Case Digest (G.R. No. 5325)
Facts:
The United States v. Amadeo Corral, G.R. No. 5325, March 03, 1910, the Supreme Court, Arellano, C.J., writing for the Court. The plaintiff-appellee was the United States (prosecution), and the defendant-appellant was Amadeo Corral.Corral kept Paz Ramos as his wife or seamstress. Ramos left his house and went to the Paco police station to complain that Corral had ill-treated her. Corral later found Ramos at the station; though they left together then, she subsequently departed Corral’s house again, allegedly taking a trunk and a diamond ring. Corral sought to have her arrested: he presented his card to a police sergeant, wrote to the justice of the peace of Corregidor inquiring about filing a complaint, and met the justice’s wife in Manila giving her his card and informing her of Ramos’s departure.
A mailed document (Exhibit A), purportedly from Captain Crame and signed “R. Zaragoza, Asst. Prosecuting-Attorney,” was received by the municipal president of Corregidor and handed to Ramos with the statement that Captain Crame wanted her arrested; the municipal president, relying on the paper, surrendered Ramos to Juan Mapa, who transported her to Manila and delivered the paper to a policeman. Corral encountered the policeman as the paper was being read, denounced it as forged, snatched it, and tore it into pieces; the fragments were reassembled and admitted in evidence.
The Court of First Instance of Manila convicted Corral of falsification and sentenced him to eight years and one day of prision mayor and a P250 fine, with costs. Corral appealed. The Attorney-General moved to affirm but requested that the...(Pro-only)
Issues:
- Did the acts of Amadeo Corral constitute falsification of an official document under the Penal Code (Articles 300(1) and 301)?
- If so, should the sentence imposed by the Court of First Instance be modified to presidio mayor with the accessory penalties under Article 57...(Pro-only)
Ruling:
- (Pro-only)
Ratio:
- (Pro-only)
Doctrine:
- (Pro-only)