Case Digest (G.R. No. 48143)
Facts:
The People of the Philippines v. Pilus Subano, G.R. No. 48143, September 30, 1942, the Supreme Court, Moran, J., writing for the Court. The appeal is from the judgment of the Court of First Instance of Zamboanga.The plaintiff-appellee is the People of the Philippines; the defendant-appellant is Pilus Subano. No intervenors or amici are reported.
On July 9, 1940, Subano quarreled with his wife, Bankalot (also spelled Dankalot in the record), who, suffering a headache, refused to work in their kaingin. In anger he said it would be better if she were dead. The quarrel resumed the next morning when she again declined to accompany him to a creek of the Macasin River to fish; the defendant dragged her along. He returned that afternoon alone, appearing pale and restless. Relatives Ebol Subano (father of Bankalot) and Biwang Subano noticed bloodstains on the defendant’s bolo and scabbard; Subano asserted the blood came from a large fish, but brought no fish home and disclaimed knowledge of his wife's whereabouts.
After several days without the wife’s return, Ebol and Biwang searched and, four days later, found her dead in an isolated part of the Macasin River creek with a mortal wound in the back, a nearly decapitating wound at the neck, and several contusions. Lieutenant Olivares arrested the defendant at his hut after ordering him to drop his unsheathed bolo; Subano initially refused and was then taken into custody. When brought to the scene he would not look at or identify the corpse and showed no sign of grief. At trial the accused denied killing his wife.
The Court of First Instance of Zamboanga convicted Subano of parr...(Subscriber-Only)
Issues:
- Was the conviction of the accused supported beyond reasonable doubt by circumstantial evidence?
- Whether the killing constituted parricide or homicide given the marital status of the deceased under the M...(Subscriber-Only)
Ruling:
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Ratio:
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Doctrine:
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