Case Digest (G.R. No. 271526)
Facts:
People of the Philippines v. Martin Cook y Garth, G.R. No. 271526, November 11, 2025, Supreme Court Second Division, KHO, JR., J., writing for the Court.The criminal actions arose from three Informations filed against accused-appellant Martin Cook y Garth (Cook) and co-accused Jose Bobby Casas, Jr. y Roxas (Casas). The Informations charged Cook and Casas with qualified trafficking in persons (Crim. Case No. SC-23528); Cook with lascivious conduct (Crim. Case No. SC-23529); and Cook with rape by sexual assault (Crim. Case No. SC-23530). The charges alleged that between December 2018 and January 2019 Cook maintained and sexually exploited multiple minor boys at his residence, taking advantage of their vulnerability and giving money in exchange for sexual acts.
At arraignment both accused pleaded not guilty. During pre-trial the parties stipulated as to the RTC’s jurisdiction, the identities of the accused, and the minority of the four complainant-minors (AAA271526, BBB271526, CCC271526, DDD271526). The prosecution presented the four minors as witnesses, two NBI agents (Special Agent Ma. Rosalie S. Laguardia; Special Investigator III Mark Anthony G. Diaz), and a DSWD social worker (Argelyn Z. Davac). Testimony and surveillance by DSWD and the NBI recounted children being enticed to Cook’s house via Facebook with promises of food and money, sexual abuse occurring there, and an NBI/DSWD rescue-apprehension at Cook’s house on January 24, 2019.
The RTC, in a Joint Decision dated October 3, 2019, convicted Cook of qualified trafficking and sentenced him to 12 years and one day to 20 years reclusion temporal and a fine of PHP 2,000,000; it ordered moral and exemplary damages of PHP 100,000 and PHP 30,000 to each minor victim. The RTC dismissed the lascivious conduct and rape charges as superfluous and acquitted Casas for insufficient proof. The RTC applied Cook’s advanced age (he was born December 7, 1942) as a privileged mitigating circumstance and therefore imposed reclusion temporal rather than life imprisonment.
Cook appealed to the Court of Appeals. In its Decision dated March 31, 2022 (CA-G.R. CR No. 44309), the CA affirmed conviction but modified the penalties: it imposed life imprisonment and a PHP 2,000,000 fine, and increased moral and exemplary damages to PHP 500,000 and PHP 100,000 respectively for each minor, with 6% legal interest. Co...(Pro-only)
Issues:
- Is accused-appellant Martin Cook y Garth guilty beyond reasonable doubt of qualified trafficking in persons under the law applicable at the time of the of...(Pro-only)
Ruling:
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Ratio:
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Doctrine:
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