Case Digest (G.R. No. L-31401)
Facts:
The case involved People of the Philippines versus Pepito Villa, Anastacio Salcedo, Norberto Salcedo, and Ernesto Salcedo, arising from the killing of Juan Acosta in the early evening of June 28, 1968 at his residence in Barrio Buyon, Bacarra, Ilocos Norte. Two hours after midnight of the same day, elements of the 121st P.C. Company at Camp Juan, Laoag City, aided by civilians, apprehended the accused in front of their detachment in Badoc, Ilocos Norte, while the four were riding a bus bound for Manila, with Sinait, Ilocos Sur—where the accused allegedly came from—being southward along the same highway. Immediately after investigation, the P.C. Command in Ilocos Norte initiated three cases in the Municipal Court of Bacarra for robbery in band with homicide, usurpation of official function, and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, and Dominga Domingcil Acosta, the widow of the victim, initiated a rape case for Criminal Case No. 940. The firearm case was terminated after...Case Digest (G.R. No. L-31401)
Facts:
Juan Acosta was killed in Barrio Buyon, Municipality of Bacarra, Ilocos Norte, on June 28, 1968, and the spouses’ house was ransacked by four men allegedly posing as P.C. Rangers. The 121st P.C. Company apprehended accused Anastacio Salcedo, Pepito Villa, Norberto Salcedo, and Ernesto Salcedo around two hours after midnight in a Manila-bound bus at Badoc, Ilocos Norte, where items looted from the Acostas were recovered.The Municipal Court disposed of Criminal Case No. 942 (illegal possession of firearms and ammunition) by sentencing Norberto Salcedo after a guilty plea, while Criminal Cases 939, 941, and 940 were forwarded to the trial court; the rape case was dismissed and consolidated with the robbery case. The trial court convicted the accused in Criminal Case No. 5199-III for Robbery with Homicide, attended by the aggravating circumstance of rape, and acquitted them in Criminal Case No. 5201 (usurpation of official function) for insufficiency of evidence; the accused appealed.
Issues:
- Which of the conflicting versions of the prosecution and the defense as to how the crimes were committed is credible?
- Whether the accused’s extrajudicial confessions (Exhibits “A”, “B”, “C”, and “D”) were given voluntarily or were extracted by force and intimidation?
- Whether the accused were properly convicted of Robbery with Homicide, with the rape as an aggravating circumstance, and with the other aggravating circumstances alleged and proved.
Ruling:
- (Subscriber-Only)
Ratio:
- (Subscriber-Only)
Doctrine:
- (Subscriber-Only)