POLI LAW REVIEW

GR No: 126029
Date: March 27, 2003
People v. Sunga
Facts:
Case involves the rape of one Joceln !an "ho is a #inor an$ a st%$ent of &ala"an 'nte(rate$ National )chool* +ccor$in( to the
prosec%tion, the infor#ation char(e$ one Re )%n(a, Ra#il ,ansan(, 'nocensio &asc%a an$ ,ito -rtac for rapin( Joceln !an in
J%ne 29, 199. in /aran(a 'ra"an, &%erto &rinsesa then sta00e$ her an$ s#ashe$ her face "ith a roc1 lea$in( to her $eath*
'n )epte#0er 26, 199. co%nsel for the $efense file$ for #otion for 0ail statin( the "ea1ness of the evi$ence of the prosec%tion*
2earin(s on the #otion for 0ail "ere con$%cte$ "here the prosec%tion "as to present "itnesses* -ne of their "itnesses "as fello"
acc%se$ ,ocil C%i "ho the prosec%tion so%(ht to 0e $ischar(e$ for the reason that she "ill 0e %tili3e$ 0 the prosec%tion as a state
"itness* !he respective co%nsels for the other acc%se$ oppose$ the #otion, insistin( that it co%l$ onl 0e file$ $%rin( trial on the
#erits an$ that ,ocil4s testi#on "as not a0sol%tel necessar* !rial co%rt ho"ever (rante$ the #otion*
,ocil, "ho "as onl 1. ears ol$, narrate$ the rape of Joceln !an "hich happene$ in Men$o3a &ar1 "here the fo%r acc%se$ too1
t%rns rapin( Joceln !an after arrivin( in a triccle 5"herein ,ocil "as ri$in(6 an$ f%rther narrate$ that she "as sta00e$ 0 )%n(a
an$ ,ansan( an$ "ho later s#ashe$ Joceln4s face "ith a roc1* &rosec%tion "itnesses 5there "ere several6 f%rther testifie$ to the
fact +7!8R the cri#e 5s%ch as fin$in( the 0o$, seein( the triccle "ith the acc%se$ insi$e an$ ho" ,ansan( tal1e$ to the parent of
Joceln tellin( hi# that the sho%l$ fi9 the iss%e at han$ since all of the# are :%st livin( in the sa#e 0aran(a6*
&rosec%tion f%rther presente$ t"o s"orn state#ents, 89hi0it + an$ ' "hich containe$ a$#issions fro# Re )%n(a re(ar$in( the
rape of Joceln !an* !he state#ent containe$ the si(nat%re of )%n(a an$ his co%nsel, one +tt* +(%stin Roca#ora* !estifin( on the
con$%ct of the investi(ation 0 the police, one )&-2 Janoras recalle$ that after the arrest of )%n(a, he 0ro%(ht hi# to a roo# an$
as1e$ hi# ;%estions pertainin( to Joceln4s $eath* +fter )%n(a tol$ hi# that he "ante$ the services of a la"er, Janoras sho"e$
hi# a list of la"ers "herein )%n(a chose one +tt* Roca#ora* 't "as then that Roca#ora an$ )%n(a affi9e$ their si(nat%res in the
e9istin( state#ent, "hich "as 89hi0it + "hich "as a state#ent #a$e $%rin( the preli#inar investi(ation* + s%0se;%ent state#ent
"as to 0e #a$e 589hi0it '6 in the presence of the N/' office in &ala"an "hich varie$ in a n%#0er of respects "ith 89hi0it + 0%t $i$
tell the events of the rape* 89hi0it ' containe$ a <+'=8R to his ri(ht of co%nsel*
-n the other han$, the $efense presente$ n%#ero%s testi#onies raisin( the $efense of ali0i* )%n(a also raise$ the $efense that
$%rin( the e9ec%tion of 89hi0it +, he "as #altreate$ 0 arrestin( officers "ho arreste$ hi# "itho%t a "arrant an$ "as ;%estione$
"itho%t the assistance of co%nsel* )%n(a clai#s that he "as ;%estione$ 0 )&-. &atrollano an$ &atrol#an /olos 0efore )&-2
Janoras ;%estione$ hi# an$ that there "as no la"er present at that ti#e* 2e also raise$ the $efense that he cannot re#e#0er
e9ec%tin( 89hi0it '*
!rial co%rt convicte$ the acc%se$ for rape "ith ho#ici$e* 'n a%to#atic revie" 5since penalt "as $eath6 the acc%se$ raise$ the
follo"in( errors, first, clai#in( that the $ischar(e of ,ocil C%i as state "itness "as erroneo%s an$ that there "as no proof 0eon$
reasona0le $o%0t*
Issue:
<hether acc%se$ are (%ilt
Held:
N-> +C?@'!!8D
Rationale:
7irst, as for the $ischar(e of ,ocil C%i, the )C r%le$ that there "as nothin( irre(%lar in the $ischar(e of ,ocil as a state "itness* 2er
$ischar(e "as or$ere$ in the co%rse of "hat ori(inall "ere hearin(s on the petition of the acc%se$ for 0ail an$ after the prosecution
had presented several of its witnesses and submitted Locils sworn statement* Contrar to acc%se$4s co%nsels4 ar(%#ent that a
#otion for $ischar(e co%l$ onl 0e file$ $%rin( trial on the #erits, it co%l$ 0e $one at an sta(e of the procee$in(s, an$ $ischar(e
can 0e effecte$ fro# the filin( of the infor#ation to the ti#e the $efense starts to offer an evi$ence*
7ro# the recor$s, it appears that the follo"in( con$itions for ,ocil4s $ischar(e %n$er )ection 9, R%le 119 of the Revise$ R%les of
Co%rt "ere satisfie$* /ase$ on ,ocil4s s"orn state#ent, she "as the only person who saw "hat happene$ to Joceln* 2er testi#on
Davi$ Michael C* Go
POLI LAW REVIEW
"as th%s in$ispensa0le* !hat she $i$ not appear to 0e the #ost (%ilt a#on( the acc%se$ an$ that she ha$ not 0een convicte$ of
an offense involvin( #oral t%rpit%$e "ere sho"n, pl%s, her testi#on can 0e corro0orate$ "ith n%#ero%s evi$ence presente$ 0 the
prosec%tion* 2o"ever, acceptin( the testi#on of one coAacc%se$, selfAprofesse$ acco#plice or coAconspirator cannot /B '!)8,7
0e a$#itte$* 't #%st 0e corro0orate$ to prove the (%ilt of the other acc%se$* !he testi#on #%st 0e s%0stantiall corro0orate$ in its
material points

