Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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* EN BANC.
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SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 518 11/28/23, 12:40 AM
Criminal Law; Rape; This Court has held time and again that
testimonies of rape victims who are young and immature deserve full
credence, considering that no young woman, especially of tender age,
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show any improper motive on the part of the rape victim to testify
falsely against the accused or to falsely implicate him in the
commission of a crime, the logical conclusion is that the testimony
is worthy of full faith and credence.
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SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 518 11/28/23, 12:40 AM
CHICO-NAZARIO, J.:
1
For review is the decision of the Court of Appeals in CA-
G.R. CR-H.C. No. 01414 dated 16 November2
2005 which
affirmed with modification the decision of the Regional
Trial Court (RTC) of Dinalupihan, Bataan, Branch 5, in
Criminal Cases Nos. DH 586-97 and 587-97, finding
appellant Alfredo Trinidad Pangilinan guilty of two counts
of rape. The Court of Appeals upheld the two death
sentences imposed on appellant but modified the award of
damages.
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Two informations
3
were filed charging appellant with raping
AAA, his daughter. The informations read:
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SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 518 11/28/23, 12:40 AM
8
in chief. On 15 December 1997, appellant filed his
comment 9 and/or opposition to the prosecutionÊs offer of
evidence.
In an Order dated 23 April 1998, the trial court, finding
that the evidence against the10 accused is strong, denied
appellantÊs petition for bail. Thereafter, the defense
presented its evidence with appellant as the sole witness.
Appellant testified as follows:
Appellant narrated that he left for Saudi Arabia on 27
May 1990 and returned on 22 September 1992. Upon his
return, a lot of people informed him that his wife was
having an affair. Complainant even told him he is not the
father of his youngest daughter. As a result, he lost interest
in going back to Saudi Arabia, merely stayed at home and
did not look for work. He revealed that before he left for
Saudi Arabia, his daughter AAA was sweet to him, that is,
she hugged and kissed him. When he returned from Saudi
Arabia, he said AAA became sweeter.
In September 1995, his wife was in Singapore working
as an overseas contract worker. He kept in touch with her
through phone and letters. Once, while he was writing a
letter to his wife, he said he became drunk and was not
able to finish the letter. He felt dizzy, lay down and slept.
He was awakened by the embraces and kisses of a person
who turned out to be his daughter, AAA. He said there was
malice in the way his daughter embraced and kissed him.
He wondered why his daughter was kissing him the way
she did. He embraced her but he did not allow anything to
happen, she being his daughter.
Appellant further testified that the same incident
happened again, but this time, he was not drunk. He said
AAA approached him wanting to have sex with him by
pointing her finger on her palm. He advised her that sex is
only done by
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SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 518 11/28/23, 12:40 AM
10 Id., at p. 82.
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SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 518 11/28/23, 12:40 AM
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11 Id., at p. 115.
12 Id., at p. 133.
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„In this society, at a time when incestuous acts are not uncommon,
and with the situation where the accused and offended party were
in, when the wife of the accused was away working in Singapore, it
is easy to believe that his loneliness urged him to sexually abuse his
daughter. The offended party had no ill motive in filing the case
against him. It was even the paternal grandmother who initially
informed her mother that the accused was raping his daughter
while she was gone. For fear that the accused might do it again, the
paternal grandmother was trying to prevail over the mother who
was again planning to leave for abroad. The one responsible for
bringing the matter to the attention of the mother who later
reported to the police was no less tha(n) the mother of the accused.
A mother would not allow herself to be used to make her son suffer,
(e)specially if the charges are fabricated. She heard the cries/shouts
from the offended party while the accused was sexually assaulting
her. What she did was to tell the truth. Is accused blaming her own
13
mother for simply telling the truth?‰
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13 Id.
14 Id., at p. 134.
15 G.R. Nos. 147678-87, 7 July 2004, 433 SCRA 640.
16 Rollo, p. 186.
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SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 518 11/28/23, 12:40 AM
II
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17 Id., at p. 22.
18 Id., at p. 1.
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19 Miranda v. Tuliao, G.R. No. 158763, March 31, 2006, 486 SCRA 377,
389; Alva v. Court of Appeals, G.R. No. 157331, April 12, 2006, 487 SCRA
146, 169.
