People vs Lol-lo and Saraw

27 February 1922 | Ponente: Malcolm

Overview: Moros surrounded a boat, took its cargo, took two women and left it for it to sink. The marauders, Lol-lo and
Saraw, who were in Tawi-Tawi, were arrested for pirac. The !uestioned the "urisdiction of the #hilippines to the case, but
the court ruled that pirac is a crime against all mankind, so ever court also has "urisdiction to tr these cases. $n addition,
the Spanish #enal %ode is still in force in the #hilippines.
Statement of Facts:
- On or about 30 June 1920: Two boats left Matuta a !utc" #ossess$on for Peta anot"er !utc" #ossess$on%
- &oat 1 "a' one !utc" sub(ect
- &oat 2 "a' 11 men women an' c"$l'ren l$)ew$se from *ollan'%
- +fter se,eral 'ays at 7#m &oat 2 arr$,e' $n &uan- an' &u)$' $n t"e !utc" .ast /n'$es%
- *ere t"e boat was surroun'e' by 0 ,$ntas manne' by 21 arme' Moros%
- T"e Moros f$rst as)e' for foo' but once $n t"e boat too) all t"e car-o attac)e' some of t"e men an' brutally
,$olate' 2 of t"e women%
- T"e Moros too) t"e 2 women w$t" t"em #lace' "oles $n t"e s"$# to let $t s$n) an' left t"e #eo#le t"ere%
- +fter 11 'ays t"e Moros arr$,e' at Maruro a !utc" #ossess$on%
- T"e two Moro marau'ers were $'ent$f$e' as 2ol-lo as t"e one w"o ra#e' one of t"e women an' 3araw%
- 4"$le $n Maruro t"e two women were able to esca#e%
- One 'ay 2ol-lo an' 3araw went "ome to 3out" 5b$an Taw$-Taw$ 3ulu% *ere t"ey were arreste' an' c"ar-e' w$t"
#$racy at t"e 6F/% The Moros interposed a demurrer, saying that the charge was not within the jurisdiction of
the F!, nor of any court in the Philippines" T"ey were say$n- t"at t"e facts '$' not const$tute a #ubl$c offense
un'er P"$l$##$ne laws%
- T"e 'emurrer was o,errule' an' 2ol-lo an' 3araw were foun' -u$lty an' were bot" sentence' to l$fe
$m#r$sonment to-et"er w$t" 7$nawalan- an' Maulan$s two ot"er 'efen'ants $n anot"er case% /n a''$t$on to
$m#r$sonment t"ey were or'ere' to return t"e 39 sac)s of co#ra t"ey robbe' or to $n'emn$fy t"e offen'e' #art$es
921 ru#ees an' to #ay one-"alf of t"e costs%
!ssue: !$' t"e 6F/ $n t"e P"$l$##$nes "a,e (ur$s'$ct$on o,er 2ol-lo an' 3araw8 #$S
%ationale
- F$rst of all t"e facts can9t be '$s#ute'% +ll t"e elements of t"e cr$me of #$racy were t"ere%
- P$racy $s robbery or forc$ble 'e#re'at$on on t"e "$-" seas w$t"out lawful aut"or$ty an' 'one an$mo furan'$ an'
$n t"e s#$r$t an' $ntent$on of un$,ersal "ost$l$ty%
- T"e 6F/ "as (ur$s'$ct$on because #$rates are $n law hostes humani generis. P$racy $s a cr$me a-a$nst all man)$n'
t"erefore $t can be #un$s"e' $n any com#etent tr$bunal of any country w"ere t"e offen'er may be foun'%
- T"e (ur$s'$ct$on of #$racy "as no terr$tor$al l$m$ts% T"e cr$me $s a-a$nst all man)$n' so $t $s also #un$s"e' by all%
- /t 'oesn9t matter t"at t"e cr$me was comm$tte' w$t"$n t"e (ur$s'$ct$onal 3-m$le l$m$t of a fore$-n state% T"ose l$m$ts
t"ou-" neutral to war are not neutral to cr$mes%
!ssue: +re t"e #ro,$s$ons of t"e Penal 6o'e 'eal$n- w$t" #$racy st$ll $n force8 #$S
