G.R. No. 111288 - People vs. Nuestro y Jagonase

The criminal case arose from an information filed on May 28, 1991, charging Rene Nuestro y Jagonase with the murder of Ludovico Dabi in Iloilo City.
During arraignment on July 23, 1991, with counsel’s assistance, Nuestro entered a plea of not guilty.
In a pre-trial conference on November 28, 1991, Nuestro admitted to killing the victim but requested to plead to the lesser offense of homicide, invoking mitigating circumstances such as a plea of guilty and voluntary surrender.
The prosecution opposed this plea, alleging that it amounted to unauthorized plea bargaining, and though the pre-trial conference was rescheduled, the requisite approval was not obtained.
The trial court, in its pre-trial order dated December 10, 1991, noted the accused’s admission without qualifying circumstances.

According to the testimony of 13-year-old Lani Dabi, on May 24, 1991, she accompanied her father home during the town fiesta in Iloilo City.
As they arrived at their residence near a basketball court and a gate, the victim attempted to open the lock when accused Nuestro suddenly appeared and, without provocation, stabbed him.
Despite the victim’s effort to fend off the attack by holding Nuestro’s shoulder, Nuestro continued the assault with several stab wounds.
Witness Elias Franco, while on his way home, saw the stabbing occur, intervened by obtaining a piece of wood, and later helped ensure that Nuestro was subdued.

Witness testimonies, particularly that of Lani Dabi, described the violent nature and sequence of events involving multiple stabbings inflicted by Nuestro.
The physical evidence at the crime scene, including bloodstains on the victim’s fence and a knife with blood evidence found in Nuestro’s house, bolstered the prosecution’s narrative.
The medical report by Dr. Tito D. Doromal revealed that the victim sustained eight stab wounds, with the location and severity of the wounds conflicting with a claim of self-defense.

Accused Nuestro presented a markedly different version, claiming that an exchange of words took place with the victim as they were neighbors, and that the victim provoked him by challenging him to a fight.
Nuestro testified that after an initial altercation and a struggle for the knife, he was forced to stab Dabi four times, a claim later contradicted by his inconsistent statements regarding the location of the incident.
Defense witness Mardioline Carino attempted to corroborate Nuestro’s version, stating that Dabi provoked the violence, although her testimony was deemed questionable due to her evasive actions and failure to provide details post-incident.
Additional evidence including the police blotter and testimonies from law enforcement officers supported the prosecution’s account, particularly regarding the circumstances of the arrest and the chain of events immediately following the incident.

Whether the killing committed by Rene Nuestro y Jagonase can be justified under the doctrine of self-defense given the conflicting narratives and available evidence.
Whether the physical evidence—including the number, location, and severity of stab wounds—supports or undermines the claim of self-defense.
The credibility and consistency of the statements rendered by accused Nuestro as compared to the testimonies of independent witnesses like Lani Dabi and Elias Franco.
Whether the mitigating circumstances of voluntary surrender and plea of guilty, as invoked by Nuestro, are sufficient to warrant a reduction in the criminal charge.