee to orde orderr prel prelim imin inar ar in*esti$ation of t"e crime c"ar$ed in t"e amended information'
ISS3: 5"et"er or not an amended information information in*ol*in$ in*ol*in$ a substantial substantial amendme amendment, nt, #it"out #it"out prelimin preliminar ar in*esti$ in*esti$atio ation, n, after after t"e prosecut prosecution ion "as rested on t"e ori$inal information, ma le$all and *alidl be admitted6 7S +8: Sec. 14. Amendment '9T"e '9T"e information or complaint ma be amended, in substance or form, #it"out lea*e of court, at an time before t"e accused pleads and t"ereafter and durin$ t"e trial as to all matters of form, b lea*e and at t"e discretion of t"e court, #"en t"e same can be done #it"out pre.udice to t"e ri$"ts of t"e accused' If it appears at an time before .ud$ment t"at a mista&e "as been made in c"ar$in$ t"e proper offense, t"e court s"all dismiss t"e ori$inal complaint or information upon t"e filin$ of a ne# one c"ar$in$ t"e proper offense in accordance #it" Rule 11!, Section 11, pro*ided t"e accused #ould not be placed t"ereb in double .eopard and ma also re;uire t"e #itnesses to $i*e bail for t"eir appearance at t"e trial'
1st para$rap" - pro*ides rules for amendment of information or complaint >R in t"e follo#in$ respects: respects: AM#$%M#$T It *ay in*ol* in*ol*ee eit"er eit"er formal formal or substantial c"an$es -eoe /!ea "as been Amend Amendme ment nt -eoe been ente entere red d can can be effe effect cted ed ithot !eave o +ot If amendment is only as to form , no need need o anot anothe he /e! /e!i* i*ina inay y invetigation and t"e reta&in$ of t"e plea of t"e accused An amended amended informat information ion refers refers to oene +haged +haged in t"e t"e a*e oene t"e ori$inal information or to an oene hi+h ne+eai!y ne+eai!y in+!de in+!de or is is necessaril included in the oigina! +hage. +ence, +ence, -tantia! a*end*ent to t"e informat information ion ate the /!ea "as been ta&en +annot -e *ade o*er t"e ob.ection of t"e accused, for if t"e ori$ ori$in inal al info inform rmat atio ion n #oul #ould d be
S&'STT&T$ It ne+eai!y in*ol*es a substantial c"an$e from t"e ori$inal c"ar$e Substitution of information must be ith !eave o +ot as t"e t"e oigina! ino*ation ha to -e di*ied Anothe Anothe /e!i*inay /e!i*inay invetigation invetigation i entai!ed entai!ed and t"e accused accused "as to /!ead ane to the ne ino*ation
Substitution re;uires or presupposes t"at t"e ne# information in*ol*es a dieent dieent oene oene #"ic" #"ic" does not ne+eai ai!y !y include or is not ne+e in+!de in+!ded d in the oigina! oigina! +hage +hage,, +annot +!ai* +!ai* "enc "encee t"e t"e accu accuse sed d +annot do-!e eo/ady.
#it"dra#n, t"e accused could in*o&e do-!e eo/ady. In determining if there should be an amendment or a substitution of information:
A -tantia! a*end*ent consists of t"e recital of facts constitutin$ t"e offense c"ar$ed and determinati*e of t"e .urisdiction of t"e court' A!! othe *atte ae *ee!y o o*.
T"us, t"e follo#in$ "a*e been "eld to be merel formal amendments, *i':
T"e rule is t"at #"ere t"e second information in*ol*es t"e same offense, or an offense #"ic" necessaril includes or is necessaril included in t"e first information, an a*end*ent o the ino*ation i i+ient Ot"er#ise, #"ere t"e ne# information c"ar$es an offense #"ic" is distinct and different from t"at initiall c"ar$ed , a -tittion i in ode.
?oin$ no# to t"e case at bar, it is e*ident t"at frustrated murder is but a sta$e in t"e e@ecution of t"e crime of murder, "ence t"e former is necessaril included in t"e latter' It is indispensable t"at t"e essential element of intent to &ill, as #ell as ;ualifin$ circumstances suc" as treac"er or e*ident premeditation, be alle$ed in bot" an information for frustrated murder and for murder, t"ereb meanin$ and pro*in$ t"at t"e same material alle$ations are essential to t"e sufficienc of t"e informations filed for bot"' T"is is because, e@cept for t"e deat" of t"e *ictim , t"e essential elements of consummated murder li&e#ise constitute t"e essential in$redients to con*ict "erein petitioner for t"e offense of frustrated murder' n the /eent +ae , t"erefore, t"ere is an identit of offenses c"ar$ed in bot" t"e ori$inal and t"e amended information' 5"at is in*ol*ed "ere is not a *ariance in t"e nature of different offenses c"ar$ed, but onl a c"an$e in t"e sta$e of e@ecution of t"e same offense from frustrated to consummated murder' T"is bein$ t"e case, #e "old t"at an a*end*ent o the oigina! ino*ation i!! i+e and, conse;uent t"ereto, t"e i!ing o the a*ended ino*ation o *de i /o/e.
1' ne# alle$ations #"ic" relate onl to t"e ran$e of t"e penalt t"at t"e court mi$"t impose in t"e e*ent of con*iction <' an amendment #"ic" does not c"ar$e anot"er offense different or distinct from t"at c"ar$ed in t"e ori$inal one ' additional alle$ations #"ic" do not alter t"e prosecutionBs t"eor of t"e case so as to cause surprise to t"e accused and affect t"e form of defense "e "as or #ill assume and 4' an amendment #"ic" does not ad*ersel affect an substantial ri$"t of t"e accused, suc" as "is ri$"t to in*o&e prescription' An ob.ecti*e appraisal of t"e amended information for murder filed a$ainst "erein petitioner #ill readil s"o# t"at t"e nature of t"e offense ori$inall c"ar$ed #as not actuall c"an$ed' Instead, an additional alle$ation , t"at is, t"e super*enin$ fact of t"e deat" of t"e *ictim #as merel supplied to aid t"e trial court in determinin$ t"e proper penalt for t"e crime' T"at t"e accused committed a felonious act #it" intent to &ill t"e *ictim continues to be t"e prosecutionBs t"eor' T"ere is no ;uestion t"at #"ate*er defense "erein petitioner ma adduce under t"e ori$inal information for frustrated murder e;uall applies to t"e amended information for murder' 3nder t"e circumstances t"us obtainin$, it is irremissible t"at t"e a*ended ino*ation o *de i, at *ot, an a*end*ent a to o* hi+h i a!!oed even ding the tia! o the +ae.