Republic of the Philippines SUPREME COURT Manila FIRST DIVISION G.R. No.

88724 April 3, 1990 THE PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, plaintiff-appellee, vs. CEILITO ORITA alias "Lito," defendant-appellant. The Office of the Solicitor General for plaintiff-appellee. C. Manalo for defendant-appellant.

MEDIALDEA, J.: The accused, Ceilito Orita alias Lito, was charged with the crime of rape in Criminal Case No. 83-031-B before the Regional Trial Court, Branch II, Borongan, Eastern Samar. The information filed in the said case reads as follows (p. 47, Rollo): The undersigned Second Assistant Provincial Fiscal upon prior complaint under oath by the offended party, accuses CEILITO ORITA alias LITO of the crime of Rape committed as follows: That on March 20, 1983, at about 1:30 o'clock in the morning inside a boarding house at Victoria St., Poblacion, Borongan, Eastern Samar, Philippines, and within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, above named accused with lewd designs and by the use of a Batangas knife he conveniently provided himself for the purpose and with threats and intimidation, did, then and there wilfully, unlawfully and feloniously lay with and succeeded in having sexual intercourse with Cristina S. Abayan against her will and without her consent. CONTRARY TO LAW. Upon being arraigned, the accused entered the plea of not guilty to the offense charged. After the witnesses for the People testified and the exhibits were formally offered and admitted, the prosecution rested its case. Thereafter, the defense opted not to present any exculpatory evidence and instead filed a Motion to Dismiss. On August 5, 1985, the trial court rendered its decision, the dispositive portion of which reads (pp. 59-60, Rollo): WHEREFORE. the Court being morally certain of the guilt of accused CEILITO ORITA @ LITO, of the crime of Frustrated Rape (Art. 335, RPC), beyond reasonable doubt, with the aggravating circumstances of dwelling and nightime (sic) with no mitigating circumstance to offset the same, and considering the provisions of the Indeterminate Sentence Law, imposes on accused an imprisonment of TEN (10) YEARS and ONE (1) DAY, PRISION MAYOR, as minimum to TWELVE (12) YEARSPRISION MAYOR, maximum; to indemnify CRISTINA S. ABAYAN, the amount of Four Thousand (P4,000.00) Pesos, without subsidiary imprisonment in case of insolvency, and to pay costs. SO ORDERED.

Not satisfied with the decision, the accused appealed to the Court of Appeals. On December 29, 1988, the Court of Appeals rendered its decision, the dispositive portion of which reads (p. 102, Rollo): WHEREFORE, the trial court's judgment is hereby MODIFIED, and the appellant found guilty of the crime of rape, and consequently, sentenced to suffer imprisonment of reclusion perpetua and to indemnify the victim in the amount of P30,000.00. SO ORDERED. On January 11, 1989, the Court of Appeals issued a resolution setting aside its December 29, 1988 decision and forwarded the case to this Court, considering the provision of Section 9, paragraph 3 of Batas Pambansa Blg. 129 in conjunction with Section 17, paragraph 3, subparagraph 1 of the Judiciary Act of 1948. The antecedent facts as summarized in the People's brief are as follows (pp. 71-75, Rollo): Complainant Cristina S. Abayan was a 19-year old freshman student at the St. Joseph's College at Borongan, Eastern Samar. Appellant was a Philippine Constabulary (PC) soldier. In the early morning of March 20, 1983, complainant arrived at her boarding house. Her classmates had just brought her home from a party (p. 44, tsn, May 23, 1984). Shortly after her classmates had left, she knocked at the door of her boarding house (p. 5, ibid). All of a sudden, somebody held her and poked a knife to her neck. She then recognized appellant who was a frequent visitor of another boarder (pp. 89, ibid). She pleaded with him to release her, but he ordered her to go upstairs with him. Since the door which led to the first floor was locked from the inside, appellant forced complainant to use the back door leading to the second floor (p. 77, ibid). With his left arm wrapped around her neck and his right hand poking a "balisong" to her neck, appellant dragged complainant up the stairs (p. 14, ibid). When they reached the second floor, he commanded her to look for a room. With the Batangas knife still poked to her neck, they entered complainant's room. Upon entering the room, appellant pushed complainant who hit her head on the wall. With one hand holding the knife, appellant undressed himself. He then ordered complainant to take off her clothes. Scared, she took off her T-shirt. Then he pulled off her bra, pants and panty (p. 20, ibid). He ordered her to lie down on the floor and then mounted her. He made her hold his penis and insert it in her vagina. She followed his order as he continued to poke the knife to her. At said position, however, appellant could not fully penetrate her. Only a portion of his penis entered her as she kept on moving (p. 23, ibid). Appellant then lay down on his back and commanded her to mount him. In this position, only a small part again of his penis was inserted into her vagina. At this stage, appellant had both his hands flat on the floor. Complainant thought of escaping (p. 20, ibid). She dashed out to the next room and locked herself in. Appellant pursued her and climbed the partition. When she saw him inside the room, she ran to another room. Appellant again chased her. She fled to another room and jumped out through a window (p. 27, ibid). Still naked, she darted to the municipal building, which was about eighteen meters in front of the boarding house, and knocked on the door. When there was no answer, she ran around the building and knocked on the back door. When the policemen who were inside the building opened the door, they

found complainant naked sitting on the stairs crying. Pat. Donceras, the first policeman to see her, took off his jacket and wrapped it around her. When they discovered what happened, Pat. Donceras and two other policemen rushed to the boarding house. They heard a sound at the second floor and saw somebody running away. Due to darkness, they failed to apprehend appellant. Meanwhile, the policemen brought complainant to the Eastern Samar Provincial Hospital where she was physically examined. Dr. Ma. Luisa Abude, the resident physician who examined complainant, issued a Medical Certificate (Exhibit "A") which states: Physical Examination Patient is fairly built, came in with loose clothing with no underclothes; appears in state of shock, per unambulatory. PE Findings NeckPertinent Findings only.

Circumscribed hematoma at Ant. neck.

Breast Well developed, conical in shape with prominent nipples; linear abrasions below (L) breast. Back Multiple pinpoint marks. Abrasions at (R) and (L) knees.

Extremities

Vulva No visible abrasions or marks at the perineal area or over the vulva,errythematous (sic) areas noted surrounding vaginal orifice, tender, hymen intact; no laceration fresh and old noted; examining finger can barely enter and with difficulty; vaginal canal tight; no discharges noted. As aforementioned, the trial court convicted the accused of frustrated rape. In this appeal, the accused assigns the following errors: 1) The trial court erred in disregarding the substantial inconsistencies in the testimonies of the witnesses; and 2) The trial court erred in declaring that the crime of frustrated rape was committed by the accused. The accused assails the testimonies of the victim and Pat. Donceras because they "show remarkable and vital inconsistencies and its incredibility amounting to fabrication and therefore casted doubt to its candor, truth and validity." (p. 33, Rollo) A close scrutiny of the alleged inconsistencies revealed that they refer to trivial inconsistencies which are not sufficient to blur or cast doubt on the witnesses' straightforward attestations. Far from being badges of fabrication, the inconsistencies in their testimonies may in fact be justifiably considered as manifestations of truthfulness on material points. These little deviations also confirm that the witnesses had not been rehearsed. The most candid witnesses may make mistakes sometimes but such honest lapses do not necessarily impair their intrinsic credibility (People v. Cabato, G.R. No. L-37400, April 15, 1988, 160 SCRA 98). Rather than discredit the testimonies of the prosecution witnesses, discrepancies on minor details must be viewed as adding credence and veracity to such spontaneous testimonies (Aportadera et al. v. Court of Appeals, et al., G.R. No. L-41358, March 16, 1988, 158 SCRA 695). As a matter of fact, complete uniformity in details would

be a strong indication of untruthfulness and lack of spontaneity (People v. Bazar, G.R. No. L-41829, June 27, 1988, 162 SCRA 609). However, one of the alleged inconsistencies deserves a little discussion which is, the testimony of the victim that the accused asked her to hold and guide his penis in order to have carnal knowledge of her. According to the accused, this is strange because "this is the only case where an aggressor's advances is being helped-out by the victim in order that there will be a consumation of the act." (p. 34, Rollo). The allegation would have been meritorious had the testimony of the victim ended there. The victim testified further that the accused was holding a Batangas knife during the aggression. This is a material part of the victim's testimony which the accused conveniently deleted. We find no cogent reason to depart from the well-settled rule that the findings of fact of the trial court on the credibility of witnesses should be accorded the highest respect because it has the advantage of observing the demeanor of witnesses and can discern if a witness is telling the truth (People v. Samson, G.R. No. 55520, August 25, 1989). We quote with favor the trial court's finding regarding the testimony of the victim (p 56, Rollo): As correctly pointed out in the memorandum for the People, there is not much to be desired as to the sincerity of the offended party in her testimony before the court. Her answer to every question profounded (sic), under all circumstances, are plain and straightforward. To the Court she was a picture of supplication hungry and thirsty for the immediate vindication of the affront to her honor. It is inculcated into the mind of the Court that the accused had wronged her; had traversed illegally her honor. When a woman testifies that she has been raped, she says in effect all that is necessary to show that rape was committed provided her testimony is clear and free from contradiction and her sincerity and candor, free from suspicion (People v Alfonso, G.R. No. 72573, August 31, 1987, 153 SCRA 487; People v. Alcid, G.R. Nos. 66387-88, February 28, 1985, 135 SCRA 280; People v. Soterol G.R. No. 53498, December 16, 1985, 140 SCRA 400). The victim in this case did not only state that she was raped but she testified convincingly on how the rape was committed. The victim's testimony from the time she knocked on the door of the municipal building up to the time she was brought to the hospital was corroborated by Pat. Donceras. Interpreting the findings as indicated in the medical certificate, Dr. Reinerio Zamora (who was presented in view of the unavailability of Dr. Abude) declared that the abrasions in the left and right knees, linear abrasions below the left breast, multiple pinpoint marks, circumscribed hematoma at the anterior neck, erythematous area surrounding the vaginal orifice and tender vulva, are conclusive proof of struggle against force and violence exerted on the victim (pp. 52-53, Rollo). The trial court even inspected the boarding house and was fully satisfied that the narration of the scene of the incident and the conditions therein is true (p. 54, Rollo): . . . The staircase leading to the first floor is in such a condition safe enough to carry the weight of both accused and offended party without the slightest difficulty, even in the manner as narrated. The partitions of every room were of strong materials, securedly nailed, and would not give way even by hastily scaling the same. A little insight into human nature is of utmost value in judging rape complaints (People v. Torio, et al., G.R. No. L-48731, December 21, 1983, 126 SCRA 265). Thus, the trial court added (p. 55, Rollo): . . . And the jump executed by the offended party from that balcony (opening) to the ground which was correctly estimated to be less than eight (8) meters, will perhaps occasion no injury to a frightened individual being pursued. Common experience will tell us that in occasion of conflagration especially occuring (sic) in high buildings, many have been saved by jumping from some considerable heights without being injured. How much more for a frightened barrio girl, like the offended party to whom honor appears to be more valuable than her life or limbs? Besides, the exposure of her private parts when she sought assistance from authorities, as corroborated, is enough indication that something not ordinary happened to her unless she is mentally deranged. Sadly, nothing was adduced to show that she was out of her mind. In a similar case (People v. Sambili G.R. No. L-44408, September 30, 1982, 117 SCRA 312), We ruled that:

