HILARION SARCEPUEDES VS. PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES G.R. No.

L-
3857. October 22, 1951

Facts:

Hilarion Sarcepuedes and his wife pass the pathway across the land o fLucrecia L.
Bustamente, to go the town school. When Lucrecia ordered the closing of a
pathway across her land, the angered Hilarion sought Lucrecia Bustamante at
the school premises to demand an explanation on September 2, 1947.
Lucrecia, a teacher-nurse, was about to pierce an earring hole on the ear-
lobe of a school child in the school clinic, when Sarcepuedes arrived. One
word led to another. Hilarion Sarcepuedes then hit Lucrecia L. Bustamante, twice on
the face, with his raincoat and violently pushed her to the window. The Court of
Appeals convicted Sarcepuedes of direct assault upon a person in authority.
Sarcepuedes filed an appeal by certiorari from the CA decision. He argues that
Lucrecia was not a person in authority and even if she was, Lucrecia was
not assaulted while engaged in the performance of her official duties.

Issue:

Whether Hilarion Sarcepuedes is guilty of direct assault?

Ruling:

Yes. A teacher is expressly included in article 152 among the officials

deemed to be persons in authority. Lucrecia L. Bustamante was, on the day of the
commission of the offense, a teacher-nurse of the San Enrique Elementary Public
school, among her official duties being to give health instruction to the pupils to
instruct teachers about how to give first aid treatment in the school clinic and to
look after the sanitary facilities of the school. Lucrecia L. Bustamente was engaged
in performance of her official duties, when the assault took place. At the time of
the ill-treatment, Lucrecia was about to pierce an earring hole on the ear-lobe
of a school child in the school clinic. Such work was included in her mission of
giving treatment to the school pupils. Furthermore, it is unquestioned that
Sarcepuedes knew Lucrecia was a teacher-nurse. Whether the motive for the
offense was a dispute totally foreign to Lucrecia's educational labors is
immaterial. The fact that Lucrecia was hurt while performing her ordinary
Government tasks has been proven. She was pounced upon "while engaged in the
performance" of her official duties, within the meaning of direct assault under
Article 148.