20 Section 14 (2), Article III, 1987 Philippine Constitution.
21 People v. Monteron, 428 Phil. 401, 406; 378 SCRA 340, 345 (2002).
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24 People v. Bascugin, G.R. No. 144195, 25 May 2004, 429 SCRA 140,
146.
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SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 518 11/28/23, 12:40 AM
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Prosec. Tanciongco:
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SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 518 11/28/23, 12:40 AM
a. Yes, sir.
q. What else did your father do aside from removing your shorts if
he did anything?
Witness:
He raised my clothes, sir.
Prosec. Tanciongco:
How about you, what were you doing at that time that he raised
your clothes and removing your shorts, what were you doing
then?
a. I was preventing him from doing so, but he was so strong I
cannot control him.
q. After the accused, your father raised your shirt, what happened
next?
a. I was fighting back sir, but both of my hands were pinned by
him.
q. You mean both of your hands were pinned by your fa-ther?
a. Yes, sir.
q. And then what happened to you?
Witness:
Sumigaw po ako. „Inang, inang tulungan po ninyo ako
inaasawa po ako ng papa ko.‰ (I was shouting. „Inang, inang
tulungan po ninyo ako, inaasawa po ako ng Papa ko.‰)
xxxx
Witness:
Hindi pa rin niya po ako tinitigilan, tapos po sumisikad na po
ako, hindi pa rin po siya umaalis. Tapos po hina-halikan niya
ang suso ko.
Court:
You translate it first.
Court Interpreter:
He still continued with what he was doing, I am kicking him,
but he is (sic) continue to kiss my breast, sir.
Prosec. Tanciongco:
What else did the accused do if any, aside from kissing your
breast?
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SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 518 11/28/23, 12:40 AM
q. When you said the same thing was repeated what do you mean?
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Witness:
He repeated what he had done on the first night.
Prosec. Tanciongco:
Can you tell this Honorable Court, what was that same thing
that was done to you again by your father?
a. He removed my pants and panty and raised my clothes, sir.
q. What were you doing then at the time your father was doing
that?
a. I was shouting and struggling, sir, because my father was very
heavy.
q. What time more or less of the night was that done by your
father?
a. Between ten (10) to eleven (11), sir.
q. Where were your brother and sisters at that time while your
father was doing that to you?
a. There were sleeping during that time, sir.
Prosec. Tanciongco:
And your father was the only person awake at that time?
a. Yes, sir.
q. Now, after that he raised your skirt and removed your shorts
and panty, what happened next?
a. I was shouting sir, but he was covering my mouth, sir.
q. Covering your mouth?
a. Yes, sir.
q. After that what happened next?
a. He was kissing my breast, sir, then he placed himself on top of
me, sir.
Prosec. Tanciongco:
How about you, when he placed himself on top of you, what
were you doing?
a. I was kicking my feet, sir.
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SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 518 11/28/23, 12:40 AM
q. After he was on top of you, can you tell us what was he doing
when he was on top of you?
a. He was pumping, sir.
q. While he was pumping, what happened?
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SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 518 11/28/23, 12:40 AM
Witness:
Yes, sir.
question:
Where were you raped by your father?
answer:
In our house, sir.
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question:
In what portion of your house were you raped by your fa-ther?
answer:
Upstairs, sir.
question:
What time more or less were you raped by your father?
answer:
Between the hours of ten (10) to eleven (11) oÊclock in the
evening, sir.
Prosec. Tanciongco:
In the evening or in the morning?
answer:
In the evening, sir.
question:
Can you tell this Honorable Court, how were you [raped] by
your father?
answer:
I was sleeping then and suddenly I felt my father was
removing my clothes including my short and panty and he was
raising my shirt, sir. And then, I felt he was on top of me.
question:
By the way, what was your father wearing at that time?
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SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 518 11/28/23, 12:40 AM
answer:
He was wearing shorts, sir.
Prosec. Tanciongco:
At that time that he was on top of you, was he wearing
anything?
answer:
No more, sir.
question:
Now, at the time he was removing your panty, raised your
shirt, what did you do?
answer:
I was fighting back, sir. I was kicking and pushing him, but he
was so heavy so I canÊt push him, sir.
