People

 v.  Paycana  
GR  No  179035|  551  SCRA  657  |  16  April  2008  |  Tinga,  J.  
Princess  Trisha  Joy  Z.  Uy  |  Law  110-­‐Criminal  Law  II  |  Grp3  
 
Paycana  stabbed  his  pregnant  wife  several  times  and  ended  up  killing  
his  wife  and  the  unborn  child.  
The  elements  of  unintentional  abortion  is  in  the  ratio.  
 
Facts:  
 
! Paycana  Jr.  was  charged  with  parricide  with  unintentional  abortion  to  which  he  pleaded  not  guilty  
! He  claims  it  was  self-­‐defense,  that  the  wife  attacked  him  first  and  so  he  had  to  retaliate  and  he  ended  
up  killing  his  pregnant  wife.  
 
Witness  version:  
! Paycana  came  home  early  in  the  morning  carrying  with  him  his  tools  of  trade  as  a  butcher  (knife,  bolo,  
sharpener)  
! He  stabbed  his  wife  14  times.  
! Due  to  the  shouting,  Tito  (wife’s  father)  went  to  the  place  to  see  his  daughter  lying  near  the  door.  
! Seeing  that  the  accused  was  armed,  he  stepped  back.  
! Angelina  (Paycana’s  daughter)  says  that  Paycana  held  her  mother’s  neck  and  stabbed  her.  
 
Paycana  version:  
! He  got  the  knife  from  the  wife  who  stabbed  her  first  
! They  had  a  fight  the  night  before  
! He  wanted  to  separate  and  while  on  his  way  out  the  wife  stabbed  him  and  so  he  got  the  knife  from  the  
wife  and  stabbed  her.  
! He  claims  he  was  not  aware  of  the  number  of  times  because  he  was  dizzy  from  blood  loss  
 
Issue/Ratio:  
WON  the  acts  were  done  in  self-­‐defense.  No  
 
RTC  is  better  suited  to  ascertain  if  it  was  indeed  self-­‐defense  based  on  the  facts.  The  lower  court  has  
appreciated  all  the  facts  and  circumstances,  and  have  seen  and  heard  the  witnesses.  SC  has  no  reason  
to  disturb  its  findings.  
 
• unlawful  aggression  -­‐  belied  by  the  witnesses  and  medical  findings  that  injuries  to  Paycana  were  
self-­‐inflicted  and  superficial.  
• reasonable  means  -­‐  14  times!  This  shows  effort  to  kill.  
 
Elements  of  unintentional  abortion  
(1)  pregnant  woman  
(2)  violence  upon  same  pregnant  woman  w/o  intending  abortion  
(3)  violence  is  intentionally  exerted  
(4)  fetus  dies  as  a  result  of  the  violence  
 
This  is  a  complex  crime  because  one  act  resulted  to  two  felonies.  The  unborn  fetus  was  also  killed  
when  the  accused  stabbed  his  wife  several  times.