Facts:

• Defendants, Wenceslao Dumaua et al., were accused of violating the Gambling Law (Act No. 1757) by playing the game of "teji" in the municipality of Naguilian, Province of Isabela, Philippine Islands.
• The complaint stated that the accused gambled with money in the house of Wenceslao Dumaua, who permitted the game to be played there.
• The defendants were arrested, tried, and found guilty.
• Wenceslao Dumaua was sentenced to pay a fine of P75, while the other defendants were sentenced to pay a fine of P35 each, with the possibility of subsidiary imprisonment in case of insolvency.

Issue:

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Ruling:

• The court affirmed the sentence of the lower court, finding the defendants guilty o...(Unlock)

Ratio:

1. The court found that the proof presented during the trial established beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendants were playing the game of "teji" at the specified time and place.

• The evidence presented during the trial proved that the defendants were indeed playing the game of "teji" in the house of Wenceslao Dumaua, as stated in the complaint.
• The court determined that the evidence was sufficient to establish the defendants' participation in the game.

2. The court determined that the game of "teji" is a game of chance based on the evidence presented.

• The game of "teji" involves spinning a top-like apparatus on a plate, and the outcome is determined by the Chinese character that appears on the top.
• There is no element of skill involved in playing the game, and the result is purely based on luc...continue reading