Case Digest (G.R. No. 247651)
Facts:
The case at bar involves the appellant, Mark Ian Libunao y Mariano, and the respondent, the People of the Philippines. This case originated from an incident on December 19, 2014, in Quezon City, where the appellant was charged with murder following the death of Sonny Dela Cruz Acosta, an MMDA Traffic Enforcer. The accusation alleged that Libunao, intending to kill Acosta, used his vehicle—a maroon Isuzu Sportivo, registered under Dante F. Borguete—to drag Acosta after being apprehended for a traffic violation near the Farmer's Market along EDSA. The situation escalated after Acosta attempted to limit Libunao's driving, leading him to apply force to escape, resulting in Acosta falling to the ground and subsequently sustaining severe injuries.
The trial commenced on a motion for bail, where the Regional Trial Court (RTC) received extensive testimonies from various witnesses, including Liberty Tongco and Lourdes S. Liton, other traffic enforcers present at the scene, as we
Case Digest (G.R. No. 247651)
Facts:
The People of the Philippines charged Mark Ian Libunao y Mariano with murder for dragging Sonny Dela Cruz Acosta with the use of a motor vehicle after Acosta apprehended him for a traffic violation in Quezon City on December 19, 2014, and Acosta later died on December 23, 2014. The RTC, Quezon City, Branch 100 convicted appellant of homicide, finding that the People proved appellant’s identity and that the qualifying circumstance of the use of a vehicle as alleged in the Information was not established; the CA affirmed.On review, the Court noted that the prosecution’s identification hinged mainly on Montipio, who testified he saw appellant as the driver despite the vehicle’s tinted windows, while other witnesses described the victim’s fall after the vehicle sped away and did not see the driver. The Supreme Court reversed and set aside the CA and RTC rulings.
Issues:
- Whether the People proved beyond reasonable doubt that appellant was the driver who committed the crime, despite the tinted windows and the witness’s position and attention during the incident.
- Whether the conviction for homicide could stand given the alleged weaknesses in identification evidence.
Ruling:
- (Subscriber-Only)
Ratio:
- (Subscriber-Only)
Doctrine:
- (Subscriber-Only)