Facts:

• Jimmy Mosqueda faced seven counts of rape against his nine-year-old daughter, Jaymen Mosqueda.
• The incidents occurred on multiple dates: March 1991, June 1991, June 1994, October 1994, November 1994, December 1994, and May 27, 1995.
• On October 29, 1997, the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Iloilo City found him guilty.
• The trial court sentenced him to two terms of reclusion perpetua for two counts and the death penalty for five counts.
• The case was automatically reviewed by the Supreme Court due to the imposition of the death penalty.
• Jimmy appealed, arguing that the trial court wrongly dismissed his alibi and accepted the prosecution's witnesses as credible.

Issue:

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Ruling:

• The Supreme Court affirmed the trial court's decision, finding Jimmy guilty of all seven counts of rape.
• The Court upheld the death penalty for five counts and confirmed two terms of reclusion perpetua for the remaining counts.
• The Court modified the trial court's award of moral damages, increasing it from P20,000 to P50,000.
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Ratio:

• The Supreme Court found Jimmy's alibi defense unconvincing, considering it the weakest form of defense against credible witness identification.
• Testimonies from the victim, Jaymen, and her sister Christine were deemed credible, consistent, and emotionally compelling.
• The delay in reporting the rapes was attributed to threats from the father, creating a climate of fear for the victim.
• The Court no...continue reading