0 unimpeachable testimony and strong circumstances and must be to such an extent that its trustworthiness
becomes manifest.
+N+,BC'NG !28 8='D8NC8 &R8)8N!8D, the )C r%le$ ho"ever that the e9tra:%$icial a$#issions (iven 0 )%n(a +R8
'N+DM'))'/,8> !he a$#issions "ere not onl ina$#issi0le as to hi# 0%t also to his coAacc%se$* + person %n$er investi(ation for
the co##ission of an offense is (%arantee$ the follo"in( ri(hts 0 the Constit%tion: 516 the ri(ht to re#ain silentD 526 the ri(ht to have
co#petent an$ in$epen$ent co%nsel of his o"n choice, an$ to 0e provi$e$ "ith one if he cannot affor$ the services of co%nselD an$
536 the ri(ht to 0e infor#e$ of these ri(hts*
!he ri(ht to co%nsel "as $enie$ )%n(a $%rin( his e9ec%tion of 89hi0it E+E A a$#ission 0efore the police on the (ro%n$ that the
co%nsel "ho assiste$ hi#, +tt* +(%stin Roca#ora, "as the Cit ,e(al -fficer of &%erto &rincesa* n$epen$ent co%nsel for the
acc%se$ in c%sto$ial investi(ations cannot 0e a special co%nsel, p%0lic or private prosec%tor, co%nsel of the police, or a #%nicipal
attorne "hose interest is a$#itte$l a$verse to the acc%se$* + le(al officer of the cit, li1e +tt* Roca#ora, provi$es le(al ai$ an$
s%pport to the #aor an$ the cit in carrin( o%t the $eliver of 0asic services to the people, "hich incl%$es #aintenance of peace
an$ or$er an$, as s%ch, his office is a1in to that of a prosec%tor "ho %n;%estiona0l cannot represent the acc%se$ $%rin( c%sto$ial
investi(ation $%e to conflict of interest*

!hat )%n(a chose hi# to 0e his co%nsel, even if tr%e, $i$ not ren$er his a$#ission
a$#issi0le* /ein( of a ver lo" e$%cational attain#ent,