What particularly imprints the badge of truth on her story is her having been rendered entirely naked by appellant and that even in her nudity, she had to run away from the latter and managed to gain sanctuary in a house owned by spouses hardly known to her. All these acts she would not have done nor would these facts have occurred unless she was sexually assaulted in the manner she narrated. The accused questions also the failure of the prosecution to present other witnesses to corroborate the allegations in the complaint and the non-presentation of the medico-legal officer who actually examined the victim. Suffice it to say that it is up to the prosecution to determine who should be presented as witnesses on the basis of its own assessment of their necessity (Tugbang v. Court of Appeals, et al., G.R. No. 56679, June 29, 1989; People v. Somera, G.R. No. 65589, May 31, 1989). As for the non-presentation of the medico-legal officer who actually examined the victim, the trial court stated that it was by agreement of the parties that another physician testified inasmuch as the medico-legal officer was no longer available. The accused did not bother to contradict this statement. Summing up, the arguments raised by the accused as regards the first assignment of error fall flat on its face. Some were not even substantiated and do not, therefore, merit consideration. We are convinced that the accused is guilty of rape. However, We believe the subject matter that really calls for discussion, is whether or not the accused's conviction for frustrated rape is proper. The trial court was of the belief that there is no conclusive evidence of penetration of the genital organ of the victim and thus convicted the accused of frustrated rape only. The accused contends that there is no crime of frustrated rape. The Solicitor General shares the same view. Article 335 of the Revised Penal Code defines and enumerates the elements of the crime of rape: Art. 335. When and how rape is committed. under any of the following circumstances: 1. By using force or intimidation; 2. When the woman is deprived of reason or otherwise unconscious and 3. When the woman is under twelve years of age, even though neither of the circumstances mentioned in the two next preceding paragraphs shall be present. xxx xxx xxx Carnal knowledge is defined as the act of a man in having sexual bodily connections with a woman (Black's Law Dictionary. Fifth Edition, p. 193). On the other hand, Article 6 of the same Code provides: Art. 6. Consummated, frustrated, and attempted felonies. which are frustrated and attempted, are punishable. Consummated felonies as well as those Rape is committed by having carnal knowledge of a woman

A felony is consummated when all the elements necessary for its execution and accomplishment are present; and it is frustrated when the offender performs all the acts of execution which would produce the felony as a consequence but which, nevertheless, do not produce it by reason of causes independent of the will of the perpetrator. There is an attempt when the offender commences the commission of a felony directly by overt acts, and does not perform all the acts of execution which should produce the felony by reason of some cause or accident other than his own spontaneous desistance.

Correlating these two provisions, there is no debate that the attempted and consummated stages apply to the crime of rape. Our concern now is whether or not the frustrated stage applies to the crime of rape. The requisites of a frustrated felony are: (1) that the offender has performed all the acts of execution which would produce the felony and (2) that the felony is not produced due to causes independent of the perpetrator's will. In the leading case of United States v. Eduave, 36 Phil. 209, 212, Justice Moreland set a distinction between attempted and frustrated felonies which is readily understood even by law students: . . . A crime cannot be held to be attempted unless the offender, after beginning the commission of the crime by overt acts, is prevented, against his will, by some outside cause from performing all of the acts which should produce the crime. In other words, to be an attempted crime the purpose of the offender must be thwarted by a foreign force or agency which intervenes and compels him to stop prior to the moment when he has performed all of the acts which should produce the crime as a consequence, which acts it is his intention to perform. If he has performed all of the acts which should result in the consummation of the crime and voluntarily desists from proceeding further, it can not be an attempt. The essential element which distinguishes attempted from frustrated felony is that, in the latter, there is no intervention of a foreign or extraneous cause or agency between the beginning of the commission of the crime and the moment when all of the acts have been performed which should result in the consummated crime; while in the former there is such intervention and the offender does not arrive at the point of performing all of the acts which should produce the crime. He is stopped short of that point by some cause apart from his voluntary desistance. Clearly, in the crime of rape, from the moment the offender has carnal knowledge of his victim he actually attains his purpose and, from that moment also all the essential elements of the offense have been accomplished.Nothing more is left to be done by the offender, because he has performed the last act necessary to produce the crime. Thus, the felony is consummated. In a long line of cases (People v. Oscar, 48 Phil. 527; People v. Hernandez, 49 Phil. 980; People v. Royeras, G.R. No. L-31886, April 29, 1974, 56 SCRA 666; People v. Amores, G.R. No. L-32996, August 21, 1974, 58 SCRA 505), We have set the uniform rule that for the consummation of rape, perfect penetration is not essential. Any penetration of the female organ by the male organ is sufficient. Entry of the labia or lips of the female organ, without rupture of the hymen or laceration of the vagina is sufficient to warrant conviction. Necessarily, rape is attempted if there is no penetration of the female organ (People v. Tayaba, 62 Phil. 559 People v. Rabadan et al., 53 Phil. 694; United States v. Garcia: 9 Phil. 434) because not all acts of execution was performed. The offender merely commenced the commission of a felony directly by overt acts. Taking into account the nature, elements and manner of execution of the crime of rape and jurisprudence on the matter, it is hardly conceivable how the frustrated stage in rape can ever be committed. Of course, We are aware of our earlier pronouncement in the case of People v. Eria 50 Phil. 998 [1927] where We found the offender guilty of frustrated rape there being no conclusive evidence of penetration of the genital organ of the offended party. However, it appears that this is a "stray" decision inasmuch as it has not been reiterated in Our subsequent decisions. Likewise, We are aware of Article 335 of the Revised Penal Code, as amended by Republic Act No. 2632 (dated September 12, 1960) and Republic Act No. 4111 (dated March 29, 1965) which provides, in its penultimate paragraph, for the penalty of death when the rape is attempted orfrustrated and a homicide is committed by reason or on the occasion thereof. We are of the opinion that this particular provision on frustrated rape is a dead provision. The Eria case, supra, might have prompted the law-making body to include the crime of frustrated rape in the amendments introduced by said laws. In concluding that there is no conclusive evidence of penetration of the genital organ of the victim, the trial court relied on the testimony of Dr. Zamora when he "categorically declared that the findings in the vulva does not give a concrete disclosure of penetration. As a matter of fact, he tossed back to the offended party the answer as to whether or not there actually was penetration." (p. 53, Rollo) Furthermore, the trial court stated (p. 57, Rollo): . . . It cannot be insensible to the findings in the medical certificate (Exhibit "A") as interpreted by Dr. Reinerio Zamora and the equivocal declaration of the latter of uncertainty whether there was penetration

or not. It is true, and the Court is not oblivious, that conviction for rape could proceed from the uncorroborated testimony of the offended party and that a medical certificate is not necessary (People v. Royeras People v. Orteza, 6 SCRA 109, 113). But the citations the people relied upon cannot be applicable to the instant case. The testimony of the offended party is at variance with the medical certificate. As such, a very disturbing doubt has surfaced in the mind of the court. It should be stressed that in cases of rape where there is a positive testimony and a medical certificate, both should in all respect, compliment each other, for otherwise to rely on the testimony alone in utter disregard of the manifest variance in the medical certificate, would be productive of mischievous results. The alleged variance between the testimony of the victim and the medical certificate does not exist. On the contrary, it is stated in the medical certificate that the vulva was erythematous (which means marked by abnormal redness of the skin due to capillary congestion, as in inflammation) and tender. It bears emphasis that Dr. Zamoradid not rule out penetration of the genital organ of the victim. He merely testified that there was uncertainty whether or not there was penetration. Anent this testimony, the victim positively testified that there was penetration, even if only partially (pp. 302, 304, t.s.n., May 23, 1984): Q Was the penis inserted on your vagina? A It entered but only a portion of it. xxx xxx xxx Q What do you mean when you said comply, or what act do you referred (sic) to, when you said comply? A I inserted his penis into my vagina. Q And was it inserted? A Yes only a little. The fact is that in a prosecution for rape, the accused may be convicted even on the sole basis of the victim's testimony if credible (People v. Tabago, G.R. No. 69778, November 8, 1988, 167 SCRA 65; People v. Aragona, G.R. No. L-43752, September 19, 1985, 138 SCRA 569; People v. Taduyo, G.R. Nos. L-37928-29, September 29, 1987, 154 SCRA 349). Moreover, Dr. Zamora's testimony is merely corroborative and is not an indispensable element in the prosecution of this case (People v. Alfonso, supra). Although the second assignment of error is meritorious, it will not tilt the scale in favor of the accused because after a thorough review of the records, We find the evidence sufficient to prove his guilt beyond reasonable doubt of the crime of consummated rape. Article 335, paragraph 3, of the Revised Penal Code provides that whenever the crime of rape is committed with the use of a deadly weapon, the penalty shall be reclusion perpetua to death. The trial court appreciated the aggravating circumstances of dwelling and nighttime. Thus, the proper imposable penalty is death. In view, however, of Article 111, Section 19(1) of the 1987 Constitution and Our ruling in People v. Millora, et al., G.R. Nos. L-38968-70, February 9, 1989, that the cited Constitutional provision did not declare the abolition of the death penalty but merely prohibits the imposition of the death penalty, the Court has since February 2, 1987 not imposed the death penalty whenever it was called for under the Revised Penal Code but instead reduced the same to reclusion perpetua (People v. Solis, et al., G.R. Nos. 78732-33, February 14, 1990). Reclusion perpetua, being a single indivisible penalty under Article 335, paragraph 3, is imposed regardless of any mitigating or aggravating circumstances (in relation to Article 63, paragraph 1, Revised Penal

Code; see People v. Arizala, G.R. No. 59713, March 15, 1982, 112 SCRA 615; People v. Manzano, G.R. No. L38449, November 25, 1982, 118 SCRA 705; People v. Ramirez, G.R. No. 70744, May 31, 1985, 136 SCRA 702). ACCORDINGLY, the decision of the Regional Trial Court is hereby MODIFIED. The accused Ceilito Orita is hereby found guilty beyond reasonable doubt of the crime of rape and sentenced to reclusion perpetua as well as to indemnify the victim in the amount of P30,000.00. SO ORDERED. Narvasa, Cruz, Gancayco and Grio-Aquino, JJ., concur.

