UNITED STATES vs.

APOLONIO CABALLEROS

EN BANC
[G.R. No. 1352. March 29, 1905.] THE UNITED STATES, complainant-appellee, vs. APOLONIO CABALLEROS, ET AL., defendants-appellants. Hipolito Magsalin, for appellants. Solicitor-General Araneta, for appellee. SYLLABUS 1.C ERC! N. " #el$ %pon the e&'$ence that the $efen$ant Bac%l' (as e)e*pt fro* respons'+'l't, %n$er art'cle -, para.raph 9 of the /enal Co$e. 2.E01RA234!C!A5 C N6E77! N. " E)tra8%$'c'al confess'ons not *a$e &ol%ntar'l, can not +e rece'&e$ 'n e&'$ence. 9Act No. :19, sec. ;.< 3.6A!53RE 1 RE/ R1 A CR!ME. " 6a'l%re to report to the a%thor't'es the co**'ss'on of a cr'*e 's not an offense p%n'she$ +, the /enal Co$e.

DECISION

MAPA, J =
p

1he $efen$ants ha&e +een sentence$ +, the Co%rt of 6'rst !nstance of Ce+% to the penalt, of se&en ,ears of presidio mayor as accessor'es after the fact 'n the cr'*e of assass'nat'on or *%r$er perpetrate$ on the persons of the A*er'can school>teachers 5o%'s A. 1ho*as, Cl,$e . 6rance, 2ohn E. ?ells, an$ Ernest E.er, +eca%se, ('tho%t ha&'n. ta@en part 'n the sa'$ cr'*e as pr'nc'pals or as acco*pl'ces, the, too@ part 'n the +%r'al of the corpses of the &'ct'* 'n or$er to conceal the cr'*e. 1he e&'$ence $oes not 8%st'f,, 'n o%r op'n'on, th's sentence. As re.ar$s Ro+erto Bac%l', altho%.h he confesse$ to ha&'n. ass'ste$ 'n the +%r'al of the corpses, 't appears that he $'$ so +eca%se he (as co*pelle$ to $o so +, the *%r$erers of the fo%r teachers. An$ not onl, $oes the $efen$ant aff'r* th's, +%t he 's corro+orate$ +,

the onl, e,e('tness to the cr'*e, 1eo$oro 7a+ate, (ho, +, the (a,, 's a ('tness for the prosec%t'on. 1h's ('tness sa,s he (as present (hen the A*er'cans (ere @'lle$A that Ro+erto Bac%l' (as not a *e*+er of the .ro%p (ho @'lle$ the A*er'cans, +%t that he (as 'n a +anana plantat'on on h's propert, .ather'n. so*e +ananasA that (hen he hear$ the shots he +e.an to r%nA that he (as, ho(e&er, seen +, 4a*aso an$ !s'$oro, the lea$ers of the +an$A that the latter calle$ to h'* an$ str'@'n. h'* the +%tts of the'r .%ns the, force$ h'* to +%r, the corpses. 1he /enal Co$e e)e*pts fro* l'a+'l't, an, person (ho perfor*s the act +, reason of 'rres'st'+le force 9par. 9, art. -<. Bac%l' acte$, $o%+tless, %n$er s%ch c'rc%*stances (hen he e)ec%te$ the acts (h'ch are char.e$ a.a'nst h'*. As re.ar$s the other $efen$ant, Apolon'o Ca+alleros, there 's no proof that he too@ an, part 'n an, (a, 'n the e)ec%t'on of the cr'*e ('th (h'ch he has +een char.e$A there 's concl%s'&e proof to the contrar,, s'nce Bac%l', as (ell as on of the ('tnesses for the prosec%t'on, 1eo$oro 7a+ate, e)pressl, $eclare that he, Ca+alleros, $'$ not ta@e an, part 'n the +%r'al of the aforesa'$ corpses, nor (as he e&en 'n the place of occ%rrence (hen the +%r'al too@ place. 1he confess'on of h's s%ppose$ l'a+'l't, an$ .%'lt, *a$e +efore an off'c'al of the $'&'s'on of 'nfor*at'on of the Consta+%lar,, Enr'B%e Cal$eron, as the latter states (hen test'f,'n. as a ('tness, can not +e cons'$ere$ as le.al proof, +eca%se the sa*e ('tness sa,s that Ro+erto Bac%l' (as the onl, one of the $efen$ants (ho *a$e a confess'on to h'* voluntarily. !t appears +es'$es, fro* the state*ents of another ('tness for the prosec%t'on, Mel'ton Co&arr%+'as, that the confess'on of Apolon'o Ca+alleros (as *a$e thro%.h the pro*'se *a$e to h'* an$ to the other $efen$ants that nothing would be done to them. Confess'ons (h'ch $o not appear to ha&e +een *a$e freel, an$ &ol%ntar'l,, ('tho%t force, 'nt'*'$at'on, or pro*'se of par$on, can not +e accepte$ as proof on a tr'al. 97ec. ; Act No. :19 of the /h'l'pp'ne Co**'ss'on.< 1he fact of the $efen$ants not report'n. to the a%thor't'es the perpetrat'on of the cr'*e, (h'ch see*s to +e one of the *ot'&es for the con&'ct'on an$ (h'ch the co%rt +elo( ta@es 'nto cons'$erat'on 'n h's 8%$.*ent, 's not p%n'she$ +, the /enal Co$e an$ therefore that can not ren$er the $efen$ants cr'*'nall, l'a+le accor$'n. to la(. B, &'rt%e, then, of the a+o&e cons'$erat'ons, an$ ('th a re&ersal of the 8%$.*ent appeale$ fro*, (e acB%'t the $efen$ants, appellants, ('th the costs $e of'c'o 'n +oth 'nstances. 7o or$ere$. Arellano, C .J ., orres, Johnson an$ Carson, JJ ., conc%r.