Facts:

The case of People v. Martin involves the defendant, Agaton Martin (alias Borong-Borong), who was charged with multiple counts of treason. After a trial, Martin was found guilty on seven counts and was sentenced to life imprisonment, a P10,000 fine, and costs. The case was brought before the People's Court.

Count 6 of the charges pertained to the arrest, torture, and killing of Teofilo Torres, a guerrilla suspect. The government presented three witnesses who testified to seeing Martin and his companions involved in the arrest. Although Martin was not the one who pointed out Torres as a guerrilla suspect and tied his hands, he was part of the group that made the arrest, making him responsible for the act.

Count 7 involved the arrest of Guillermo Salandanan, which was supported by the testimony of several witnesses. Martin was identified as the leader of the group that arrested Salandanan, and it was revealed that Salandanan was arrested due to his guerrilla activities. This showed that Martin was acting for or collaborating with the enemy.

Counts 11 and 12 referred to the arrest of Miguel Castillo, Candido Cruz, and one Takio. However, there was no evidence presented regarding the reason for their arrest, other than the fact that they were made to carry the fruits gathered by Martin and his companions. The court agreed that the evidence did not establish collaboration with the enemy in these counts.

Count 18 involved the zoning of Tipas, Pasig, Rizal, for the purpose of apprehending guerrilla suspects. While several witnesses claimed to have seen Martin there, there was no evidence of his direct participation in any overt act. The court found the evidence insufficient to hold Martin guilty on this count.

Count 30 pertained to the arrest of Ernesto Buenviaje, which was supported by the testimony of several witnesses. Martin was identified as one of the captors who arrested Buenviaje, a guerrilla, and took him away. The court found this count to be sufficiently proven.

Martin's defense of alibi was found to have no support except for the doubtful testimony of his prisonmates, which could not prevail over the testimony of the prosecution witnesses who clearly identified him as involved in the treasonous acts.

Lastly, the court addressed the contention that the prosecution failed to establish Martin's Filipino citizenship, which is an essential element in the crime of treason. The prosecution presented Martin's prison record, which contained his personal data and was verified by him. This record showed him to be a Filipino citizen, and the court deemed it sufficient proof in the absence of any contrary evidence.

In conclusion, Martin was found guilty of treason on counts 6, 7, and 30, but not on counts 1, 11, 12, and 18. The sentence imposed by the lower court was affirmed, and Martin was ordered to pay the costs of the case.

Issue:

The main issues raised in the case are as follows:

1. Whether Martin can be held responsible for the arrest, torture, and killing of Teofilo Torres, even if he was not the...