PEOPLE vs.

TALIMAN

Facts:
Appellant was convicted of murder & was sentenced to reclusion
perpetua for killing Renato who was allegedly brought to the hilltop
& was killed there by the NPAs. Atty. Pardo, who was the mayor of
Labo, Camarines Norte, went to the Police Station upon request of
the Corporal Cereno to assist accused during their custodial
investigation where accused executed extrajudicial statements,
confessing to the commission of the crime. It was done w/o the
assistance of counsel & was not reduced to writing.

Issue: W/N the extrajudicial confession is admissible as evidence?

Held: NO!

Mayor Pardo cannot be considered as an independent counsel for the
accused during the custodial investigation. There is conflict of
interest between the role of the Mayor as the counsel & at the same
time as the Mayor of that place.

However, while we agree that the extrajudicial statements of the
accused are inadmissible in evidence, we find that there is still
sufficient evidence to convict.