Peopl

ev.Val
dez

Fact
s:

PO2EduardoValdezandhi
sbrot
herEdwinVal
dezwer
eaccusedf
ort
hemur
deroft
heSayson
br
other
.Theinf
ormati
onsfi
ledar
easfol
lows:

"
Cri
minalCaseNo.00-
90718

Thatonoraboutt he1stdayofMar ch,2000,i nQuezonCi t

y,Phi l
ippi
nes,t heabove- named
accusedconspi ri
ngt ogether
,confederat
ingwi thandmut uall
yhel pi
ngeachot her,wit
hintent
tokil
l,quali
6edwi t
ht reacher
y,evi
dentpr emedi t
ati
onandabuseofsuper iorstrengthdid,then
andther e,wil
lf
ull
y,unl awful
lyandf el
oniously,assault
,at
tackandempl oyper sonalviolence
upont hepersonofoneFERDI NANDSAYSONYDABOCOLbyt henandt her eshootinghim with
agun,hi tt
inghim onhi shead,t
herebyi nGicti
nguponhi m seriousandmor talwoundwhi ch
wast hedi r
ectandi mmedi at
ecauseofhi sdeath,tothedamageandpr ejudi
ceoft heheirsof
thesaidFERDI NANDSAYSONYDABOCOL.

CONTRARYTOLAW.

Cr
imi
nalCaseNo.00-
90719

Thatonoraboutt he1stdayofMar ch,2000,inQuezonCi ty,Phil

ippi
nes,theabove-named
accusedconspi r
ingtogether
,confederati
ngwithandmut uall
yhel pi
ngeachot her,withint
ent
tokil
l,quali
6edwi t
htreachery,evi
dentpremedit
ati
onandabuseofsuper iorstr
engthdid,then
andther e,will
ful
ly,unlawful
lyandf el
oniousl
y,assault
,at
tackandempl oyper sonalviol
ence
upont heper sonofoneMOI SESSAYSON,JR.YDABOCOLbyt henandt hereshoot i
nghi m
severalti
meswi t
hagun, hi
tt
inghim onhisfaceandchest,therebyinGict
inguponhi m seri
ous
andmor talwoundwhi chwast hedi
rectandimmedi at
ecauseofhi sdeath,tothedamageand
prej
udiceofthehei rsofthesai dMOISESSAYSON, JR.YDABOCOL.

CONTRARYTOLAW.4

Cr
imi
nalCaseNo.00-
90720

Thatonoraboutt he1stdayofMar ch,2000,inQuezonCi t

y,Phil
ippines,theabove-named
accusedconspi ri
ngtogether
,confederat
ingwithandmut uall
yhelpi
ngeachot her,withint
ent
tokil
l,quali
6edwi t
ht r
eacher
y,evi
dentpr emedit
ati
onandabuseofsuper iorstr
engthdid,then
andther e,wil
lf
ull
y,unlawful
lyandf el
oniousl
y,assaul
t,att
ackandempl oyper sonalviol
ence
upont hepersonofoneJOSELI TOSAYSONYDABOCOLbyt henandt hereshoot i
nghim witha
gun,hitt
inghim onhisback,ther
ebyi nGict
inguponhim seri
ousandmor talwoundwhi chwas
thedirectandimmedi atecauseofhi sdeath,t
othedamageandpr ejudiceofthehei r
soft he
saidJOSELI TOSAYSONYDABOCOL.

CONTRARYTOLAW.
"

Theaccusedwasf
oundbyt
heRTCgui
lt
yofal
loft
hechar
ges.Thecasewasappeal
edbef
ore
t
heCour
tofAppeal
sinwhi
chi
taf
fi
rmedt
heconvi
cti
on.Hencet
hisappeal
.

Accused al
leged,among other
s,t
hatt
heSt
atewasnotabl
eto est
abl
ish t
hequal
if
ying
ci
rcumstanceoftreacher
y.

I
ssue:

Whet
herornott
heaccusedi
sgui
lt
yofmur
der
.

Hel
d:

No.TheCour tsaidthatthe accusedisguil

tyofthreecountsofhomi ci
deonlybecauseoft he
fai
lur eoft heSt at
et oest abl
ishthementionedqual i
fyi
ngci r
cumst ance.Mer el
ynami ngt he
cri
meandt heattendingci r
cumstancesint
hei nf
ormationisnotenough.TheCour tf
urthersaid
that" t
her ealnatureoft hecri
minalchargeisdeter
mi nednotf r
om thecapt i
onorpr eambl eof
thei nfor
mat i
on,orf rom thespecicat
ionoftheprovisi
onofl awallegedt ohavebeenvi olated,
whi charemer econcl usionsoflaw,butbyt heactualreci
talofthef actsi
nt hecompl aintor
i
nf ormation."

Citi
ngPeopl ev.Di maanot heCour tsai
dthat"Ever
yelementoft heoffensemustbest at
edi n
theinformation.Whatf actsandcircumstancesarenecessarytobei ncl
udedt herei
nmustbe
determined by reference tothe de6niti
ons and essenti
als ofthe speci6ed cri
mes.The
requir
ementofal legi
ngt heelement sofacri
mei ntheinfor
mationistoinformt heaccusedof
thenatur eoftheaccusat i
onagainsthim soast oenablehimtosuitablypreparehisdefense.
The pr esumption isthatt he accused has no i
ndependentknowl edge oft he fact
st hat
constit
utetheof f
ense.

TheCour talsosai dt hat" [

t]
odi schargeitsbur denofi nf
ormi nghim oft hechar ge,theSt ate
mustspeci f
yi nt hei
nf ormationthedet ail
soft hecrimeandanyci rcumstancet hataggr avates
hisli
abil
it
yf ort hecrime.Ther equirementofsuf 6cientfactualaverment sismeantt oi nform
theaccusedoft henat ureandcauseoft hechar geagai nsthimi nor dert oenablehi mt o
preparehisdef ense.Itemanat esf rom thepr esumptionofi nnocenceinhi sfavor,pursuantt o
whichhei salwayspr esumedt ohavenoi ndependentknowl edgeoft hedetail
soft hecr i
mehe
i
sbei ngchar gedwi th.Tohavet hefactsst at
edi nthebodyoft heinformationdet er
mi net he
cri
meofwhi chhest andschar gedandf orwhichhemustbet ri
edt horoughlyaccor dswi th
commonsenseandwi ththerequi r
ement sofplainjusti
ce"