People vs.

Toling
Facts:
The appellants Antonio and Jose Toling, identical twins and both farmers from Barrio Nenita,
Northern Samar were convicted of multiple murder and attempted murder. Antonio had known through
a letter that his daughter Leonora who was working in Manila would give him money. Together with his
twin brother Jose, Antonio went to Manila. The twins arrived in Manila on January 8, 1965. In Manila,
Antonio received a total of 80 pesos from his daughter and his grandson, Sencio Rubis. The same day,
the twins took the Bicol express train coach no. 9 on the way home. After leaving the station in Cabuyao,
Laguna, Antonio with a pair of scissors went into a stabbing frenzy along with his brother who was
wielding a knife. The incident amounted into a total of 8 wounded and 12 dead, 4 of which died from
jumping off the train allegedly to avoid being killed.
Issue:
Whether or not the twins are liable for the death of the four victims who jumped off the train.
Held:
The Court modified the decision of the lower court. Homicide for the 4 other victims who
jumped off the train and died thereafter was dismissed by the Court. Proximal cause for their deaths
could not be established as there were no witnesses to support that the 4 victims jumped off because of
the stabbing frenzy of the appellants. The Court ruled that "if a man creates in another man's mind an
immediate sense of danger which causes such person to try to escape, and in so doing he injures
himself, the person who creates such a state of mind is responsible for the injuries which result.
However, since no proximal cause was established, the appellants could not be held liable. As the
presumption was a person intends the ordinary consequences of his voluntary act , Sec 5 (c) Rule 131,
Rules of Court.