Facts:

• Accused-appellants Elbert Amar y Soledad and Aldefonso de la Pena y Hernandez were charged with murder for the killing of Emmanuel Caballero y Sanchez.
• Two separate informations were filed on July 1, 1988, and July 19, 1988, respectively, with the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Manila.
• The first information alleged that on June 26, 1988, in Manila, the accused, conspiring with others, attacked and killed Caballero by hacking him with a bladed weapon and shooting him.
• The second information similarly charged Aldefonso de la Pena y Hernandez with murder, in conspiracy with Elbert Amar.
• A procedural lapse occurred when the public prosecutor filed two separate informations instead of amending the first one to include the newly identified conspirators, leading to the need for consolidation of the cases and delaying the proceedings.
• Both accused pleaded not guilty, and the cases were tried jointly.
• On October 19, 1990, the RTC found both accused guilty beyond reasonable doubt, sentenced them to life imprisonment, and ordered them to indemnify the heirs of Caballero with P30,000 each.
• The defense appealed, raising issues about the credibility of the eyewitness testimony and the autopsy findings.

Issue:

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Ruling:

• The Supreme Court affirmed the conviction of the accused-appellants but modified the crime from murder to homicide, sentencing them to 8 years and 1 day of prision mayor as minimum to 14 years, 8 months, and 1 day of reclusion temporal as maximum.
• The civil indemni...(Unlock)

Ratio:

• The Supreme Court held that the trial court did not err in giving more credence to the prosecution's eyewitness testimony over the defense's version of events.
• The testimony of Virgilio de Luna was found to be consistent with the autopsy findings, which showed multiple gunshot wounds, stab wounds, an incised wound, a lacerated wound, and a hack wound that almost severed Caballero's right hand.
• The defense failed to explain...continue reading