Republic of the Philippines SUPREME COURT Manila SECOND DIVISION G.R. No. 138033 February 22, 2006

RENATO BALEROS, JR., Petitioner, vs. PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Respondent. DECISION GARCIA, J.: In this petition for review on certiorari, petitioner Renato Baleros, Jr. assails and seeks the reversal of the January 13, 1999 decision1 of the Court of Appeals (CA) in CA-G.R. CR No. 17271 as reiterated in its March 31, 1999 resolution2 denying petitioner s motion for reconsideration. The assailed decision affirmed an earlier decision of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Manila, Branch 2, in Criminal Case No. 91-101642 finding petitioner Renato Baleros, Jr. y David (CHITO) guilty of attempted rape.3 The accusatory portion of the information dated December 17, 1991 charging petitioner with attempted rape reads as follow: That about 1:50 in the morning or sometime thereafter of 13 December 1991 in Manila and within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, the above-named accused, by forcefully covering the face of Martina Lourdes T. Albano with a piece of cloth soaked in chemical with dizzying effects, did then and there willfully, unlawfully and feloniously commenced the commission of rape by lying on top of her with the intention to have carnal knowledge with her but was unable to perform all the acts of execution by reason of some cause or accident other than his own spontaneous desistance, said acts being committed against her will and consent to her damage and prejudice. Upon arraignment on February 5, 1992, petitioner, assisted by counsel, pleaded "Not Guilty." Thereafter, trial on the merits ensued. To prove its case, the prosecution presented thirteen (13) witnesses. Among them were private complainant Martina Lourdes Albano (Malou), and her classmates, Joseph Bernard Africa, Rommel Montes, Renato Alagadan and Christian Alcala. Their testimonies, as narrated in some detail in the decision of the CA, established the following facts: Like most of the tenants of the Celestial Marie Building (hereafter "Building", ) along A.H. Lacson Street, Sampaloc, Manila, MALOU, occupying Room 307 with her maid, Marvilou Bebania (Marvilou), was a medical student of the University of Sto. Tomas [UST] in 1991. In the evening of December 12, inside Unit 307, MALOU retired at around 10:30. Outside, right in front of her bedroom door, her maid, Marvilou, slept on a folding bed. Early morning of the following day, MALOU was awakened by the smell of chemical on a piece of cloth pressed on her face. She struggled but could not move. Somebody was pinning her down on the bed, holding her tightly. She wanted to scream for help but the hands covering her mouth with cloth wet with chemicals were very tight (TSN, July 5, 1993, p. 33). Still,
5 4

MALOU continued fighting off her attacker by kicking him until at last her right hand got free. With this the opportunity presented itself when she was able to grab hold of his sex organ which she then squeezed. The man let her go and MALOU went straight to the bedroom door and roused Marvilou. xxx. Over the intercom, MALOU told S/G Ferolin that: "may pumasok sa kuarto ko pinagtangkaan ako" (Ibid., p. 8). Who it was she did not, however, know. The only thing she had made out during their struggle was the feel of her attacker s clothes and weight. His upper garment was of cotton material while that at the lower portion felt smooth and satin-like (Ibid, p. 17). He was wearing a t-shirt and shorts Original Records, p. 355). To Room 310 of the Building where her classmates Christian Alcala, Bernard Baptista, Lutgardo Acosta and Rommel Montes were staying, MALOU then proceeded to seek help. xxx. It was then when MALOU saw her bed topsy-turvy. Her nightdress was stained with blue (TSN, July 5, 1993, pp. 13-14). Aside from the window with grills which she had originally left opened, another window inside her bedroom was now open. Her attacker had fled from her room going through the left bedroom window (Ibid, Answers to Question number 5; Id), the one without iron grills which leads to Room 306 of the Building (TSN, July 5, 1993, p.6). xxx xxx xxx Further, MALOU testified that her relation with CHITO, who was her classmate , was friendly until a week prior to the attack. CHITO confided his feelings for her, telling her: "Gusto kita, mahal kita" (TSN, July 5, 1993, p. 22) and she rejected him. . (TSN, July 5, 1993, p. 22). Meanwhile, according to S/G Ferolin, while he was on duty, CHITO arrived at the Building at 1:30 in the early morning of December 13, 1991, wearing a white t-shirt with a marking on the front of the T-shirt T M and a Greek letter (sic) and below the quoted letters the word 1946 UST Medicine and Surgery (TSN, October 9, 1992, p. 9) and black shorts with the brand name Adidas (TSN, October 16, 1992, p.7) and requested permission to go up to Room 306. This Unit was being leased by Ansbert Co and at that time when CHITO was asking permission to enter, only Joseph Bernard Africa was in the room. He asked CHITO to produce the required written authorization and when CHITO could not, S/G Ferolin initially refused [but later, relented] . S/G Ferolin made the following entry in the security guard s logbook : "0130H Baleros Renato Jr. is a visitor of Ansbert Co who has not have (sic) a Request letter from our tenant of Unit #-306 Ansbert, but still I let him inter (sic) for the reason that he will be our tenant this coming summer break as he said so I let him sign it here (Sgd.) Baleros Renato Jr." (Exhibit "A-2") That CHITO arrived at Room 306 at 1:30 A.M. of December 13, 1991 was corroborated by Joseph Bernard Africa (Joseph), . xxx xxx xxx Joseph was already inside Room 306 at 9 o clock in the evening of December 12, 1991. xxx by the time CHITO s knocking on the door woke him up, . He was able to fix the time of CHITO s arrival at 1:30 A.M. because he glanced at the alarm clock beside the bed when he was awakened by the knock at the door .

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Joseph noticed that CHITO was wearing dark-colored shorts and white T-shirt (Ibid., p. 23) when he let the latter in. . It was at around 3 o clock in the morning of December 13, 1991 when he woke up again later to the sound of knocking at the door, this time, by Bernard Baptista (Bernard), . xxx. With Bernard, Joseph then went to MALOU s room and thereat was shown by Bernard the open window through which the intruder supposedly passed. xxx xxx xxx Later, at about 6 to 6:30 in the morning of December 13, 1991, Joseph was finally able to talk to CHITO . He mentioned to the latter that something had happened and that they were not being allowed to get out of the building. Joseph also told CHITO to follow him to Room 310. CHITO did just that. He followed after Joseph to Unit 310, carrying his gray bag. xxx. None was in Room 310 so Joseph went to their yet another classmate, Renato Alagadan at Room 401 to see if the others were there. xxx. People from the CIS came by before 8 o clock that same morning . They likewise invited CHITO and Joseph to go with them to Camp Crame where the two (2) were questioned . An occupant of Room 310 Christian Alcala (Christian) recalled in Court that in the afternoon of December 13, 1991, after their 3:30 class, he and his roommates, Bernard Baptista and Lutgardo Acosta (Gary) were called to the Building and were asked by the CIS people to look for anything not belonging to them in their Unit. While they were outside Room 310 talking with the authorities, Rommel Montes (Loyloy), another roommate of his, went inside to search the Unit. Loyloy found (TSN, January 12, 1993, p. 6) a gray "Khumbella" bag cloth type (Ibid, pp. 44-45) from inside their unit which they did not know was there and surrender the same to the investigators. When he saw the gray bag, Christian knew right away that it belonged to CHITO (Ibid, p. 55) as he had seen the latter usually bringing it to school inside the classroom (Ibid, p. 45). In their presence, the CIS opened the bag and pulled out its contents, among others, a white t-shirt with a Taunu (sic) Sigma Phi sign (Ibid, p. 7), a Black Adidas short pants, a handkerchief , three (3) white T-shirts, an underwear, and socks (Ibid). Christian recognized the t-shirt (Exhibit "D-4"), the Adidas short pants (Exhibit "D-5"), and the handkerchief (Exhibit "D-3) to be CHITO s because CHITO had lent the very same one to him . The t-shirt with CHITO s fraternity symbol, CHITO used to wear on weekends, and the handkerchief he saw CHITO used at least once in December. That CHITO left his bag inside Room 310 in the morning of December 13, 1991, was what consisted mainly of Renato R. Alagadan s testimony. xxx xxx xxx. The colored gray bag had a handle and a strap, was elongated to about 11/4 feet and appeared to be full but was closed with a zipper when Renato saw it then (Ibid, pp. 19-20). At that time Christian, Gary, Bernard, and Renato went back to Room 310 at around 3 to 4 o clock that afternoon along with some CIS agents, they saw the bag at the same place inside the bedroom where Renato had seen CHITO leave it. Not until later that night at past 9 o clock in Camp Crame, however, did Renato know what the contents of the bag were. xxx xxx xxx. The forensic Chemist, Leslie Chambers, of the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory in Camp Crame, having acted in response to the written request of PNP Superintendent Lucas M. Managuelod dated December 13, 1991, (Exhibit "C"; Original Records, p. 109.) conducted laboratory examination on the specimen collated and submitted . Her Chemistry Report No. C-487-91 (Exhibit "E"; Ibid., p. 112) reads in part, thus:

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"SPECIMEN SUBMITTED: xxx xxx xxx: 1) One (1) small white plastic bag marked UNIMART with the following: xxx xxx xxx Exh C One (1) night dress colored salmon pink.

2) One (1) small white pl astic bag marked JONAS with the following: Exh. D Exh. E Exh. F One (1) printed handkerchief. One (1) white T-shirt marked TMZI . One (1) black short (sic) marked ADIDAS .

PURPOSE OF LABORATORY EXAMINATION: To determine the presence of volatime (sic), non-volatile and/or metallic poison on the above stated specimens. FINDINGS: Toxicological examination conducted on the above stated specimens gave the following results: Exhs. C and D POSITIVE to the test for chloroform, a volatile poison.

