Case Digest (G.R. No. 33843)
Facts:
- Case: People vs. Aguinaldo (G.R. No. 33843)
- Date of Decision: February 11, 1931
- Defendant: Juan Aguinaldo
- Victim: Anselmo Oao
- Incident Date: April 29, 1930
- Location: Bacarra, Ilocos Norte
- Aguinaldo attacked Oao from behind with a bolo while Oao was digging roots for his wife's toothache.
- The attack resulted in multiple stab wounds, leading to Oao's death.
- Aguinaldo initially pleaded guilty during the preliminary investigation but later changed his plea to not guilty in the Court of First Instance.
- The trial court found Aguinaldo guilty of murder, qualified by treachery and aggravated by cruelty, sentencing him to life imprisonment and ordering him to indemnify the victim's heirs.
Issue:
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Ruling:
- The Supreme Court upheld the trial court's decision, affirming Aguinaldo's conviction for murder.
- The Court found sufficient evidence of treachery in the attack.
- The Court concurred with the Attorney-General that the aggravating ci...(Unlock)
Ratio:
- The Court determined Aguinaldo's attack was treacherous, as Oao was unarmed and unaware, indicating intent to kill without giving the victim a chance to defend himself.
- Cited Article 403 of the Penal Code, defining treachery as a qualifying circumstance for murder.
- Regarding cruelty, the Court noted that the number of stab...continue reading
Case Digest (G.R. No. 33843)
Facts:
The case of People vs. Aguinaldo (G.R. No. 33843) was decided by the Supreme Court of the Philippines on February 11, 1931. The defendant, Juan Aguinaldo, was accused of murdering Anselmo Oao in Bacarra, Ilocos Norte, on April 29, 1930. On that day, Aguinaldo, armed with a bolo, approached Oao from behind while Oao was engaged in digging roots for his wife's toothache. Aguinaldo attacked Oao, inflicting multiple stab wounds that led to the latter's death. Initially, during the preliminary investigation, Aguinaldo pleaded guilty before a justice of the peace; however, he later changed his plea to not guilty when the case was brought to the Court of First Instance. The trial court ultimately found Aguinaldo guilty of murder, qualifying his act with treachery and aggravating it with cruelty, as well as noting that the crime occurred in an uninhabited place. Consequently, Aguinaldo was sentenced to life imprisonment, ordered to indemnify the heirs of the deceased, and directed to pay the costs of the trial. Dissatisfied with the ruling, Aguinaldo appealed, contending that the evidence only warranted a conviction for homicide rather than murde...