Facts:

• Celerino Sanchez (Sanchez) is appealing the decision of the Court of Appeals affirming his conviction for the crime of Homicide but modifying the penalty imposed by the trial court.
• The case stems from an Information dated March 24, 1994, which charges Sanchez with the death of Felix Jamero (Jamero).
• Sanchez pleaded not guilty and the trial proceeded.
• The Regional Trial Court found Sanchez guilty of homicide and imposed a penalty of eight years and one day of prision mayor as minimum, to fifteen years of reclusion temporal as maximum, and ordered him to pay the heirs of the deceased victim P165,000.00 in damages.
• Sanchez appealed, arguing that he acted in self-defense and that the trial court erred in not ruling in his favor.
• The Court of Appeals affirmed Sanchez's conviction but decreased the penalty imposed due to the mitigating circumstance of voluntary surrender.

Issue:

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Ruling:

• The Court of Appeals affirmed Sanchez's conviction for homicide but decreased the penalty imposed.
• The Supreme Cour...(Unlock)

Ratio:

• Self-defense requires unlawful aggression on the part of the victim, reasonable necessity of the means employed by the accused to repel it, and lack of sufficient provocation on the part of the accused.
• The burden of proof that one acted in self-defense shifts to the appellant.
• In this case, Sanchez failed to prove the element of unlawful aggression.
• The eyewi...continue reading