Exhs. A , B , E and F are insufficient for further analysis. CONCLUSION: Exhs. C and D contain chloroform, a volatile poison." (Words in bracket added) For its part, the defense presented, as its main witness, the petitioner himself. He denied committing the crime imputed to him or making at any time amorous advances on Malou. Unfolding a different version of the incident, the defense sought to establish the following, as culled from the same decision of the appellate court: In December of 1991, CHITO was a medical student of (UST). With Robert Chan and Alberto Leonardo, he was likewise a member of the Tau Sigma Phi Fraternity . MALOU, , was known to him being also a medical student at the UST at the time. From Room 306 of the Celestial Marie Building , CHITO, wearing the prescribed barong tagalog over dark pants and leather shoes, arrived at their Fraternity house located at Dos Castillas, Sampaloc, Manila at about 7 o clock in the evening of December 12, 1991. He was included in the entourage of some fifty (50) fraternity members scheduled for a Christmas gathering at the house of their senior fraternity brother, Dr. Jose Duran, at No. 3 John Street, North Greenhills, San Juan. xxx. The party was conducted at the garden beside [the] swimming pool . Soon after, the Fraternity, CHITO included, were being dunked one by one into the pool. xxx. the four (4) presidential nominees of
6

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xxx CHITO had anticipated his turn and was thus wearing his t-shirt and long pants when he was dunked. Perla Duran, , offered each dry clothes to change into and CHITO put on the white t-shirt with the Fraternity s symbol and a pair of black shorts with stripes. xxx . Again riding on Alberto s car and wearing "barong tagalog over a white t-shirt with the symbol TAU Sigma Phi, black short pants with stripe, socks and shoes" (TSN, April 25, 1994, p. 15), CHITO left the party with Robert Chan and Alberto at more or less past 1 A.M. of December 13, 1991 and proceeded to the Building which they reached at about 1:30 A.M. (Ibid., p. 19). He had left his gray traveling bag containing "white t-shirt, sando, underwear, socks, and toothbrush (Ibid., pp. 17-18) at room 306 in the afternoon of the previous day . At the gate of the Building, CHITO knocked and , S/G Ferolin, looking at his watch, approached. Because of this, CHITO also looked at his own watch and saw that the time was 1:30 (Ibid., p. 26). S/G Ferolin initially refused CHITO entry . xxx. S/G Ferolin called Unit 306 . xxx. When S/G Ferolin finally let him in, already about ten (10) minutes had lapsed since CHITO first arrived (Ibid., p. 25). CHITO went up the floor, found the key left for him by Joseph behind the opened jalousie window and for five (5) minutes vainly tried to open the door until Rommel Montes, approached him and even commented: "Okey ang suot mo ha, di mo mabuksan ang pinto (Ibid., pp. 26-29). Rommel tried to open the door of Unit 306 but was likewise unsuccessful. CHITO then decided to just call out to Joseph while knocking at the door. It took another (5) minutes of calling out and knocking before Joseph, , at last answered the door. Telling him, "Ikaw na ang bahala diyan" Joseph immediately turned his back on CHITO and went inside the bedroom. CHITO , changed to a thinner shirt and went to bed. He still had on the same short pants given by Perla Duran from the fraternity party (TSN, June 16, 1994, p. 20). At 6 o clock in the morning of December 13, 1991, CHITO woke up . He was already in his school uniform when, around 6:30 A.M, Joseph came to the room not yet dressed up. He asked the latter why this was so and, without elaborating on it, Joseph told him that something had happened and to just go to Room 310 which CHITO did. At Room 310, CHITO was told by Rommel Montes that somebody, whom MALOU was not able to identify, went to the room of MALOU and tried to rape her (TSN, April 25, 1994, p. 36). xxx. Joseph told him that the security guard was not letting anybody out of the Building . When two (2) CIS men came to the unit asking for Renato Baleros, CHITO presented himself. Congressman Rodolfo B. Albano, father of MALOU, then asked him for the key to Room 306 . xxx xxx xxx The CIS men looked inside the bedroom and on the windows. Joseph was told to dress up and the two (2) of them, CHITO and Joseph, were brought to Camp Crame. When they arrived at Camp Crame , Col. Managuelod asked Joseph inside his room and talked to him for 30 minutes. xxx. No one interviewed CHITO to ask his side. xxx xxx xxx Both CHITO and Joseph were taken to Prosecutor Abesamis who later instructed them to undergo physical examination at the Camp Crame Hospital .. At the hospital, CHITO and Joseph were physically examined by a certain Dr. de Guzman who told them to strip .

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xxx xxx xxx CHITO had left his gray bag containing, among others, the black striped short pants lent to him by Perla Duran (Exhibit "8A", Original Records, p. 345), inside Room 310 at more/less 6:30 to 7 o clock in the morning of December 13, 1991. The next time that he saw it was between 8 to 9 P.M. when he and Joseph were brought before Fiscal Abesamis for inquest. One of the CIS agents had taken it there and it was not opened up in his presence but the contents of the bag were already laid out on the table of Fiscal Abesamis who, however, made no effort to ask CHITO if the items thereat were his. The black Adidas short pants purportedly found in the bag, CHITO denied putting in his gray bag which he had left at Room 306 in the early evening of December 12, 1991 before going to the fraternity house. He likewise disavowed placing said black Adidas short pants in his gray bag when he returned to the apartment at past 1:00 o clock in the early morning of December 13, 1991 (TSN, June 16, 1994, p. 24), nor when he dressed up at about 6 o clock in the morning to go to school and brought his gray bag to Room 310 (Ibid. 25). In fact, at any time on December 13, 1991, he was not aware that his gray bag ever contained any black short Adidas pants (Ibid). He only found out for the first time that the black Adidas short pants was alluded to be among the items inside his gray bag late in the afternoon, when he was in Camp Crame. Also taking the witness stand for the defense were petitioner s fraternity brothers, Alberto Leonardo and Robert Chan, who both testified being with CHITO in the December 12, 1991 party held in Dr. Duran s place at Greenhills, riding on the same car going to and coming from the party and dropping the petitioner off the Celestial Marie building after the party. Both were one in saying that CHITO was wearing a barong tagalog, with t-shirt inside, with short pants and leather shoes at the 7 time they parted after the party. Rommel Montes, a tenant of Room 310 of the said building, also testified seeing CHITO between the hours of 1:30 and 2:00 A.M. of December 13, 1991 trying to open the door of Room 306 while clad in dark short pants and white barong tagalog. On the other hand, Perla Duran confirmed lending the petitioner the pair of short pants with stripes after the dunking party held in her father s house.8 Presented as defense expert witness was Carmelita Vargas, a forensic chemistry instructor whose actual demonstration in open court showed that chloroform, being volatile, evaporates in thirty (30) seconds without tearing nor staining the cloth on which it is applied.9 On December 14, 1994, the trial court rendered its decision10 convicting petitioner of attempted rape and accordingly sentencing him, thus: WHEREFORE, under cool reflection and prescinding from the foregoing, the Court finds the accused Renato D. Baleros, Jr., alias "Chito", guilty beyond reasonable doubt of the crime of attempted rape as principal and as charged in the information and hereby sentences him to suffer an imprisonment ranging from FOUR (4) YEARS, TWO (2) MONTHS AND ONE (1) DAY of Prision Correctional, as Minimum to TEN (10) YEARS of Prision Mayor as Maximum, with all the accessory penalties provided by law, and for the accused to pay the offended party Martina Lourdes T. Albano, the sum of P50,000.00 by way of Moral and exemplary damages, plus reasonable Attorney s fees of P30,000.00, without subsidiary imprisonment in case of insolvency, and to pay the costs. SO ORDERED. Aggrieved, petitioner went to the CA whereat his appellate recourse was docketed as CA-G.R. CR No. 17271. As stated at the threshold hereof, the CA, in its assailed Decision dated January 13, 1999, affirmed the trial court s judgment of conviction, to wit: WHEREFORE, finding no basis in fact and in law to deviate from the findings of the court a quo, the decision appealed from is hereby AFFIRMED in toto. Costs against appellant. SO ORDERED.11

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Petitioner moved for reconsideration, but his motion was denied by the CA in its equally assailed resolution of March 31, 12 1999. Petitioner is now with this Court, on the contention that the CA erred 1. In not finding that it is improbable for petitioner to have committed the attempted rape imputed to him, absent sufficient, competent and convincing evidence to prove the offense charged. 2. In convicting petitioner of attempted rape on the basis merely of circumstantial evidence since the prosecution failed to satisfy all the requisites for conviction based thereon. 3. In not finding that the circumstances it relied on to convict the petitioner are unreliable, inconclusive and contradictory. 4. In not finding that proof of motive is miserably wanting in his case. 5. In awarding damages in favor of the complainant despite the fact that the award was improper and unjustified absent any evidence to prove the same. 6. In failing to appreciate in his favor the constitutional presumption of innocence and that moral certainty has not been met, hence, he should be acquitted on the ground that the offense charged against him has not been proved beyond reasonable doubt. Otherwise stated, the basic issue in this case turns on the question on whether or not the CA erred in affirming the ruling of the RTC finding petitioner guilty beyond reasonable doubt of the crime of attempted rape. After a careful review of the facts and evidence on record in the light of applicable jurisprudence, the Court is disposed to rule for petitioner s acquittal, but not necessarily because there is no direct evidence pointing to him as the intruder holding a chemical-soaked cloth who pinned Malou down on the bed in the early morning of December 13, 1991. Positive identification pertains essentially to proof of identity and not per se to that of being an eyewitness to the very act of commission of the crime. There are two types of positive identification. A witness may identify a suspect or accused as the offender as an eyewitness to the very act of the commission of the crime. This constitutes direct evidence. There may, however, be instances where, although a witness may not have actually witnessed the very act of commission of a crime, he may still be able to positively identify a suspect or accused as the perpetrator of a crime as when, for instance, the latter is the person or one of the persons last seen with the victim immediately before and right after the commission of the crime. This is the second type of positive identification, which forms part of circumstantial evidence.13 In the absence of direct evidence, the prosecution may resort to adducing circumstantial evidence to discharge its burden. Crimes are usually committed in secret and under condition where concealment is highly probable. If direct evidence is insisted under all circumstances, the prosecution of vicious felons who committed heinous crimes in secret or secluded places will be hard, if 14 not well-nigh impossible, to prove. Section 4 of Rule 133 of the Rules of Court provides the conditions when circumstantial evidence may be sufficient for conviction. The provision reads: Sec. 4. Circumstantial evidence, when sufficient Circumstantial evidence is sufficient for conviction if a) There is more than one circumstance; b) The facts from which the inferences are derived are proven; and

