Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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* THIRD DIVISION.
676
party or the accused may appeal, but only with respect to the
civil aspect of the decision. Or, said judgment of acquittal may be
assailed through a petition for certiorari under Rule 65 of the
Rules of Court showing that the lower court, in acquitting the
accused, committed not merely reversible errors of judgment, but
also exercised grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or
excess of jurisdiction, or a denial of due process, thereby
rendering the assailed judgment null and void. If there is grave
abuse of discretion, granting petitioners prayer is not tantamount
to putting private respondents in double jeopardy.
Same; Special Civil Actions; Certiorari; Motion for
Reconsideration; A motion for reconsideration is a condicio sine
qua non for the filing of a petition for certiorari; Exceptions.
True, a motion for reconsideration is a condicio sine qua non for
the filing of a petition for certiorari. Its purpose is for the court to
have an opportunity to correct any actual or perceived error
attributed to it by reexamination of the legal and factual
circumstances of the case. This rule, however, is not absolute and
admits well-defined exceptions, such as: (a) where the order is a
patent nullity, as where the court a quo has no jurisdiction; (b)
where the questions raised in the certiorari proceedings have been
duly raised and passed upon by the lower court, or are the same
as those raised and passed upon in the lower court; (c) where
there is an urgent necessity for the resolution of the question and
any further delay would prejudice the interests of the
Government or of the petitioner or the subject matter of the action
is perishable; (d) where, under the circumstances, a motion for
reconsideration would be useless; (e) where petitioner was
deprived of due process and there is extreme urgency for relief; (f)
where, in a criminal case, relief from an order of arrest is urgent
and the granting of such relief by the trial court is improbable; (g)
where the proceedings in the lower court are a nullity for lack of
due process; (h) where the proceedings were ex parte or in which
the petitioner had no opportunity to object; and (i) where the issue
raised is one purely of law or where public interest is involved.
Same; Same; Same; An acquittal is considered tainted with
grave abuse of discretion when it is shown that the prosecutions
right to due process was violated or that the trial conducted was a
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679
her claim were not true. And even if she were indeed highly
promiscuous at such a young age, the same could still not prove
that no rape was actually committed. Even a complainant who
was a woman of loose morals could still be the victim of rape.
Even a prostitute may be a victim of rape. The victims moral
character in rape is immaterial where, as in this case, it is shown
that the victim was deprived of
680
The Court, however, finds that the RTC erred in ruling that
Alquizolas liability is not of a conspirator, but that of a mere
accomplice. To establish conspiracy, it is not essential that there
be proof as to previous agreement to commit a crime, it being
sufficient that the malefactors shall have acted in concert
pursuant to the same objective. Conspiracy is proved if there is
convincing evidence to sustain a finding that the malefactors
681
682
51, Republic Act (RA) No. 9344, which extends even to one who has
exceeded the age limit of twenty-one (21) years, so long as he
committed the crime when he was still a child.The Court shall
impose the indeterminate penalty of imprisonment from six (6)
years and one (1) day of prisin mayor as minimum to twelve (12)
years and one (1) day of reclusion temporal as maximum, for each
count of rape committed. However, Oporto shall be entitled to
appropriate disposition under
683
Section 51, R.A. No. 9344, which extends even to one who has
exceeded the age limit of twenty-one (21) years, so long as he
committed the crime when he was still a child, and provides for
the confinement of convicted children as follows: Sec. 51.
Confinement of Convicted Children in Agricultural Camps
and Other Training Facilities.A child in conflict with the
law may, after conviction and upon order of the court, be made to
serve his/her sentence, in lieu of confinement in a regular penal
institution, in an agricultural camp and other training facilities
that may be established, maintained, supervised and controlled
by the BUCOR, in coordination with the DSWD.
PERALTA, J.:
Before the Court is a Petition for Certiorari questioning
the Decision1 of the Court of Appeals (CA) dated June 6,
2008 in C.A.-G.R. CR-H.C. No. 00422-MIN. The CA
reversed and set aside the Decision2 of the Regional Trial
Court (RTC) of Kapatagan, Lanao del Norte, Branch 21,
dated February 28, 2006 in Criminal Case No. 21-1211,
and acquitted private respondents Raymund Carampatana,
Joefhel Oporto, and Moises Alquizola of the crime of rape
for the prosecutions failure to prove their guilt beyond
reasonable doubt.
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684
Upon arraignment, accused, assisted by their respective
counsels, entered a plea of not guilty to the offense
charged.5
Following pretrial,6 trial on the merits ensued. Accused
Christian John Lim, however, remains at-large.
