Monge, Ernest Ryan I. Atty.

Festin
Evidence
People vs. Ogan
G.R. No. 186461
July ,!"1"
FACTS:
#$is is a case on a%%eal &ased on t'o %revious rulings o( t$e court involving a
)N) o((icer na*ed +gan. ,ot$ cases involve *inors and t$e records o( t$e case s$o's
t$at it $a%%ened in #adian, Mountain )rovince 'ere accused resides. #$e victi*-*inors
'ere acco*%anied &y t$eir %arents and re%orted t$e incident to t$e aut$orities a(ter one o(
t$e %arents o( t$e victi*s over$eard t$e account o( t$e incident (ro* $er daug$ter '$o at
t$e ti*e inti*ated t$e sa*e to $er older si&ling. #$e de(ense o( ali&i is inter%osed &y t$e
accused.
#$e lo'er court ruled in (avor o( t$e co*%lainants and sentenced t$e accused
guilty o( ra%e in t$e (irst case and acts o( lasciviousness on t$e ot$er case. #$e lo'er
court stated t$at t$e de(ense o( ali&i &y t$e accused is sel(-serving. #$e acts o( t$e
accused in $is atte*%ts to a*ica&ly settle t$e cases 'ere considered &y t$e court in $is
conviction.
+n A%%eal, t$e .ourt ruled in a((ir*ation o( t$e %revious ruling o( t$e lo'er court
'it$ a *odi(ication t$at t$e case ruled as acts o( lasciviousness &e c$anged to t$e cri*e
o( ra%e. #$e accused is sentenced to su((er t$e %enalty o( reclusion perpetua. #$e civil
inde*nity (or t$e victi* to &e %aid &y t$e accused is increased to )$% /,""" and t$e
da*ages a'arded &y t$e trial court is increased to )$% !,""".
HELD:
0e deny t$is a%%eal. #o (urt$er $is cause, +gan %oints to t$e inconsistencies in
t$e testi*ony o( AAA, arguing t$at it is un&elieva&le t$at AAA 'ould (eel %ain (ro*
+gan1s insertion o( $is (inger &ut not (ro* $is %enis. Moreover, t$e testi*ony o( t$e
e2a*ining doctor s$o's t$at t$e $y*enal lacerations (ound in &ot$ AAA and ,,, 'ere
*ore t$an a *ont$ old &ut t$e ra%es 'ere allegedly co**itted only t'o 'ee3s &e(ore t$e
*edical e2a*ination.
Re%u&lic Act No. 844 5RA 8446 or #$e Anti-Ra%e 7a' o( 188/ e2%anded
t$e de(inition o( ra%e to include ot$er (or*s o( se2ual assault on a %erson. #$e records
s$o' t$at t$e %rosecution $as esta&lis$ed t$e ele*ents o( ra%e in AAA1s testi*ony.
,ased on AAA1s testi*ony, accused-a%%ellant clearly ra%ed $er. AAA convincingly
descri&ed $o' s$e 'as ra%ed, (irst, &y se2ual assault, and t$en, &y %enile %enetration. It is
t$us erroneous (or t$e de(ense to insist t$at only acts o( lasciviousness 'ere co**itted
against AAA. As t$e a%%ellate court o&served, AAA gave e2%licit testi*ony o( $o'
accused-a%%ellant used $is %enis to %enetrate $er se2ual organ.
As %rovided (or in t$e Revised )enal .ode, se2ual intercourse 'it$ a girl
&elo' 1! years old is statutory ra%e. #$e t'o ele*ents o( statutory ra%e are9 516 t$at t$e
1
accused $ad carnal 3no'ledge o( a 'o*an: and 5!6 t$at t$e 'o*an 'as &elo' 1! years
o( age. ;e2ual congress 'it$ a girl under 1! years old is al'ays ra%e. #$e cri*e o(
statutory ra%e carries t$e %enalty o( reclusion perpetua unless attended &y t$e <uali(ying
circu*stances de(ined under Article !66-,.
;ince t$e age o( AAA 5seven years old6 'as alleged and duly %roved, +gan *ust
&e convicted o( statutory ra%e. Ali&i is t$e 'ea3est o( all de(enses, (or it is easy to
contrive and di((icult to %rove. . For anot$er, t$e %resence o( $is 'i(e and c$ildren at
t$eir $ouse on Nove*&er !1 and !!, 1888 'as only attested to &y $is 'i(e and daug$ter.
;o it 'as not %$ysically i*%ossi&le (or $i* to $ave &een at $is o'n $o*e at t$e ti*e o(
t$e ra%e incident.
0e %resent an i*%ortant o&servation on courts and counsel acting on cases
involving c$ildren. #$e %ro&le* encountered &y t$e trial court in eliciting a clear and
concise testi*ony (ro* t$e c$ild 'itnesses could $ave &een avoided &y as3ing <uestions
t$at 'ere a%%ro%riately-%$rased (or a c$ild t$eir age.
#$is case 'as decided &y t$e trial court in !""!, '$en t$e Rule on Examination
of a Child Witness 'as already e((ective. #$e Rule %rovides9
;E.. 18. Mode of questioning.= #$e court s$all e2ercise control over t$e
<uestioning o( c$ildren so as to 516 (acilitate t$e ascertain*ent o( t$e trut$,
5!6 ensure t$at <uestions are stated in a (or* a%%ro%riate to t$e
develo%*ental level o( t$e c$ild, 546 %rotect c$ildren (ro* $arass*ent or
undue e*&arrass*ent, and 546 avoid 'aste o( ti*e.

#$e court *ay allo' t$e c$ild 'itness to testi(y in a narrative (or*.
#o &orro' (ro* t$e Rule, courts *ust e2ercise control to ensure t$at <uestions are
stated in a (or* a%%ro%riate to t$e develo%*ental level o( t$e c$ild. Even calling $er
si*%ly &y $er na*e rat$er t$an >Mada*e 0itness? 'ould $ave *ade ,,, *ore
res%onsive and co*(orta&le on t$e 'itness stand. @ad t$e Rule &een (ollo'ed, ,,,
'ould $ave &een a&le to $ave an easier ti*e co**unicating 'it$ t$e court and t$e
la'yers during t$e trial. #$ere 'ould $ave &een no con(usion as to t$e details o( $er
ordeal.
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