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c) The combination of all the circumstances is such as to produce a conviction beyond reasonable doubt. In the present case, the positive identification of the petitioner forms part of circumstantial evidence, which, when taken together with the other pieces of evidence constituting an unbroken chain, leads to only fair and reasonable conclusion, which is that petitioner was the intruder in question. We quote with approval the CA s finding of the circumstantial evidence that led to the identity of the petitioner as such intruder: Chito was in the Building when the attack on MALOU took place. He had access to the room of MALOU as Room 307 where he slept the night over had a window which allowed ingress and egress to Room 306 where MALOU stayed. Not only the Building security guard, S/G Ferolin, but Joseph Bernard Africa as well confirmed that CHITO was wearing a black "Adidas" shorts and fraternity T-shirt when he arrived at the Building/Unit 307 at 1:30 in the morning of December 13, 1991. Though it was dark during their struggle, MALOU had made out the feel of her intruder s apparel to be something made of cotton material on top and shorts that felt satin-smooth on the bottom. From CHITO s bag which was found inside Room 310 at the very spot where witness Renato Alagadan saw CHITO leave it, were discovered the most incriminating evidence: the handkerchief stained with blue and wet with some kind of chemicals; a black "Adidas" satin short pants; and a white fraternity T-shirt, also stained with blue. A different witness, this time, Christian Alcala, identified these garments as belonging to CHITO. As it turned out, laboratory examination on these items and on the beddings and clothes worn by MALOU during the incident revealed that the handkerchief and MALOU s night dress both contained chloroform, a volatile poison which causes first degree burn exactly like what MALOU sustained on that part of her face where the chemical-soaked cloth had been pressed. This brings the Court to the issue on whether the evidence adduced by the prosecution has established beyond reasonable doubt the guilt of the petitioner for the crime of attempted rape. The Solicitor General maintained that petitioner, by pressing on Malou s face the piece of cloth soaked in chemical while holding her body tightly under the weight of his own, had commenced the performance of an act indicative of an intent or attempt to rape the victim. It is argued that petitioner s actuation thus described is an overt act contemplated under the law, for there can not be any other logical conclusion other than that the petitioner intended to ravish Malou after he attempted to put her to an induced sleep. The Solicitor General, echoing what the CA said, adds that if petitioner s 15 intention was otherwise, he would not have lain on top of the victim. Under Article 335 of the Revised Penal Code, rape is committed by a man who has carnal knowledge or intercourse with a woman under any of the following circumstances: (1) By using force or intimidation; (2) When the woman is deprived of reason or otherwise unconscious; and (3) When the woman is under twelve years of age or is demented. Under Article 6, in relation to the aforementioned article of the same code, rape is attempted when the offender commences the commission of rape directly by overt acts and does not perform all the acts of execution which should produce the crime of rape by reason of some cause or accident other than his own spontaneous desistance.16 Expounding on the nature of an attempted felony, the Court, speaking thru Justice Claro M. Recto in People vs. Lamahang,17 stated that "the attempt which the Penal Code punishes is that which has a logical connection to a particular, concrete offense; that which is the beginning of the execution of the offense by overt acts of the perpetrator, leading directly to its realization and consummation." Absent the unavoidable connection, like the logical and natural relation of the cause and its effect, as where the purpose of the offender in performing an act is not certain, meaning the nature of the act in relation to its objective is ambiguous, then what obtains is an attempt to commit an indeterminate offense, which is not a juridical fact from the standpoint of the Penal Code.18

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There is absolutely no dispute about the absence of sexual intercourse or carnal knowledge in the present case. The next question that thus comes to the fore is whether or not the act of the petitioner, i.e., the pressing of a chemical-soaked cloth while on top of Malou, constitutes an overt act of rape.1avvphil.net Overt or external act has been defined as some physical activity or deed, indicating the intention to commit a particular crime, more than a mere planning or preparation, which if carried out to its complete termination following its natural course, without being frustrated by external obstacles nor by the voluntary desistance of the perpetrator, will logically and 19 necessarily ripen into a concrete offense. Harmonizing the above definition to the facts of this case, it would be too strained to construe petitioner's act of pressing a chemical-soaked cloth in the mouth of Malou which would induce her to sleep as an overt act that will logically and necessarily ripen into rape. As it were, petitioner did not commence at all the performance of any act indicative of an intent or attempt to rape Malou. It cannot be overemphasized that petitioner was fully clothed and that there was no attempt on his part to undress Malou, let alone touch her private part. For what reason petitioner wanted the complainant unconscious, if that was really his immediate intention, is anybody s guess. The CA maintained that if the petitioner had no intention to rape, he would not have lain on top of the complainant. Plodding on, the appellate court even anticipated the next step that the petitioner would have taken if the victim had been rendered unconscious. Wrote the CA: The shedding of the clothes, both of the attacker and his victim, will have to come later. His sexual organ is not yet exposed because his intended victim is still struggling. Where the intended victim is an educated woman already mature in age, it is very unlikely that a rapist would be in his naked glory before even starting his attack on her. He has to make her lose her guard first, or as in this case, her unconsciousness.20 At bottom then, the appellate court indulges in plain speculation, a practice disfavored under the rule on evidence in criminal cases. For, mere speculations and probabilities cannot substitute for proof required to establish the guilt of an accused beyond reasonable doubt.21 In Perez vs. Court of Appeals,22 the Court acquitted therein petitioner of the crime of attempted rape, pointing out that: xxx. In the crime of rape, penetration is an essential act of execution to produce the felony. Thus, for there to be an attempted rape, the accused must have commenced the act of penetrating his sexual organ to the vagina of the victim but for some cause or accident other than his own spontaneous desistance, the penetration, however, slight, is not completed. xxx xxx xxx Petitioner s act of lying on top of the complainant, embracing and kissing her, mashing her breasts, inserting his hand inside her panty and touching her sexual organ, while admittedly obscene and detestable acts, do not constitute attempted rape absent any showing that petitioner actually commenced to force his penis into the complainant s sexual organ. xxx. Likewise in People vs. Pancho,23 the Court held: xxx, appellant was merely holding complainant s feet when his Tito Onio arrived at the alleged locus criminis. Thus, it would be stretching to the extreme our credulity if we were to conclude that mere holding of the feet is attempted rape. Lest it be misunderstood, the Court is not saying that petitioner is innocent, under the premises, of any wrongdoing whatsoever. The information filed against petitioner contained an allegation that he forcefully covered the face of Malou with a piece of cloth soaked in chemical. And during the trial, Malou testified about the pressing against her face of the chemical-soaked cloth and having struggled after petitioner held her tightly and pinned her down. Verily, while the series of acts committed by the petitioner do not determine attempted rape, as earlier discussed, they constitute unjust vexation punishable as light coercion under the second paragraph of Article 287 of the Revised Penal Code. In the context of the constitutional provision assuring an accused of a crime the right to be informed of the nature and cause of the

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accusation, it cannot be said that petitioner was kept in the dark of the inculpatory acts for which he was proceeded against. To be sure, the information against petitioner contains sufficient details to enable him to make his defense. As aptly observed by then Justice Ramon C. Aquino, there is no need to allege malice, restraint or compulsion in an information for unjust vexation. As it were, unjust vexation exists even without the element of restraint or compulsion for the reason that this term is broad enough to include any human conduct which, although not productive of some physical or material harm, would unjustly annoy or irritate an innocent person.25 The paramount question is whether the offender s 26 act causes annoyance, irritation, torment, distress or disturbance to the mind of the person to whom it is directed. That Malou, after the incident in question, cried while relating to her classmates what she perceived to be a sexual attack and the fact that she filed a case for attempted rape proved beyond cavil that she was disturbed, if not distressed by the acts of petitioner. The penalty for coercion falling under the second paragraph of Article 287 of the Revised Penal Code is arresto menor or a fine ranging from P5.00 to P200.00 or both. WHEREFORE, the assailed Decision of the Court of Appeals affirming that of the Regional Trial Court of Manila, is hereby REVERSED and SET ASIDE and a new one entered ACQUITTING petitioner Renato D. Baleros, Jr. of the charge for attempted rape. Petitioner, however, is adjudged GUILTY of light coercion and is accordingly sentenced to 30 days of arresto menor and to pay a fine of P200.00, with the accessory penalties thereof and to pay the costs. SO ORDERED.

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Republic of the Philippines SUPREME COURT Manila FIRST DIVISION G.R. No. 138033 January 30, 2007

RENATO BALEROS, JR., Petitioner, vs. PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Respondent. RESOLUTION GARCIA, J.: In this Motion for Partial Reconsideration,1 petitioner-movant Renato Baleros, Jr., through counsel, seeks reconsideration of our Decision of February 22, 2006, acquitting him of the crime of attempted rape, thereby reversing an earlier decision of the Court of Appeals, but adjudging him guilty of light coercion and sentencing him to 30 days of arresto menor and to pay a fine of P200.00, with the accessory penalties thereof and to pay the costs. It is petitioner s submission that his conviction for light coercion under an Information for attempted rape, runs counter to the en banc ruling of the Court in People v. Contreras2 where the Court held: The Solicitor General contends that accused-appellant should be held liable for unjust vexation under Art. 287(2) of the Revised Penal Code. However, the elements of unjust vexation do not form part of the crime of rape as defined in Art. 335 of the Revised Penal Code. Moreover, the circumstances stated in the information do not constitute the elements of the said crime. Accused-appellant, therefore, cannot be convicted of unjust vexation. Petitioner s reliance on Contreras is misplaced. There, the 12 identical Informations substantially alleged: The undersigned State Prosecutor accuses IAN CONTRERAS Y EROY, based on the sworn declaration of one ANGELIC OCRENAS y CONTRERAS assisted by NELENE DIAZ y OCRENAS of the crime of "STATUTORY RAPE IN RELATION TO R.A. 7610," committed as follows: That between the period from May to June 1996 in Valenzuela, Metro Manila and within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, the above-named accused with lewd design, did then and there willfully, unlawfully and feloniously have sexual intercourse with one ANGELIC OCRENAS y CONTRERAS, age 6 years old. Contrary to law. Unlike the 12 separate Informations in Contreras, the indicting Information for attempted rape against the petitioner in the instant case contains averments constituting and thus justifying his conviction for unjust vexation, a form of light coercion, under Article 287 of the Revised Penal Code. Here, the Information reads: That about 1:50 in the morning or sometime thereafter of 13 December 1991 in Manila and within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, the above-named accused, by forcefully covering the face of Martina Lourdes T. Albano with a piece of cloth soaked in chemical with dizzying effects, did then and there willfully, unlawfully and feloniously commenced the commission of rape by lying on top of her with the intention to have carnal knowledge with her but was unable to perform all the acts of execution by reason of some cause or accident other than his
3

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own spontaneous desistance, said acts being committed against her will and consent to her damage and prejudice. (Italics ours.) Contrary to law. The aforequoted Information states all the facts and ingredients that fully apprised the petitioner of the nature and cause of the accusation against him, in compliance with his constitutional right to be informed of the nature of the charges against him. Petitioner argues, however, that the Information, as quoted above, does not allege that the complained act of covering the face of the victim (Malou) with a piece of cloth soaked in chemical caused her annoyance, irritation, torment, distress and disturbance. We wish to stress that malice, compulsion or restraint need not be alleged in an Information for unjust vexation. Unjust vexation exists even without the element of restraint or compulsion for the reason that the term is broad enough to include any human conduct which, although not productive of some physical or material harm, would unjustly 4 annoy or irritate an innocent person. As pointed out in the Decision sought to be reconsidered: The paramount question [in a prosecution for unjust vexation] is whether the offender's act causes annoyance, irritation, torment, distress, or disturbance to the mind of the person to whom it is directed. That Malou, after the incident in question, cried while relating to her classmates what she perceived to be a sexual attack and the fact that she filed a case for attempted rape proved beyond cavil that she was disturbed, if not distressed, by the acts of the petitioner. For being a mere rehash of those already passed upon and found to be without merit in the Decision sought to be reconsidered, the other grounds relied upon by the petitioner in his Motion for Partial Reconsideration in support of his plea for a complete acquittal need not be belabored anew. WHEREFORE, the motion under consideration is DENIED with FINALITY. SO ORDERED.

