Case Digest (G.R. No. L-40294)
Facts:
- Case: G.R. No. L-40294, decided on July 11, 1986.
- Parties: People of the Philippines (plaintiff-appellee) vs. Tobias Ribadajo, Romeo Corpuz, Federico Basas, Rosendo Anor, and Rodolfo Torres (defendants-appellants).
- Origin: Circuit Criminal Court of Pasig, Rizal; charged with murder in Criminal Case No. CCC-VII-1329-Rizal.
- Incident Date: November 18, 1971, at approximately 7:55 PM, in New Bilibid Prison, Muntinlupa, Rizal.
- Defendants: Inmates who planned an attack on a rival group, Brigade 3-A, due to prior humiliation.
- Method: Used a false key to ambush victim Bernardo Cutamora while he collected food rations.
- Outcome: Cutamora suffered multiple stab wounds and died, as confirmed by a necropsy report.
- Confessions: Defendants confessed during a prison investigation; an Information for Murder was filed on April 24, 1973.
- Arraignment: On July 5, 1973, Ribadajo, Corpuz, and Torres initially pleaded guilty but later retracted, claiming duress.
- Trial Court Decision: Found all defendants guilty of murder, imposing the death penalty and financial indemnities to the victim's heirs.
Issue:
- (Unlock)
Ruling:
- The Supreme Court affirmed the trial court's decision.
- No reversible error was found in admitting the extrajudicial confessions, recognizing the presence of aggravating circumstances, or imposing the death penalty.
- Due to insufficient votes, the penalty w...(Unlock)
Ratio:
- The Supreme Court upheld the admission of extrajudicial confessions, emphasizing the presumption of voluntariness unless evidence of coercion is presented.
- The confessions included specific details only the accused could know, undermining claims of duress.
- Treachery was established as the attack was sudden, leaving the victim no chance to defend himself.
- Ev...continue reading
Case Digest (G.R. No. L-40294)
Facts:
The case at hand is G.R. No. L-40294, decided on July 11, 1986, involving the People of the Philippines as the plaintiff-appellee against defendants-appellants Tobias Ribadajo, Romeo Corpuz, Federico Basas, Rosendo Anor, and Rodolfo Torres. The case originated from the Circuit Criminal Court of Pasig, Rizal, where the defendants were charged with murder in Criminal Case No. CCC-VII-1329-Rizal. The incident occurred on November 18, 1971, at approximately 7:55 PM, within the confines of the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa, Rizal. The defendants, all inmates, executed a plan to attack members of a rival group, Brigade 3-A, in retaliation for previous mockery and humiliation they had suffered. They used a false key to open their dormitory door and ambushed the victim, Bernardo Cutamora, while he was collecting his food ration. The attack resulted in multiple stab wounds, leading to Cutamora's death, as confirmed by a necropsy report. Following the incident, the defendants confessed to their involvement during an investigation conducted by prison authorities. An Information for Murder was filed against them on April 24, 1973, after a delay attributed to the separation of a principal investigator from service. During the arraignment on July 5, 1973, Ribadajo, Corpuz, and Torres initially pleaded guilty, but later retracted their pleas, claiming duress in their confessions. The trial court ultimat...