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685
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690
Aggrieved by the RTC Decision, private respondents
brought the case to the CA. On June 6, 2008, the appellate
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691
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In sum, the CA found that the prosecution failed to
prove private respondents guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
It gave more credence to the version of the defense and
ruled that AAA consented to the sexual congress. She was
wide awake and aware of what private respondents were
doing before the intercourse. She never showed any
physical resistance, never shouted for help, and never
fought against her alleged ravishers. The appellate court
further relied on the medical report which showed the
presence of an old hymenal laceration on AAAs genitalia,
giving the impression that she has had some carnal
knowledge with a man before. The CA also stressed that
AAAs mothers unusual reaction of hitting her when she
discovered what happened to her daughter was more
consistent with that of a parent who found out that her
child just had premarital sex rather than one who was
sexually assaulted.
On July 29, 2008, AAA, through her private counsel,
filed a Petition for Certiorari9 under Rule 65, questioning
the CA Decision which reversed private respondents
conviction and ardently contending that the same was
made with grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or
excess of jurisdiction.
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692
The private respondents present the following
arguments in their Comment dated November 7, 2008 to
assail the petition:
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I.
A JUDGMENT OF ACQUITTAL IS IMMEDIATELY FINAL
AND EXECUTORY AND THE PROSECUTION CANNOT
APPEAL THE ACQUITTAL BECAUSE OF THE
CONSTITUTIONAL PROHIBITION AGAINST DOUBLE
JEOPARDY.
II.
THE PETITIONER FAILED TO PROVE THAT THERE IS
GRAVE ABUSE OF DISCRETION AMOUNTING TO LACK OR
EXCESS OF JURISDICTION ON THE PART OF PUBLIC
RESPONDENT.
III.
CERTIORARI WILL NOT LIE UNLESS A MOTION FOR
RECONSIDERATION IS FIRST FILED.
IV.
THE OFFICE OF THE SOLICITOR GENERAL IS THE
APPELLATE COUNSEL OF THE PEOPLE OF THE
PHILIPPINES IN ALL CRIMINAL CASES.11
The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) filed its own
Comment on April 1, 2009. It assigns the following errors:
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10 Id., at p. 10.
11 Id., at pp. 241-242.
693
I.
THE PRIVATE COMPLAINANT MAY VALIDLY APPEAL AN
ORDER OF ACQUITTAL AS TO THE CIVIL ASPECT OF THE
CRIME.
II.
THE APPELLATE DECISION OF ACQUITTAL IS NULL
AND VOID FOR HAVING BEEN RENDERED WITH GRAVE
ABUSE OF DISCRETION AMOUNTING TO LACK OR EXCESS
OF JURISDICTION, AN EXCEPTION TO THE PRINCIPLE OF
DOUBLE JEOPARDY.12
The Court will first resolve the procedural issues.
At the onset, the Court stresses that rules of procedure
are meant to be tools to facilitate a fair and orderly conduct
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694
Despite acquittal, however, either the offended party or
the accused may appeal, but only with respect to the civil
aspect of the decision. Or, said judgment of acquittal may
be assailed through a petition for certiorari under Rule 65
of the Rules of Court showing that the lower court, in
acquitting the accused, committed not merely reversible
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695
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Private respondents argue that the action should have
been filed by the State through the OSG. True, in criminal
cases, the acquittal of the accused or the dismissal of the
case against him can only be appealed by the Solicitor
General, acting on behalf of the State. This is because the
authority to represent the State in appeals of criminal
cases before the Supreme Court and the CA is solely vested
in the OSG.20
Here, AAA filed a petition for certiorari under Rule 65,
albeit at the instance of her private counsel, primarily
imputing grave abuse of discretion on the part of the CA
when it acquitted private respondents. As the aggrieved
party, AAA clearly has the right to bring the action in her
name and maintain
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696
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697
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24 Republic v. Bayao, G.R. No. 179492, June 5, 2013, 697 SCRA 313,
323.
25 People v. Court of Appeals, G.R. No. 198589, July 25, 2012, 677
SCRA 577, 580.
698
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26 Yu v. Reyes-Carpio, G.R. No. 189207, June 15, 2011, 652 SCRA 341,
348.
27 Dissenting Opinion of then Associate Justice Claudio Teehankee in
Chemplex (Phils.), Inc. v. Pamatian, 156 Phil. 408, 457;
57 SCRA 408, 448 (1974).
28 Rollo, pp. 72-78.
29 Id., at pp. 38-41.
30 Id., at pp. 46-48.
31 Id., at pp. 42-43.
699
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32 Equitable PCIBank v. Caguioa, 504 Phil. 242, 249; 466 SCRA 686,
693 (2005).