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Republic of the Philippines SUPREME COURT Manila EN BANC

G.R. No. 129433

March 30, 2000

PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, plaintiff, vs. PRIMO CAMPUHAN Y BELLO accused.

BELLOSILLO, J.: On 3 April 1990 this Court in People v. Orita finally did away with frustrated rape and allowed only attempted rape and consummated rape to remain in our statute books. The instant case lurks at the threshold of another emasculation of the stages of execution of rape by considering almost every attempt at sexual violation of a woman as consummated rape, that is, if the contrary view were to be adopted. The danger there is that that concept may send the wrong signal to every roaming lothario, whenever the opportunity bares itself, to better intrude with climactic gusto, sans any restraint, since after all any attempted fornication would be considered consummated rape and punished as such. A mere strafing of the citadel of passion would then be considered a deadly fait accompli, which is absurd. In Orita we held that rape was consummated from the moment the offender had carnal knowledge of the victim since by it he attained his objective. All the elements of the offense were already present and nothing more was left for the offender to do, having performed all the acts necessary to produce the crime and accomplish it. We ruled then that perfect penetration was not essential; any penetration of the female organ by the male organ, however slight, was sufficient. The Court further held that entry of the labia or lips of the female organ, even without rupture of the hymen or laceration of the vagina, was sufficient to warrant conviction for consummated rape. We distinguished consummated rape from attempted rape where there was no penetration of the female organ because not all acts of execution were performed as the offender 3 merely commenced the commission of a felony directly by overt acts. The inference that may be derived therefrom is that complete or full penetration of the vagina is not required for rape to be consummated. Any penetration, in whatever degree, is enough to raise the crime to its consummated stage. But the Court in Orita clarified the concept of penetration in rape by requiring entry into the labia or lips of the female organ, even if there be no rupture of the hymen or laceration of the vagina, to warrant a conviction for consummated rape. While the entry of the penis into the lips of the female organ was considered synonymous with mere touching of the external genitalia, e.g., labia majora, labia minora, etc.,4 the crucial doctrinal bottom line is that touching must be inextricably viewed in light of, in relation to, or as an essential part of, the process of penile penetration, and not just mere touching in the ordinary sense. In other words, the touching must be tacked to the penetration itself. The importance of the requirement of penetration, however slight, cannot be gainsaid because where entry into the labia or the lips of the female genitalia has not been established, the crime committed amounts merely to attempted rape. Verily, this should be the indicium of the Court in determining whether rape has been committed either in its attempted or in its consummated stage; otherwise, no substantial distinction would exist between the two, despite the fact that penaltywise, this distinction, threadbare as it may seem, irrevocably spells the difference between life and death for the accused a reclusive life that is not even perpetua but only temporal on one hand, and the ultimate extermination of life on the other. And, arguing on another level, if the case at bar cannot be deemed attempted but consummated rape, what then
1 2

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would constitute attempted rape? Must our field of choice be thus limited only to consummated rape and acts of lasciviousness since attempted rape would no longer be possible in light of the view of those who disagree with this ponencia? On 27 May 1997 Primo Campuhan y Bello was found guilty of statutory rape and sentenced by the court a quo to the extreme penalty of death, 5 hence this case before us on automatic review under Art. 335 of the Revised Penal Code as amended by RA 7659. 6 As may be culled from the evidence on record, on 25 April 1996, at around 4 o'clock in the afternoon, Ma. Corazon P. Pamintuan, mother of four (4)-year old Crysthel Pamintuan, went down from the second floor of their house to prepare Milo chocolate drinks for her two (2) children. At the ground floor she met Primo Campuhan who was then busy filling small plastic bags with water to be frozen into ice in the freezer located at the second floor. Primo was a helper of Conrado Plata Jr., brother of Corazon. As Corazon was busy preparing the drinks, she heard one of her daughters cry, "Ayo'ko, ayo'ko!" 7 prompting Corazon to rush upstairs. Thereupon, she saw Primo Campuhan inside her children's room kneeling before Crysthel whose pajamas or "jogging pants" and panty were already removed, while his short pants were down to his knees. According to Corazon, Primo was forcing his penis into Crysthel's vagina. Horrified, she cursed the accused, "P - t - ng ina mo, anak ko iyan!" and boxed him several times. He evaded her blows and pulled up his pants. He pushed Corazon aside when she tried to block his path. Corazon then ran out and shouted for help thus prompting her brother, a cousin and an 8 uncle who were living within their compound, to chase the accused. Seconds later, Primo was apprehended by those who answered Corazon's call for help. They held the accused at the back of their compound until they were advised by their neighbors to call the barangay officials instead of detaining him for his misdeed. Physical examination of the victim yielded negative results. No evident sign of extra-genital physical injury was noted by the medico-legal officer on Crysthel's body as her hymen was intact and its orifice was only 0.5 cm. in diameter. Primo Campuhan had only himself for a witness in his defense. He maintained his innocence and assailed the charge as a 9 mere scheme of Crysthel's mother who allegedly harbored ill will against him for his refusal to run an errand for her. He asserted that in truth Crysthel was in a playing mood and wanted to ride on his back when she suddenly pulled him down causing both of them to fall down on the floor. It was in this fallen position that Corazon chanced upon them and became hysterical. Corazon slapped him and accused him of raping her child. He got mad but restrained himself from hitting back when he realized she was a woman. Corazon called for help from her brothers to stop him as he ran down from the second floor. Vicente, Corazon's brother, timely responded to her call for help and accosted Primo. Vicente punched him and threatened to kill him. Upon hearing the threat, Primo immediately ran towards the house of Conrado Plata but Vicente followed him there. Primo pleaded for a chance to explain as he reasoned out that the accusation was not true. But Vicente kicked him instead. When Primo saw Vicente holding a piece of lead pipe, Primo raised his hands and turned his back to avoid the blow. At this moment, the relatives and neighbors of Vicente prevailed upon him to take Primo to the barangay hall instead, and not to maul or possibly kill him. Although Primo Campuhan insisted on his innocence, the trial court on 27 May 1997 found him guilty of statutory rape, sentenced him to the extreme penalty of death, and ordered him to pay his victim P50,000.00 for moral damages, P25,000.00 for exemplary damages, and the costs. The accused Primo Campuhan seriously assails the credibility of Ma. Corazon Pamintuan. He argues that her narration should not be given any weight or credence since it was punctured with implausible statements and improbabilities so inconsistent with human nature and experience. He claims that it was truly inconceivable for him to commit the rape considering that Crysthel's younger sister was also in the room playing while Corazon was just downstairs preparing Milo drinks for her daughters. Their presence alone as possible eyewitnesses and the fact that the episode happened within the family compound where a call for assistance could easily be heard and responded to, would have been enough to deter him from committing the crime. Besides, the door of the room was wide open for anybody to see what could be taking place

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inside. Primo insists that it was almost inconceivable that Corazon could give such a vivid description of the alleged sexual contact when from where she stood she could not have possibly seen the alleged touching of the sexual organs of the accused and his victim. He asserts that the absence of any external signs of physical injuries or of penetration of Crysthel's private parts more than bolsters his innocence. In convicting the accused, the trial court relied quite heavily on the testimony of Corazon that she saw Primo with his short pants down to his knees kneeling before Crysthel whose pajamas and panty were supposedly "already removed" and that Primo was "forcing his penis into Crysthel's vagina." The gravamen of the offense of statutory rape is carnal knowledge of a woman below twelve (12), as provided in Art. 335, par. (3), of the Revised Penal Code. Crysthel was only four (4) years old when sexually molested, thus raising the penalty, from reclusion perpetua to death, to the single indivisible penalty of death under RA 7659, Sec. 11, the offended party being below seven (7) years old. We have said often enough that in concluding that carnal knowledge took place, full penetration of the vaginal orifice is not an essential ingredient, nor is the rupture of the hymen necessary; the mere touching of the external genitalia by the penis capable of consummating the sexual act is sufficient to constitute carnal knowledge. 10 But the act of touching should be understood here as inherently part of the entry of the penis into the labias of the female organ and not mere touching alone of the mons pubis or the pudendum. In People v. De la Pea 11 we clarified that the decisions finding a case for rape even if the attacker's penis merely touched the external portions of the female genitalia were made in the context of the presence or existence of an erect penis capable of full penetration. Where the accused failed to achieve an erection, had a limp or flaccid penis, or an oversized penis which could not fit into the victim's vagina, the Court nonetheless held that rape was consummated on the basis of the victim's testimony that the accused repeatedly tried, but in vain, to insert his penis into her vagina and in all likelihood 12 reached the labia of her pudendum as the victim felt his organ on the lips of her vulva, or that the penis of the accused 13 touched the middle part of her vagina. Thus, touching when applied to rape cases does not simply mean mere epidermal contact, stroking or grazing of organs, a slight brush or a scrape of the penis on the external layer of the victim's vagina, or the mons pubis, as in this case. There must be sufficient and convincing proof that the penis indeed touched the labias or slid into the female organ, and not merely stroked the external surface thereof, for an accused to be convicted of consummated rape. 14 As the labias, which are required to be "touched" by the penis, are by their natural situs or location beneath the mons pubis or the vaginal surface, to touch them with the penis is to attain some degree of penetration beneath the surface, hence, the conclusion that touching the labia majora or the labia minora of the pudendum constitutes consummated rape. The pudendum or vulva is the collective term for the female genital organs that are visible in the perineal area,e.g., mons pubis, labia majora, labia minora, the hymen, the clitoris, the vaginal orifice, etc. The mons pubis is the rounded eminence that becomes hairy after puberty, and is instantly visible within the surface. The next layer is the labia majora or the outer lips of the female organ composed of the outer convex surface and the inner surface. The skin of the outer convex surface is covered with hair follicles and is pigmented, while the inner surface is a thin skin which does not have any hair but has 15 many sebaceous glands. Directly beneath the labia majora is the labia minora. Jurisprudence dictates that the labia 16 majora must be entered for rape to be consummated, and not merely for the penis to stroke the surface of the female organ. Thus, a grazing of the surface of the female organ or touching the mons pubis of the pudendum is not sufficient to constitute consummated rape. Absent any showing of the slightest penetration of the female organ, i.e., touching of either labia of the pudendum by the penis, there can be no consummated rape; at most, it can only be attempted rape, if not acts of lasciviousness. Judicial depiction of consummated rape has not been confined to the oft-quoted "touching of the female organ," 17but has also progressed into being described as "the introduction of the male organ into the labia of the pudendum," 18 or "the bombardment of the drawbridge." 19 But, to our mild, the case at bar merely constitutes a "shelling of the castle of orgasmic potency," or as earlier stated, a "strafing of the citadel of passion. A review of the records clearly discloses that the prosecution utterly failed to discharge its onus of proving that Primo's penis was able to penetrate Crysthel's vagina however slight. Even if we grant arguendo that Corazon witnessed Primo in the act of sexually molesting her daughter, we seriously doubt the veracity of her claim that she saw the inter-genital contact between Primo and Crysthel. When asked what she saw upon entering her children's room Corazon plunged into

