Case Digest (G.R. No. 111771-77)
Facts:
- Antonio L. Sanchez, the Mayor of Calauan, Laguna, was accused of heinous crimes, including the rape and murder of Mary Eileen Sarmenta and the killing of Allan Gomez.
- On July 28, 1993, the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission requested charges against several individuals, including Sanchez.
- A preliminary investigation was conducted on August 9, 1993, with Sanchez represented by Atty. Marciano Brion, Jr.
- Sanchez received an "invitation" from PNP Commander Rex Piad to appear for investigation on August 12, 1993, and complied on August 13, 1993.
- During the investigation, two witnesses positively identified Sanchez, leading to his "arrest status."
- A warrant for Sanchez's arrest was issued on August 13, 1993, by Judge Enrico A. Lanzanas.
- On August 16, 1993, prosecutors filed seven informations against Sanchez and six others for the crimes.
- Due to concerns about a fair trial in Laguna, the case was transferred to Pasig and assigned to Judge Harriet Demetriou.
- Sanchez filed a motion to quash the informations, which was denied on September 13, 1993, prompting him to petition the Supreme Court.
Issue:
- (Unlock)
Ruling:
- The Supreme Court ruled that Sanchez was not denied the right to present evidence during the preliminary investigation.
- The Court held that the Department of Justice had concurrent jurisdiction to investigate the case alongside the Ombudsman.
- The Court found that while Sanchez's initial arrest was illegal, the Regional Trial Court acquired jurisdiction through a subsequent valid warrant.
- The Court ruled that the informations were valid as they charged separate offenses of rape with homicide.
- The Court dismissed the claim of discrimination, statin...(Unlock)
Ratio:
- The Supreme Court emphasized the right to a fair trial and the presumption of innocence, which Sanchez was entitled to despite public outcry.
- The Court clarified that Sanchez's counsel waived the right to present counter-affidavits, undermining his claim of denial of due process.
- Regarding jurisdiction, the Court noted that the Ombudsman and t...continue reading
Case Digest (G.R. No. 111771-77)
Facts:
The case involves Antonio L. Sanchez, the petitioner, who was the Mayor of Calauan, Laguna, accused of heinous crimes including the rape and murder of Mary Eileen Sarmenta and the killing of Allan Gomez. The events leading to the case began on July 28, 1993, when the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission requested the filing of charges against several individuals, including Sanchez, in connection with the aforementioned crimes. A preliminary investigation was conducted by the Panel of State Prosecutors on August 9, 1993, during which Sanchez was represented by his counsel, Atty. Marciano Brion, Jr. On August 12, 1993, Sanchez received an "invitation" from PNP Commander Rex Piad to appear for investigation at Camp Vicente Lim, which he complied with on August 13, 1993. During this investigation, Sanchez was positively identified by two witnesses, leading to his being placed on "arrest status." Following this, a warrant of arrest was issued against him on August 13, 1993, by Judge Enrico A. Lanzanas of the Regional Trial Court of Manila. Subsequently, on August 16, 1993, the prosecutors filed seven informations against Sanchez and six others for the rape and murder of Sarmenta. Due to concerns about a fair trial in Laguna, the venue was transferred to Pasig, where the case was assigned to Judge Harriet Demetriou. Sanchez filed a motion to quash the informations on various grounds, which was denied by the respondent judge on September 13, 1993. This led Sanchez to file a petition for certiorari and prohibition with the Supreme Court.
Issue:
- Was Sanchez denied the right to present evidence during the preliminary investigation?
- Did the Department of Justice have jurisdiction over the case instead of the Ombudsman?
- Was Sanchez's war...