%ationale
- +rt% 1:3 of t"e Penal 6o'e refers to t"e cr$me of #$racy ;comm$tte' a-a$nst 3#an$ar's or sub(ects of anot"er nat$on
not war w$t" 3#a$n s"all be #un$s"e' w$t" a #enalty ran-$n- from ca'ena tem#oral to ca'ena #er#etua% /f t"e cr$me
$s a-a$nst nonbell$-erent sub(ects of anot"er nat$on at war w$t" 3#a$n $t s"ell be #un$s"e' w$t" t"e #enalty of
#res$'$o mayor%<
- 3$nce 3#a$n alrea'y ce'e' t"e P"$l$##$nes to t"e 53 t"e rule $s t"at ;t"e #ol$t$cal law of t"e former so,ere$-nty $s
necessar$ly c"an-e'% &ut corollary to t"$s rule laws subs$st$n- at t"e t$me of transfer 'es$-ne' to secure -oo'
or'er an' #eace $n t"e commun$ty w"$c" are str$ctly of a mun$c$#al c"aracter cont$nue unt$l by '$rect act$on of t"e
new -o,ernment t"ey are altere' or re#eale'%
- T"e $nstruct$ons of Pres$'ent Mc7n$ley on May 19 19=9 to >eneral 4esley Merr$t 6omman'$n- >eneral of t"e
+rmy of Occu#at$on $n t"e P"$l$##$nes was clear t"at mun$c$#al laws t"at #ro,$'e for t"e #un$s"ment of cr$me are
cons$'ere' cont$nu$n- $n force so far as t"ey are com#at$ble w$t" t"e new or'er of t"$n-s unt$l su#erse'e'%
- &ac'ground on the laws of piracy:
- T"e 3#an$s" Penal 6o'e was a##l$cable to t"e P"$l$##$nes because of +rt% 1:0 of t"e Penal 6o'e%
- >rot$us: P$racy by t"e law of nat$ons $s t"e same t"$n- as #$racy by t"e c$,$l law% P$racy $n t"e #enal co'e as
s$m$lar to t"e conce#ts of c$,$l law es#ec$ally s$nce t"e Penal 6o'e foun' $ts $ns#$rat$on from t"e ?o,elas
Part$'as an' ?o,$s$ma @eco#$lac$on%
- T"e 53 6onst$tut$on $tself 'ef$nes an' #un$s"es #$racy A t"at w"oe,er on t"e "$-" seas comm$ts t"e cr$me of
#$racy as 'ef$ne' by t"e law of nat$ons s"al be $m#r$sone' for l$fe% T"$s 'ef$n$t$on rests $ts conce#t$on of #$racy
on t"e law of nat$ons% T"$s furt"er s"ows t"at t"e Penal 6o'e $s not $ncons$stent w$t" t"e #ro,$s$ons $n force $n
t"e 53%
- 3$nce by t"e Treaty of Par$s 3#a$n ce'e' t"e P"$l$#$nes to t"e 53 $t9s lo-$cal t"at t"e construct$on of t"e Penal
6o'e be c"an-e' s$m#ly to subst$tute ;3#a$n< to ;5n$te' 3tates< an' ;3#an$ar's< to ;c$t$Bens of t"e 53 an' c$t$Bens
of t"e P"$l$##$nes<%
- T"erefore t"e Penal 6o'e s#ec$f$cally +rt% 1:3 an' 1:1 of t"e Penal 6o'e were st$ll $n force $n t"e P"$l$##$nes at
t"$s t$me%
(udgment: P$racy was comm$tte' w$t" offense a-a$nst c"ast$ty an' aban'onment of #ersons w$t"out a##arent means of
sa,$n- t"emsel,es% T"ere are t"ree a--ra,at$n- c$rcumstances A t"e wron- 'one was 'el$berately au-mente' by caus$n-
ot"er wron-s not necessary for $ts comm$ss$on a',anta-e was ta)en of su#er$or stren-t" an' $-nom$ny% T"ere $s one
m$t$-at$n- c$rcumstance of lac) of $nstruct$on% &ut 'ue to t"e "orr$ble nature of t"e cr$me comm$tte' t"e #enalty $m#ose' $s
t"e ca#$tal #un$s"ment%
T"e #un$s"ment $s unan$mous for 2ol-lo w"o ra#e' on of t"e women but no unan$mous as to 3araw% 3o only 2ol-lo $s
sentence' to be "un- unt$l 'ea'%
+s to 7$nawalan- an' Maulan$s t"ey s"all $n'emn$fy t"e offen'e' #art$es w$t" 921 ru#ees an' "alf of t"e costs of bot"
$nstances%