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saying that she saw Primo poking his penis on the vagina of Crysthel without explaining her relative position to them as to enable her to see clearly and sufficiently, in automotive lingo, the contact point. It should be recalled that when Corazon chanced upon Primo and Crysthel, the former was allegedly in a kneeling position, which Corazon described thus: Q: How was Primo holding your daughter? A: (The witness is demonstrating in such a way that the chest of the accused is pinning down the victim, while his right hand is holding his penis and his left hand is spreading the legs of the victim). It can reasonably be drawn from the foregoing narration that Primo's kneeling position rendered an unbridled observation impossible. Not even a vantage point from the side of the accused and the victim would have provided Corazon an unobstructed view of Primo's penis supposedly reaching Crysthel's external genitalia, i.e., labia majora, labia minora, hymen, clitoris, etc., since the legs and arms of Primo would have hidden his movements from Corazon's sight, not to discount the fact that Primo's right hand was allegedly holding his penis thereby blocking it from Corazon's view. It is the burden of the prosecution to establish how Corazon could have seen the sexual contact and to shove her account into the permissive sphere of credibility. It is not enough that she claims that she saw what was done to her daughter. It is required that her claim be properly demonstrated to inspire belief. The prosecution failed in this respect, thus we cannot conclude without any taint of serious doubt that inter-genital contact was at all achieved. To hold otherwise would be to resolve the doubt in favor of the prosecution but to run roughshod over the constitutional right of the accused to be presumed innocent. Corazon insists that Primo did not restrain himself from pursuing his wicked intention despite her timely appearance, thus giving her the opportunity to fully witness his beastly act. We are not persuaded. It is inconsistent with man's instinct of self-preservation to remain where he is and persist in satisfying his lust even when he knows fully well that his dastardly acts have already been discovered or witnessed by no less than the mother of his victim. For, the normal behavior or reaction of Primo upon learning of Corazon's presence would have been to pull his pants up to avoid being caught literally with his pants down. The interval, although relatively short, provided more than enough opportunity for Primo not only to desist from but even to conceal his evil design. What appears to be the basis of the conviction of the accused was Crysthel's answer to the question of the court Q: Did the penis of Primo touch your organ? A: Yes, sir. But when asked further whether his penis penetrated her organ, she readily said, "No." Thus Q: But did his penis penetrate your organ? A: No, sir. 20 This testimony alone should dissipate the mist of confusion that enshrouds the question of whether rape in this case was consummated. It has foreclosed the possibility of Primo's penis penetrating her vagina, however slight. Crysthel made a 27 categorical statement denying penetration, obviously induced by a question propounded to her who could not have been aware of the finer distinctions between touching and penetration. Consequently, it is improper and unfair to attach to this reply of a four (4)-year old child, whose vocabulary is yet as underdeveloped as her sex and whose language is bereft of worldly sophistication, an adult interpretation that because the penis of the accused touched her organ there was sexual entry. Nor can it be deduced that in trying to penetrate the victim's organ the penis of the accused touched the middle portion of her vagina and entered the labia of her pudendum as the prosecution failed to establish sufficiently that Primo

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made efforts to penetrate Crysthel. Corazon did not say, nay, not even hint that Primo's penis was erect or that he responded with an erection. 23 On the contrary, Corazon even narrated that Primo had to hold his penis with his right hand, thus showing that he had yet to attain an erection to be able to penetrate his victim. Antithetically, the possibility of Primo's penis having breached Crysthel's vagina is belied by the child's own assertion that she resisted Primo's advances by putting her legs close together; 24 consequently, she did not feel any intense pain but just 25 felt "not happy" about what Primo did to her. Thus, she only shouted "Ayo'ko, ayo'ko!" not "Aray ko, aray ko!" In cases where penetration was not fully established, the Court had anchored its conclusion that rape nevertheless was consummated on the victim's testimony that she felt pain, or the medico-legal finding of discoloration in the inner lips of 26 the vagina, or the labia minora was already gaping with redness, or the hymenal tags were no longer visible. None was shown in this case. Although a child's testimony must be received with due consideration on account of her tender age, the Court endeavors at the same time to harness only what in her story appears to be true, acutely aware of the equally guaranteed rights of the accused. Thus, we have to conclude that even on the basis of the testimony of Crysthel alone the accused cannot be held liable for consummated rape; worse, be sentenced to death. Lastly, it is pertinent to mention the medico legal officer's finding in this case that there were no external signs of physical injuries on complaining witness' body to conclude from a medical perspective that penetration had taken place. As Dr. Aurea P. Villena explained, although the absence of complete penetration of the hymen does not negate the possibility of contact, she clarified that there was no medical basis to hold that there was sexual contact between the accused and the victim. 27 In cases of rape where there is a positive testimony and a medical certificate, both should in all respects complement each other; otherwise, to rely on the testimonial evidence alone, in utter disregard of the manifest variance in the medical certificate, would be productive of unwarranted or even mischievous results. It is necessary to carefully ascertain whether the penis of the accused in reality entered the labial threshold of the female organ to accurately conclude that rape was consummated. Failing in this, the thin line that separates attempted rape from consummated rape will significantly disappear. Under Art. 6, in relation to Art. 335, of the Revised Penal Code, rape is attempted when the offender commences the commission of rape directly by overt acts, and does not perform all the acts of execution which should produce the crime of rape by reason of some cause or accident other than his own spontaneous desistance. All the elements of attempted rape and only of attempted rape are present in the instant case, hence, the accused should be punished only for it. The penalty for attempted rape is two (2) degrees lower than the imposable penalty of death for the offense charged, which is statutory rape of a minor below seven (7) years. Two (2) degrees lower is reclusion temporal, the range of which is twelve (12) years and one (1) day to twenty (20) years. Applying the Indeterminate Sentence Law, and in the absence of any mitigating or aggravating circumstance, the maximum of the penalty to be imposed upon the accused shall be taken from the medium period of reclusion temporal, the range of which is fourteen (14) years, eight (8) months and (1) day to seventeen (17) years and four (4) months, while the minimum shall be taken from the penalty next lower in degree, which is prision mayor, the range of which is from six (6) years and one (1) day to twelve (12) years, in any of its periods. WHEREFORE, the Decision of the court a quo finding accused PRIMO "SONNY" CAMPUHAN Y BELLO guilty of statutory rape and sentencing him to death and to pay damages is MODIFIED. He is instead found guilty of ATTEMPTED RAPE and sentenced to an indeterminate prison term of eight (8) years four (4) months and ten (10) days of prision mayor medium as minimum, to fourteen (14) years ten (10) months and twenty (20) days ofreclusion temporal medium as maximum. Costs de oficio. SO ORDERED.1wphi1.nt

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Republic of the Philippines SUPREME COURT Manila EN BANC G.R. No. 132875-76 February 3, 2000

PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, plaintiff-appellee, vs. ROMEO G. JALOSJOS, accused-appellant. RESOLUTION YNARES-SANTIAGO, J.: The accused-appellant, Romeo F. Jaloslos is a full-pledged member of Congress who is now confined at the national penitentiary while his conviction for statutory rape on two counts and acts of lasciviousness on six counts1is pending appeal. The accused-appellant filed this motion asking that he be allowed to fully discharge the duties of a Congressman, including attendance at legislative sessions and committee meetings despite his having been convicted in the first instance of a non-bailable offense. The issue raised is one of the first impression. Does membership in Congress exempt an accused from statutes and rules which apply to validly incarcerated persons in general? In answering the query, we are called upon to balance relevant and conflicting factors in the judicial interpretation of legislative privilege in the context of penal law. The accused-appellant's "Motion To Be Allowed To Discharge Mandate As Member of House of Representatives" was filed on the grounds that 1. Accused-appellant's reelection being an expression of popular will cannot be rendered inutile by any ruling, giving priority to any right or interest not even the police power of the State. 2. To deprive the electorate of their elected representative amounts to taxation without representation. 3. To bar accused-appellant from performing his duties amounts to his suspension/removal and mocks the renewed mandates entrusted to him by the people. 4. The electorate of the First District of Zamboanga del Norte wants their voice to be heard. 5. A precedent-setting U.S. ruling allowed a detained lawmaker to attend sessions of the U.S. Congress. 6. The House treats accused-appellant as a bona fide member thereof and urges a co-equal branch of government to respect its mandate. 7. The concept of temporary detention does not necessarily curtail the duty of accused-appellant to discharge his mandate. 8. Accused-appellant has always complied with the conditions/restrictions when allowed to leave jail.

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The primary argument of the movant is the "mandate of sovereign will." He states that the sovereign electorate of the First District of Zamboanga del Norte chose him as their representative in Congress. Having been re-elected by his constituents, he has the duty to perform the functions of a Congressman. He calls this a covenant with his constituents made possible by the intervention of the State. He adds that it cannot be defeated by insuperable procedural restraints arising from pending criminal cases. True, election is the expression of the sovereign power of the people. In the exercise of suffrage, a free people expects to achieve the continuity of government and the perpetuation of its benefits. However, inspite of its importance, the privileges and rights arising from having been elected may be enlarged or restricted by law. Our first task is to ascertain the applicable law. We start with the incontestable proposition that all top officials of Government-executive, legislative, and judicial are subject to the majesty of law. There is an unfortunate misimpression in the public mind that election or appointment to high government office, by itself, frees the official from the common restraints of general law. Privilege has to be granted by law, not inferred from the duties of a position. In fact, the higher the rank, the greater is the requirement of obedience rather than exemption. The immunity from arrest or detention of Senators and members of the House of Representatives, the latter customarily addressed as Congressmen, arises from a provision of the Constitution. The history of the provision shows that privilege has always been granted in a restrictive sense. The provision granting an exemption as a special privilege cannot be extended beyond the ordinary meaning of its terms. It may not be extended by intendment, implication or equitable considerations. The 1935 Constitution provided in its Article VI on the Legislative Department. Sec 15. The Senators and Members of the House of Representatives shall in all cases except treason, felony, and breach of the peace be privileged from arrest during their attendance at the sessions of Congress, and in going to and returning from the same, . . . Because of the broad coverage of felony and breach of the peace, the exemption applied only to civil arrests. A congressman like the accused-appellant, convicted under Title Eleven of the Revised Penal Code could not claim parliamentary immunity from arrest. He was subject to the same general laws governing all persons still to be tried or whose convictions were pending appeal. The 1973 Constitution broadened the privilege of immunity as follows: Art. VIII, Sec. 9. A Member of the Batasang Pambansa shall, in all offenses punishable by not more than six years imprisonment, be privileged from arrest during his attendance at its sessions and in going to and returning from the same. For offenses punishable by more than six years imprisonment, there was no immunity from arrest. The restrictive interpretation of immunity and intent to confine it within carefully defined parameters is illustrated by the concluding portion of the provision, to wit: . . . but the Batasang Pambansa shall surrender the member involved the custody of the law within twenty four hours after its adjournment for a recess or for its next session, otherwise such privilege shall cease upon its failure to do so. The present Constitution adheres to the same restrictive rule minus the obligation of Congress to surrender the subject Congressman to the custody of the law. The requirement that he should be attending sessions or committee meetings has also been removed. For relatively minor offenses, it is enough that Congress is in session.