33 Id.
700
Under the aforecited provision, the elements of rape are:
(1) the offender had carnal knowledge of the victim; and (2)
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701
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35 People v. Cabral, 362 Phil. 697, 712; 303 SCRA 361, 375 (1999).
36 People v. Rivera, 414 Phil. 430, 453; 362 SCRA 153, 176 (2001).
37 Rollo, p. 55.
38 Id.
702
703
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704
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705
On the other hand, the RTC was not convinced with the
explanation of the defense. It noted that their account of
the events was seemingly unusual and incredible.40
Besides, the defense of consensual copulation was belatedly
invoked and seemed to have been a last ditch effort to avoid
culpability. The accused never mentioned about the same
at the pretrial stage. The trial court only came to know
about it when it was their turn to take the witness stand,
catching the court by
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706
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707
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46 Rollo, p. 48.
47 Id., at pp. 40-41.
48 Id., at p. 60.
708
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49 People v. Dejillo, G.R. No. 185005, December 10, 2012, 687 SCRA
537, 553.
50 People v. Apattad, G.R. No. 193188, August 10, 2011, 655 SCRA
335, 349.
51 Valbueco, Inc. v. Province of Bataan, G.R. No. 173829, June 10,
2013, 698 SCRA 57, 77.
52 People v. Vergara, G.R. No. 177763, July 3, 2013, 700 SCRA 412,
421.
53 People v. Apattad, supra at p. 350.
709
No woman, especially one of tender age, would concoct a
story of defloration, allow an examination of her private
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710
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57 People v. Baluya, 430 Phil. 349, 363; 380 SCRA 532, 545 (2002).
58 People v. Dimacuha, 467 Phil. 342, 350; 422 SCRA 688, 693 (2004).
59 People v. Buenviaje, 408 Phil. 342, 346; 356 SCRA 238, 245 (2001).
60 People v. Jorolan, 452 Phil. 698, 714; 404 SCRA 564, 575 (2003).
711
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712
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69 People v. Peralta, 134 Phil. 703, 722-723; 25 SCRA 759, 776 (1968).
70 People v. Gambao, G.R. No. 172707, October 1, 2013, 706 SCRA
508, 527.
71 People v. Jabonero, supra note 67. (Emphasis ours)
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713
Here, unlike in the foregoing case of Jabonero,
Alquizolas participation in the crime is not at all
uncertain. As the caretaker of the Alquizola Lodging
House, he provided a room so the rape could be
accomplished with ease and furtiveness. He was likewise
inside the room, intently watching, while Oporto and
Carampatana sexually abused AAA. He did not do
anything to stop the bestial acts of his companions. He
even admitted to kissing AAAs lips, breasts, and other
parts of her body. Indubitably, there was conspiracy among
Carampatana, Oporto, and Alquizola to sexually abuse
AAA. Hence, the act of any one was the act of all, and each
of them, Alquizola including, is equally guilty of the crime
of rape. While it is
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714
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74 Rollo, p. 81.
75 People v. Mirandilla, supra note 44.
76 Revised Rules of Criminal Procedure, Rule 110, Section 13.
77 M. Gubat, supra note 15 at p. 90.
78 Section 3. Grounds.The accused may move to quash the
complaint or information on any of the following grounds:
xxxx
(f) That more than one offense is charged except when a single
punishment for various offenses is prescribed by law.
xxxx
79 Section 1. Time to move to quash.At any time before entering
his plea, the accused may move to quash the complaint or information.
80 People v. Lucena, 408 Phil. 172, 191; 356 SCRA 90, 105 (2001).
715
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716
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717
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Hence, in the proper execution of judgment by the lower
court, the foregoing provision should be taken into
consideration by the judge in order to accord children in
conflict with the law, who have already gone beyond
twenty-one (21) years of age, the proper treatment
envisioned by law.
As to their civil liability, all of them shall pay AAA the
amount of P50,000.00 as civil indemnity and another
P50,000.00 as moral damages, in each case. Exemplary
damages of P30,000.00 shall likewise be imposed by way of
an example and to deter others from committing the same
bestial acts.
WHEREFORE, PREMISES CONSIDERED, the
petition is GRANTED. The assailed Decision dated June 6,
2008 of the Court of Appeals in C.A.-G.R. CR-H.C. No.
00422-MIN is REVERSED AND SET ASIDE. The Court
hereby renders judgment:
a) Finding accused-respondent Raymund Carampatana
GUILTY beyond reasonable doubt of four (4) counts of
rape, and the Court hereby
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88 People v. Jacinto, G.R. No. 182239, March 16, 2011, 645 SCRA 590.
89 People v. Sarcia, 615 Phil. 97, 130; 599 SCRA 20, 51.
718
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719
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