Case Digest (G.R. No. 9656)
Facts:
On January 22, 1913, a complaint was filed against defendants Enrique de Leon and Pedro de Leon, charging them with the crime of assassination. The complaint was filed in the court of justice of the peace of the municipality of San Antonio, Province of Zambales. After a preliminary examination, the justice of the peace found sufficient evidence to hold the defendants for trial before the Court of First Instance of Zambales. On March 17, 1913, the prosecuting attorney of Zambales filed a complaint in the Court of First Instance charging the defendants with the crime of assassination. The complaint alleged that on or about January 13, 1913, in the municipality of San Antonio, the defendants willfully, unlawfully, and criminally killed and murdered Robert A. Kubillus in his house, which was later burned with the corpse of the deceased. The defendants were brought to trial, and before the trial began, the prosecuting attorney moved to dismiss the complaint against Pedro de Leon due to insufficient evidence. The motion was granted, and Pedro de Leon was discharged. Enrique de Leon was tried and found guilty of assassination with the qualifying circumstance of alevosia and the aggravating circumstance of nocturnity. He was sentenced to death, ordered to indemnify the heirs of the deceased, and pay half of the costs. Enrique de Leon appealed the sentence to the Supreme Court.
Issue:
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Ruling:
The Supreme Court affirmed the sentence of the lower court, finding the defendant gui...(Unlock)
Ratio:
Courts are cautious in accepting extrajudicial confessions as evidence, especially when they are disputed, unless they are corroborated by other testimony. The admissibility of extrajudicial confession...continue reading
Case Digest (G.R. No. 9656)
Facts:
The case of U.S. v. De Leon involves the defendant, Enrique de Leon, who was charged with the crime of assassination for the murder of Robert A. Kubillus. The complaint was initially filed in the court of justice of the peace of the municipality of San Antonio, Province of Zambales, and a preliminary examination was conducted, which found sufficient evidence to hold the defendants for trial before the Court of First Instance. The prosecuting attorney then presented a complaint in the Court of First Instance charging the defendants with the crime of assassination. The defendant Pedro de Leon was later dismissed from the case due to insufficient evidence.
During the trial, it was established that the deceased, Robert A. Kubillus, was a surveyor who had been living with his wife in Manila. He had gone to the Province of Zambales for surveying purposes, accompanied by the defendant Enrique de Leon and his son Pedro de Leon. On the night of January 13, 1913, the house where Kubillus, Enrique de Leon, and Pedro de Leon were living was burned down, and charred remains were found in the ashes. A few days later, Enrique de Leon and his son appeared in Manila, where they were met by Kubillus' wife, Felisa Banal. Enrique de Leon confessed to Banal that he had killed Kubillus and described the manner in which he had done so. He also ...