Case Summary (G.R. No. 167400)
Facts of the Case
Manuel and Nestor, along with Paquito Lu Andaliza, were employees of Clothman, where they were engaged in various roles related to the handling of materials. On October 16, 1989, during a routine inspection by Nixon Uy Lee, the Division Manager, it was discovered that a truck owned by Nestor was leaving the compound loaded with unauthorized finished materials, specifically fabric and yarn valued at ₱105,000.00, rather than the intended scrap materials it was supposed to contain. Nestor indicated that both Manuel and Paquito had convinced him to take the goods, intending to share the profits after their sale.
Charges Filed
Following the incident, Assistant Provincial Prosecutor Miguel C. Reyes filed an information for attempted qualified theft against the three individuals. They were accused of conspiring to steal by removing items from Clothman without consent. All three accused pleaded not guilty.
Regional Trial Court Decision
On July 17, 1991, the Regional Trial Court found Manuel and Paquito guilty of attempted qualified theft, sentencing them to an indeterminate imprisonment term of 10 to 20 years. Nestor was convicted of attempted theft and sentenced to an indeterminate term of 6 years as minimum to 15 years and 4 months as maximum. The court based its verdict on Mr. Lee’s statements, the inventory of truck content, and the testimonies of various witnesses, including a patrolman.
Court of Appeals Ruling
Petitioners Manuel and Nestor appealed their convictions. The Court of Appeals upheld the trial court’s findings against them but acquitted Paquito due to a lack of evidence linking him to the criminal acts. The Court emphasized the positive identification of Nestor by witnesses and deemed the gate pass issued to Manuel as indicative of his complicity.
Petition for Review
After their motion for reconsideration was denied, petitioners elevated the matter for review. They challenged the sufficiency of the evidence presented, questioning the credibility of the prosecution’s case against them.
Supreme Court Ruling
The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the petitioners, acquitting them based on insufficient evidence to establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The Court highlighted several factor
...continue readingCase Syllabus (G.R. No. 167400)
The Case
- The case involves an appeal via certiorari from the decision of the Court of Appeals which modified the ruling of the Regional Trial Court (RTC).
- The RTC had acquitted Paquito Lu Andaliza but upheld the convictions of petitioners Manuel Huang Chua and Nelson (Nestor) Daganon Go.
- Manuel Huang Chua was sentenced to an indeterminate imprisonment of ten (10) years of prision mayor, as minimum, to twenty (20) years of reclusion temporal, as maximum, for two (2) counts of attempted qualified theft.
- Nelson (Nestor) Daganon Go was sentenced to an indeterminate imprisonment of six (6) years of prision correccional, as minimum, to fifteen (15) years, four (4) months, and one (1) day of reclusion temporal, as maximum, for three (3) counts of attempted theft.
The Facts
- Both accused, Paquito Andaliza and petitioner Manuel Huang Chua, were employees of Clothman Knitting Corporation, while Nestor was a contractor/buyer of scrap materials.
- On October 16, 1989, a truck owned by Nestor was about to leave the Clothman compound, initially thought to contain only scrap materials.
- Upon inspection by Mr. Nixon Uy Lee, Division Manager of Clothman, the truck was found loaded with finished materials valued at P105,000.00, which were unauthorized for removal.
- Mr. Lee confronted Nestor, who claimed that Paquito and Manuel had persuaded him to take the goods, promising to share the proceeds after sale.
- During the investiga