Case Digest (G.R. No. L-15959)
Facts:
- Case: The People of the Philippines vs. Alfredo Peralta and Roman Fernando, G.R. No. L-15959.
- Decision Date: October 11, 1961.
- Defendants: Alfredo Peralta and Roman Fernando.
- Crime: Murder of Guillermo Lutero on December 26, 1958, in New Bilibid Prison, Muntinlupa, Rizal.
- Co-defendants: Marcial Ama, Conrado Medina, Alfredo Carino, and Rolando Pangcubit.
- Method of murder: Use of wooden clubs and strangulation.
- Initial Plea: All six defendants pleaded not guilty.
- Change of Plea: Peralta and Fernando changed their plea to guilty during trial on August 24, 1959.
- Dismissal: Prosecution moved to dismiss the case against the other four defendants due to insufficient evidence on September 1, 1959.
- Verdict: Peralta and Fernando found guilty of murder with evident premeditation and treachery; sentenced to death due to quasi-recidivism.
- Defense Argument: The court failed to ensure the defendants understood the charges and consequences of their plea; the quasi-recidivism allegation was ambiguous.
- Court's Response: Found no merit in the defense arguments.
Issue:
- (Unlock)
Ruling:
- The Supreme Court affirmed the lower court's decision, upholding the death penalty for Alfredo Peralta and Roman Fernando.
- The court found no merit in the defense's arguments reg...(Unlock)
Ratio:
- The Supreme Court noted that the transcript from the lower court showed both defendants were insistent on pleading guilty, even after being informed of the maximum penalty for murder, indicating their understanding of the plea's consequences.
- The court clarified that the nature of the offenses for which the defendants ...continue reading
Case Digest (G.R. No. L-15959)
Facts:
The case at hand is The People of the Philippines vs. Alfredo Peralta and Roman Fernando, G.R. No. L-15959, decided on October 11, 1961. The defendants, Alfredo Peralta and Roman Fernando, were sentenced to death by the Court of First Instance of Rizal for the murder of Guillermo Lutero, which occurred on December 26, 1958, in the New Bilibid Prison located in Muntinlupa, Rizal. The information filed against them alleged that they, along with four other co-defendants—Marcial Ama, Conrado Medina, Alfredo Carino, and Rolando Pangcubit—conspired to kill Lutero, using wooden clubs and strangulation, resulting in his death. All six defendants initially pleaded not guilty upon arraignment. However, during the trial on August 24, 1959, Peralta and Fernando changed their plea to guilty, while the prosecution moved to dismiss the case against the other four defendants due to insufficient evidence. On September 1, 1959, the lower court dismissed the case against the four and found Peralta and Fernando guilty of murder, qualifying the crime with evident premeditation and treachery, and imposed the death penalty, considering their quasi-recidivism. The defense counsel argued that the court should have ensured that the defendants f...