Case Digest (G.R. No. L-34940) Core Legal Reasoning Model
Core Legal Reasoning Model
Facts:
The case at hand involves Bernardo Lacanilao as the petitioner against the Hon. Court of Appeals as the respondent. The events that led to this legal dispute transpired when Lacanilao, a policeman, fatally shot Ceferino Erese during an incident aimed at addressing the latter's drunken and disorderly conduct. The altercation occurred on an unspecified date and location but was significant enough to raise questions about the lawful exercise of police duty. Initially, the Court of First Instance of Manila found Lacanilao guilty of homicide for the death of Erese and imposed an indeterminate penalty of six years and one day of prision mayor as the minimum and fourteen years, eight months, and one day of reclusion temporal as the maximum. He was also ordered to indemnify the victim's heirs in the amount of P20,000 and to cover the costs of the proceedings. Lacanilao appealed this decision to the Court of Appeals, which affirmed the lower court’s ruling but modified the penalty to six... Case Digest (G.R. No. L-34940) Expanded Legal Reasoning Model
Expanded Legal Reasoning Model
Facts:
The petitioner, a policeman, was initially convicted by the Court of First Instance of Manila for homicide in connection with the death of Ceferino Erese. While he had acted in response to a call of duty—attempting to stop the victim and his companions from engaging in drunken, disorderly conduct—he exceeded the bounds of his duty by shooting and killing the victim. Although his actions were taken while performing a duty, the fatal shooting was not the necessary consequence of a proper or due performance of that duty. On appeal, the Court of Appeals modified the sentence by reducing the imposed penalty, citing the mitigating circumstance of the incomplete justification (or incomplete fulfillment of duty), which, under the court’s view, warranted a lowering of the penalty by one period.Issues:
The sole issue was whether, when the accused is found to have incompletely fulfilled the requirements for justification or the lawful exercise of a right, does Article 69 of the Revised Penal Code apply—thereby entitling the accused to a reduction in the penalty by one or two degrees.Ruling:
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Ratio:
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Doctrine:
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