)%n(a co%l$ not have possi0l 1no"n the ra#ifications of his choice of a cit
le(al officer to 0e his co%nsel*
+lso, nothin( in the recor$s sho"e$ that Roca#ora act%all con$%cte$ his :o0 thoro%(hl as accor$in( to police officers testifin(,
he onl conferre$ "ith )%n(a in a 0rief perio$ 0efore e9ec%tin( the e9tra:%$icial a$#issions* Moreover, that )%n(a "as first
;%estione$ 0 )&-. &antollano an$ &atrol#an /olos 0efore he "as investi(ate$ 0 )&-2 Janoras $oes not escape the attention
of this Co%rt* +ltho%(h )%n(a faile$ to present evi$ence as to the #altreat#ent he clai#e$ to have s%ffere$ in the han$s of )&-.
&antollano an$ &atrol#an /olos, he $i$ not have an la"er 0 his si$e at the time these two policemen started asking him
questions about Jocelyns death* +t that point, )%n(a "as alrea$ %n$er c%sto$ial investi(ation "itho%t the assistance of co%nsel*
C%sto$ial investi(ation is the sta(e E"here the police investi(ation is no lon(er a (eneral in;%ir into an %nsolve$ cri#e 0%t has
begun to focus on a particular suspect taken into custody by the police who carry out a process of interrogation that lends itself to
elicit incriminating statements 5'talics in the ori(inalD 8#phasis s%pplie$*6* @n$er s%ch circ%#stances, this Co%rt cannot 0%t entertain
serio%s #is(ivin(s as to the a$#ission )%n(a s%0se;%entl (ave to )&-2 Janoras* +,)-, 89hi0it ' :%st li1e 89hi0it + is
ina$#issi0le as the "aiver "as e9ec%te$ "itho%t the assistance of co%nsel* +lso, s%ch a$#issions, even if )%n(a #a$e the# "ith
the intention of 0eco#in( a state "itness hi#self, cannot 0e a$#issi0le as he "as still %n$er $etention 0 the N/'*
+n infor#ation or a$#ission (iven 0 a person "hile in c%sto$ "hich #a appear har#less or innoc%o%s at the ti#e "itho%t the
co#petent assistance of an in$epen$ent co%nsel #%st 0e str%c1 $o"n as ina$#issi0le* 8ven if the confession contains a (rain of
tr%th or even if it ha$ 0een vol%ntaril (iven, if it "as #a$e "itho%t the assistance of co%nsel, it is ina$#issi0le*

!he "aiver 0 )%n(a
of his ri(ht to co%nsel as containe$ in his s"orn state#entA89hi0it E'E "as not a vali$ "aiver for, on its face, it "as e9ec%te$ not in
the presence of co%nsel, contrar to the e9press re;%ire#ent of the Constit%tion*
Roca#ora "as so inco#petent that $%rin( the trial, "hile )%n(a "as 0ein( as1e$ 0 the :%$(e a 0arra(e of ;%estions callin( for
ans"ers "hich co%l$ an$ $i$ incri#inate hi#, +tt* Roca#ora $i$ not offer the sli(htest o0:ection to shiel$ his client fro# the
$a#nin( nat%re thereof* !he right to counsel involves more than just the presence of a lawyer in the co%rtroo# or the #ere
propo%n$in( of stan$ar$ ;%estions an$ o0:ectionsD rather it #eans an efficient an$ decisive legal assistance an$ not a si#ple
perf%nctor representation*
+s for the rest of the prosec%tion evi$ence, it fails to corro0orate ,ocil4s testi#on* )tan$in( alone an$ %ncorro0orate$, can ,ocil4s
testi#on serve as a 0asis for appellants4 convictionF +s an e9ception to the (eneral r%le on the re;%ire#ent of corro0oration of the
testi#on of an acco#plice or coAconspiratorAt%rne$ state "itness, her testi#on #a, even if %ncorro0orate$, 0e s%fficient as "hen
it is sho"n to 0e sincere in itself 0eca%se it is given unhesitatingly an$ in a straightforward manner and full of details which, by their
nature, could not have been the result of deliberate afterthought*

+n e9ha%stive revie" of the transcript of steno(raphic notes of
,ocil4s testi#on reveals, ho"ever, that the #anner 0 "hich she relate$ it "as p%nct%ate$ "ith #ar1s of tentativeness,
uncertainty an$ indecisiveness "hich the trial co%rt %nfort%natel faile$ to ta1e note of in its $ecision on revie"* !28R87-R8,
prosec%tion $i$ not prove the case 0eon$ reasona0le $o%0t*
Davi$ Michael C* Go