Case Digest (G.R. No. 132247)
Facts:
People of the Philippines v. Ronaldo F. Lobrigo (at large), Dominador Indoy, Teodorico Indoy, Jimmy Bustillo @ Jimmy Bustillos, Gil Jerusalem (at large), Efraim Rosales (at large) and Gregorio Jabonero, G.R. No. 132247, May 21, 2001, the Supreme Court First Division, Pardo, J., writing for the Court. The plaintiff-appellee is the People of the Philippines; the accused-appellants before the Court were Gregorio Jabonero, Dominador Indoy and Teodorico Indoy.On the evening of March 19, 1995, the victim, fifty-eight-year-old Perfecto Ollero Jaen, confronted his son-in-law Ronaldo F. Lobrigo, who was drinking with companions, and told him to go home. Lobrigo struck Perfecto with a piece of wood as the latter turned away; several companions joined in mauling and stabbing Perfecto. He received stab wounds to the thorax and abdomen and was pronounced dead on arrival at Dr. Jose Rodriguez Memorial Hospital. The medico-legal report (April 7, 1995) documented two deep stab wounds (one with the knife still embedded), multiple abrasions and contusions, and concluded that death was due to hemorrhage from stab wounds.
Prosecution initially charged Lobrigo and unnamed John Does by Information filed September 22, 1995. After a reinvestigation and the presentation of an eyewitness, Domingo M. Berguro, the prosecutor filed a memorandum recommending amendment. On January 9, 1997, the Information was amended to name Gregorio, Dominador, Teodorico, Jimmy Bustillo, Gil Jerusalem and Efraim Rosales as accused; the trial court admitted the amended Information and arraigned four accused (May 22, 1997), who pleaded not guilty. Trial followed.
On November 28, 1997, the Regional Trial Court (Branch 127, Kalookan City) found Dominador Indoy, Teodorico Indoy, Jimmy Bustillo and Gregorio Jabonero guilty of murder and sentenced each to reclusion perpetua, ordered indemnity of P50,000.00 and moral and exemplary damages of P100,000.00, and archived the case as to Lobrigo, Jerusalem and Rosales without prejudice. Gregorio, Dominador and Teodorico appealed to the Supreme Court; Gregorio filed a timely notice while Dominador and Teodorico’s appeals were accepted by the Court despite late perfection.
At trial, the prosecution relied chiefly on two eyewitnesses: Noel Mercader (a former employee of the victim) and Domingo Berguro. Noel testified that Gregorio and Dominador boxed Perfecto with bare hands and that Teodorico stabbed Perfecto; Domingo identified several partic...(Subscriber-Only)
Issues:
- Were accused Gregorio Jabonero and Dominador Indoy proven guilty as principals in the murder, or only as accomplices?
- Was accused Teodorico Indoy proven guilty as a principal in the murder?
- Was the trial court’s award of P100,000.00 as moral damages proper and what is the correct quantum of civil/mora...(Subscriber-Only)
Ruling:
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Ratio:
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Doctrine:
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