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The accused-appellant argues that a member of Congress' function to attend sessions is underscored by Section 16 (2), Article VI of the Constitution which states that (2) A majority of each House shall constitute a quorum to do business, but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day and may compel the attendance of absent Members in such manner, and under such penalties, as such House may provide. However, the accused-appellant has not given any reason why he should be exempted from the operation of Section 11, Article VI of the Constitution. The members of Congress cannot compel absent members to attend sessions if the reason for the absence is a legitimate one. The confinement of a Congressman charged with a crime punishable by imprisonment of more than six months is not merely authorized by law, it has constitutional foundations. Accused-appellant's reliance on the ruling in Aguinaldo v. Santos2, which states, inter alia, that The Court should never remove a public officer for acts done prior to his present term of office. To do otherwise would be to deprive the people of their right to elect their officers. When a people have elected a man to office, it must be assumed that they did this with the knowledge of his life and character, and that they disregarded or forgave his fault or misconduct, if he had been guilty of any. It is not for the Court, by reason of such fault or misconduct, to practically overrule the will of the people. will not extricate him from his predicament. It can be readily seen in the above-quoted ruling that the Aguinaldo case involves the administrative removal of a public officer for acts done prior to his present term of office. It does not apply to imprisonment arising from the enforcement of criminal law. Moreover, in the same way that preventive suspension is not removal, confinement pending appeal is not removal. He remains a congressman unless expelled by Congress or, otherwise, disqualified. One rationale behind confinement, whether pending appeal or after final conviction, is public self-defense. Society must protect itself. It also serves as an example and warning to others. A person charged with crime is taken into custody for purposes of the administration of justice. As stated in United States v. 3 Gustilo, it is the injury to the public which State action in criminal law seeks to redress. It is not the injury to the complainant. After conviction in the Regional Trial Court, the accused may be denied bail and thus subjected to incarceration if there is risk of his absconding.4 The accused-appellant states that the plea of the electorate which voted him into office cannot be supplanted by unfounded fears that he might escape eventual punishment if permitted to perform congressional duties outside his regular place of confinement. It will be recalled that when a warrant for accused-appellant's arrest was issued, he fled and evaded capture despite a call from his colleagues in the House of Representatives for him to attend the sessions and to surrender voluntarily to the authorities. Ironically, it is now the same body whose call he initially spurned which accused-appellant is invoking to justify his present motion. This can not be countenanced because, to reiterate, aside from its being contrary to well-defined Constitutional restrains, it would be a mockery of the aims of the State's penal system. Accused-appellant argues that on several occasions the Regional Trial Court of Makati granted several motions to temporarily leave his cell at the Makati City Jail, for official or medical reasons, to wit: a) to attend hearings of the House Committee on Ethics held at the Batasan Complex, Quezon City, on the issue of whether to expel/suspend him from the House of Representatives; b) to undergo dental examination and treatment at the clinic of his dentist in Makati City;

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c) to undergo a thorough medical check-up at the Makati Medical Center, Makati City; d) to register as a voter at his hometown in Dapitan City. In this case, accused-appellant commuted by chartered plane and private vehicle. He also calls attention to various instances, after his transfer at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City, when he was likewise allowed/permitted to leave the prison premises, to wit. a) to join "living-out" prisoners on "work-volunteer program" for the purpose of 1) establishing a mahogany seedling bank and 2) planting mahogany trees, at the NBP reservation. For this purpose, he was assigned one guard and allowed to use his own vehicle and driver in going to and from the project area and his place of confinement. b) to continue with his dental treatment at the clinic of his dentist in Makati City. c) to be confined at the Makati Medical Center in Makati City for his heart condition. There is no showing that the above privileges are peculiar to him or to a member of Congress. Emergency or compelling temporary leaves from imprisonment are allowed to all prisoners, at the discretion of the authorities or upon court orders. What the accused-appellant seeks is not of an emergency nature. Allowing accused-appellant to attend congressional sessions and committee meeting for five (5) days or more in a week will virtually make him free man with all the privilege appurtenant to his position. Such an aberrant situation not only elevates accused-appellant's status to that of a special class, it also would be a mockery of the purposes of the correction system. Of particular relevance in this regard are the following observations of the Court in Martinez v. Morfe:5 The above conclusion reached by this Court is bolstered and fortified by policy considerations. There is, to be sure, a full recognition of the necessity to have members of Congress, and likewise delegates to the Constitutional Convention, entitled to the utmost freedom to enable them to discharge their vital responsibilities, bowing to no other force except the dictates of their conscience of their conscience. Necessarily the utmost latitude in free speech should be accorded them. When it comes to freedom from arrest, however, it would amount to the creation of a privileged class, without justification in reason, if notwithstanding their liability for a criminal offense, they would be considered immune during their attendance in Congress and in going to and returning from the same. There is likely to be no dissent from the proposition that a legislator or a delegate can perform his functions efficiently and well, without the need for any transgression of the criminal law. Should such an unfortunate event come to pass, he is to be treated like any other citizen considering that there is a strong public interest in seeing to it that crime should not go unpunished. To the fear that may be expressed that the prosecuting arm of the government might unjustly go after legislators belonging to the minority, it suffices to answer that precisely all the safeguards thrown around an accused by the Constitution, solicitous of the rights of an individual, would constitute an obstacle to such an attempt at abuse of power. The presumption of course is that the judiciary would remain independent. It is trite to say that in each and every manifestation of judicial endeavor, such a virtue is of the essence. The accused-appellant avers that his constituents in the First District of Zamboanga del Norte want their voices to be heard and that since he is treated as bona fide member of the House of Representatives, the latter urges a co-equal branch of government to respect his mandate. He also claims that the concept of temporary detention does not necessarily curtail his duty to discharge his mandate and that he has always complied with the conditions/restrictions when he is allowed to leave jail. We remain unpersuaded.1wphi1.nt

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No less than accused-appellant himself admits that like any other member of the House of Representatives "[h]e is provided with a congressional office situated at Room N-214, North Wing Building, House of Representatives Complex, Batasan Hills, Quezon City, manned by a full complement of staff paid for by Congress. Through [an] inter-department coordination, he is also provided with an office at the Administration Building, New Bilibid Prison, Muntinlupa City, where he attends to his constituents." Accused-appellant further admits that while under detention, he has filed several bills and resolutions. It also appears that he has been receiving his salaries and other monetary benefits. Succinctly stated, accusedappellant has been discharging his mandate as a member of the House of Representative consistent with the restraints upon one who is presently under detention. Being a detainee, accused-appellant should not even have been allowed by the prison authorities at the National Penitentiary to perform these acts. When the voters of his district elected the accused-appellant to Congress, they did so with full awareness of the limitations on his freedom of action. They did so with the knowledge that he could achieve only such legislative results which he could accomplish within the confines of prison. To give a more drastic illustration, if voters elect a person with full knowledge that he suffering from a terminal illness, they do so knowing that at any time, he may no longer serve his full term in office. In the ultimate analysis, the issue before us boils down to a question of constitutional equal protection. The Constitution guarantees: ". . . nor shall any person be denied the equal protection of laws."6 This simply means that all 7 persons similarly situated shall be treated alike both in rights enjoyed and responsibilities imposed. The organs of government may not show any undue favoritism or hostility to any person. Neither partiality not prejudice shall be displayed. Does being an elective official result in a substantial distinction that allows different treatment? Is being a Congressman a substantial differentiation which removes the accused-appellant as a prisoner from the same class as all persons validly confined under law? The performance of legitimate and even essential duties by public officers has never been an excuse to free a person validly in prison. The duties imposed by the "mandate of the people" are multifarious. The accused-appellant asserts that the duty to legislative ranks highest in the hierarchy of government. The accused-appellant is only one of 250 members of the House of Representatives, not to mention the 24 members of the Senate, charged with the duties of legislation. Congress continues to function well in the physical absence of one or a few of its members. Depending on the exigency of Government that has to be addressed, the President or the Supreme Court can also be deemed the highest for that particular duty. The importance of a function depends on the need to its exercise. The duty of a mother to nurse her infant is most compelling under the law of nature. A doctor with unique skills has the duty to save the lives of those with a particular affliction. An elective governor has to serve provincial constituents. A police officer must maintain peace and order. Never has the call of a particular duty lifted a prisoner into a different classification from those others who are validly restrained by law. A strict scrutiny of classifications is essential lest wittingly or otherwise, insidious discriminations are made in favor of or against groups or types of individuals.8 The Court cannot validate badges of inequality. The necessities imposed by public welfare may justify exercise of 9 government authority to regulate even if thereby certain groups may plausibly assert that their interests are disregarded. We, therefore, find that election to the position of Congressman is not a reasonable classification in criminal law enforcement. The functions and duties of the office are not substantial distinctions which lift him from the class of prisoners interrupted in their freedom and restricted in liberty of movement. Lawful arrest and confinement are germane to the purposes of the law and apply to all those belonging to the same class.10

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Imprisonment is the restraint of a man's personal liberty; coercion exercised upon a person to prevent the free exercise of his power of locomotion.11 More explicitly, "imprisonment" in its general sense, is the restraint of one's liberty. As a punishment, it is restraint by judgment of a court or lawful tribunal, and is personal to the accused.12 The term refers to the restraint on the personal liberty of another; any prevention of his movements from place to place, or of his free action according to his own pleasure and will.13 Imprisonment is the detention of another against his will depriving him of his power of locomotion14 and it "[is] something more than mere loss of freedom. It includes the notion of restraint within limits defined by wall or any exterior barrier."15 It can be seen from the foregoing that incarceration, by its nature, changes an individual's status in society.16Prison officials have the difficult and often thankless job of preserving the security in a potentially explosive setting, as well as of attempting to provide rehabilitation that prepares inmates for re-entry into the social mainstream. Necessarily, both these 17 demands require the curtailment and elimination of certain rights. Premises considered, we are constrained to rule against the accused-appellant's claim that re-election to public office gives priority to any other right or interest, including the police power of the State. WHEREFORE, the instant motion is hereby DENIED. SO ORDERED.

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