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question:
When you stated that he was on top of you, what happened
when he was on top of you?
Witness:
He was pumping, sir.
Prosec. Tanciongco:
While he was pumping, what were you doing at that time?
answer:
I was pushing him sir, but he was so heavy, I was not able to
push him.
Prosec. Tanciongco:
I would like to make of record that the witness is crying while
testifying.
Court:
Make that on record.
Prosec. Tanciongco:
Now, while he was pumping and you were trying to push him
and failed to do so, what happened next?
Witness:
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35
seclusion. As testified to by the private complainant, her
brother and two sisters were 36
sleeping soundly and were not
awakened by the commotion She further said that when
the rape was perpetrated on 5 January 1997, her mother
was in the sala downstairs sleeping while her father 37
proceeded upstairs to commit the dastardly act on her.
With her brother and sisters sleeping soundly, and her
mother sleeping downstairs (during the rape committed on
5 January 1997), appellant had all the opportunity to carry
out, which he did, his dissolute plan.
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43
rior to the testimony given in open court. In the instant
case, the said contradiction between private complainantÊs
sworn statement and her statement in court was fully
explained by her. She made it clear in court that this
portion of her sworn statement was wrong and what was
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43 People v. Sara, 463 Phil. 94, 109-110; 417 SCRA 431, 443 (2003).
44 TSN, 4 June 1997, pp. 45-48.
386
45
ing on the essential fact testified to. In fact, these
inconsistencies bolster the credibility of the witnessÊs
testimony as they erase the suspicion
46
of the witness having
been coached or rehearsed. It is when the testimony
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45 People v. Sabardan, G.R. No. 132135, 21 May 2004, 429 SCRA 9, 19.
46 People v. Murillo, G.R. Nos. 128851-56, 19 February 2001, 352
SCRA 105, 118.
47 People v. Albior, G.R. No. 115079, 19 February 2001, 352 SCRA 35,
46.
48 TSN, 15 May 1997, pp. 19-25.
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SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 518 11/28/23, 12:40 AM
„As to the absence of violence, accused pointed out that the physical
examination revealed that there were no signs of violence. This is
understandable since the offense took place in September 1995 and
January 5, 1997 while the physical examination was conducted on
March 17, 1997 or almost two (2) years and two (2) months,
respectively. Whatever signs of physical violence or wounds/ injuries
there may be at the time of the commission of the offense the same
50
had healed in time.‰
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49 People v. Arango, G.R. No. 168442, 30 August 2006, 500 SCRA 259.
50 Records, Vol. 1. pp. 130-131.
51 TSN, 22 October 1997, pp. 13-14.
52 Records, Vol. 1, p. 45.
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53 People v. Limio, G.R. Nos. 148804-06, 27 May 2004, 429 SCRA 597,
610.
54 Id., at p. 611.
55 People v. Esperas, G.R. No. 128109, 19 November 2003, 416 SCRA
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SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 518 11/28/23, 12:40 AM
216, 225-226.
56 People v. Agsaoay, Jr., G.R. Nos. 132125-26, 3 June 2004, 430 SCRA
450.
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a child and cared for her like a precious jewel. Had the offended
party enjoyed this treatment and did not suffer in his hands, the
former would not have any reason nor have a heart to file charges
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against the (latter). x x x.‰
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alleged66
in the information and duly proved during the
trial. In the instant case, since the attendant
circumstances of the victimÊs minority and her relationship
with the offender have been properly alleged in the
informations and established during trial, the trial courtÊs
imposition of the penalty
67
of death on appellant is justified.
With the effectivity, however, of Republic Act No. 9346
entitled, „An Act Prohibiting the Imposition of Death
Penalty in the Philippines,‰ the imposition of the supreme
penalty of death has been prohibited. Pursuant to Section 2
thereof, the penalty to be meted on appellant shall be
reclusion perpetua. Said section reads:
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66 People v. Caliso, 439 Phil. 492, 507-508; 390 SCRA 624, 635 (2002).
67 Republic Act No. 9346 took effect immediately after its publication
in two newspapers of general circulation, namely Malaya and Manila
Times on 29 June 2006 in accordance with Section 5 thereof.
392
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SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 518 11/28/23, 12:40 AM
appellant.
SO ORDERED.
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··o0o··
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