G.R. No. 76238 - People vs. Noguerras y Torres

The accused-appellant, Benjamin Noguerras, was charged with murder in the Regional Trial Court, National Capital Judicial Region, Branch 106, Quezon City.
He was implicated in the killing of Edgardo Escondo y Napenas, who was both a barangay tanod and involved in illicit activities, including drug pushing and marijuana sales.
The murder was committed in conspiracy with Rolando Collado, who was also involved with drug-related activities, and could not be tried concurrently due to his status as at large.

A series of personal and business disputes had developed among the involved parties, highlighted by:

A chess game between Edgardo and Rolando that escalated when a bet involving drugs and money was unsettled.
A disagreement over a bicycle theft and subsequent confrontation, where Edgardo’s interference was perceived as meddling by Rolando.
A business quarrel concerning their drug pushing activities resulted in heightened tensions.

Rolando Collado’s heated reaction included verbal threats, such as mentioning he could “easily pay for your lives” and stating demeaning remarks about the victim.

Preceding the incident, Rolando had solicited a loan from his sister-in-law, Anita, for an alleged plan to flee to the Visayas after committing a killing.
Moments prior to the fatal event:

Rolando had been seen behaving erratically due to being under the influence of drugs, and his behavior signaled an impending violent outbreak.
Cecilio, Rolando’s brother, had arrived home ill, and a minor domestic request (for a pair of pants) set the stage for escalating tensions.

Edgardo Escondo arrived at the scene where Rolando was present, and after preliminary interactions, Rolando suddenly attacked him.
Rolando strangled Edgardo using his left arm while simultaneously stabbing him repeatedly with an icepick-like weapon using his right arm.
During the assault, Rolando also directed threats towards the women present, ordering them not to interfere, under penalty of death.
Amidst the chaos, Benjamin Noguerras entered the scene; his arrival coincided with the pleads of the women, and he proceeded to stab Edgardo as well.
The coordinated efforts included physical overpowering, stabbing, and bludgeoning (including pounding the victim's head on the cement floor) until Edgardo was confirmed dead.

Several residents and neighbors, familiar with the involved parties (including the accused and the victim), provided detailed eyewitness testimonies.
Key witnesses such as Anita Collado, Maria Oliveros, and Lolita Oliveros gave consistent and corroborative descriptions of the incident.

Dr. Simeon Tolentino, Jr. and an assigned medico-legal officer provided evidence including observations of multiple stab wounds, severe bleeding, and a cause of death tied to both head injury and multiple stab-inflicted hemorrhage.
An autopsy conducted by Maj. Dario Gajardo concluded with 18 major wounds and cardio respiratory arrest as the cause of death.

Benjamin Noguerras surrendered to the authorities on July 25, 1985, accompanied by his uncle, and after being informed of his constitutional rights, he recused himself from making significant statements.

The prosecution established that the crime was committed in conspiracy, with the accused acting in concert with Rolando Collado, as supported by the sequence of events and the witness testimonies.

Benjamin Noguerras denied his participation, asserting that he was merely responding to the cries for help.
He claimed he entered the scene without any weapon, but his denial was uncorroborated by other evidence.
The defense attempted to highlight discrepancies in the descriptions of the murder weapon provided by the prosecution witnesses, such as whether it was perceived as a knife or an icepick-like pointed object.
The defense argued that these inconsistencies should raise reasonable doubts regarding his culpability.

Whether the evidence presented established Benjamin Noguerras’ participation in the conspiracy and the actual commission of the murder beyond reasonable doubt.
Whether the minor inconsistencies in the witness testimonies regarding certain details, such as the type of weapon used, are significant enough to undermine the overall credibility of the prosecution's evidence.
Whether the trial court erred in affirming the conviction of Benjamin Noguerras in light of his uncorroborated denial and the discrepancies highlighted by the defense.