G.R. No. 195390 - Villafuerte, Jr. vs. Robredo

Plaintiff-Appellee THE PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES prosecuted the case for the deaths of Eileen Sarmenta and Allan Gomez.
Accused-Appellants were MAYOR ANTONIO L. SANCHEZ, GEORGE MEDIALDEA, ZIOLO AMA, BALDWIN BRION, LUIS CORCOLON, ROGELIO CORCOLON, and PEPITO KAWIT.
The Pasig City Regional Trial Court, Branch 70, presided by Judge Harriet O. Demetriou, rendered a Decision dated March 11, 1995 convicting all accused; the case reached this Court on review.

The trial court found all accused guilty beyond reasonable doubt of seven counts of rape with homicide and sentenced each accused to suffer the maximum penalty of reclusion perpetua for each count (seven reclusion perpetua per accused).
The trial court ordered joint and several civil indemnity and damages in specified sums for the Gomez and Sarmenta families, and attorneys' fees and litigation expenses as itemized in the RTC Decision.
This Court affirmed and further ordered each appellant to pay additional indemnity of P700,000 to the heirs of Eileen Sarmenta and Allan Gomez.

State witnesses Aurelio Centeno and Vicencio Malabanan (co-conspirators-turned-state witnesses) testified to an organized abduction and subsequent rape and killings.
The sequence as testified: Medialdea and Centeno fetched Malabanan; they later picked up Ama, Luis, Rogelio (Boy), Kawit and Brion; Centeno drove an ambulance while others rode a Tamaraw van; the group located Eileen Sarmenta and Allan Gomez at UP Los Baños and forcibly abducted them.
The captives were brought to Erais Farm, owned by the Mayor; Eileen was gagged and taken to the Mayor’s room while Allan was violently beaten and later killed en route to Calauan.
Eileen was gang-raped in rapid succession by Luis, Medialdea, Boy, Ama, Brion and Kawit; Luis then shot her dead; Centeno was ordered to dispose of the body and the van with Eileen’s remains was left at Sitio Paputok, Km. 74, Barangay Mabacan.
The ambulance and some accused returned to Calauan; bodies were later conveyed to UP Los Baños and Calauan municipal hall where students and residents identified Eileen and Allan.

Centeno testified that the Mayor gave him P2,000 and advised silence or to go into hiding; Centeno hid until arrested by CIS on August 10, 1993.
Witnesses recounted cleaning of the Tamaraw van, recovery of an empty armalite shell at the Allan site, and efforts by some police officers to direct or suppress witness statements.
Several accused and witnesses alleged coercion, threats, physical abuse, and inducements by investigators and military officers to produce statements implicating the Mayor.

MAYOR ANTONIO L. SANCHEZ claimed alibi at his mistress Elvira’s residences in Bay and Calauan and denied giving Centeno money or ordering the abduction; he pointed to Kit Alqueza as an alternative suspect and coordinated with police investigations.
GEORGE MEDIALDEA, ZIOLO AMA, and VICENCIO MALABANAN claimed they were conducting police operations hunting a suspect named Tisoy and recounted being subjected to coercion and torture by investigators; Medialdea asserted Major Cano ordered the cleaning of the van.
LUIS and ROGELIO (Boy) CORCOLON denied active participation in the rape and alleged forced confessions and torture while detained at Camp Crame and CIS Canlubang.
BALDWIN BRION and PEPITO KAWIT denied presence or participation and recounted arrest without warrant, detention, and coercion to sign statements.

Forensic and medico-legal evidence adduced by the prosecution...(Subscriber-Only)

Whether the trial court erred in crediting the in-court testimony of Aurelio Centeno and Vicencio Malabanan despite alleged contradictions in earlier sworn statements and allegations of coercion.
Whether discrepancies between sworn statements and trial testimony fatally undermined the prosecution’s case.

Whether the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that each appellant committed seven counts of rape with homicide.
Whether forensic, ballistic, and medico-legal evidence sufficiently corroborated eyewitness identifications.

Whether the appellants’ alibi defenses, including those supported by immediate relatives or single witnesses, created reasonable doubt.
Whether appellants Ama, Brion and Kawit were properly held as conspirators and principal participants for acts committed in the course of a common design.

Whether pervasive media publicity deprived appellants of the right to an impar...(Subscriber-Only)