GRSI Copyrightregno N94-027G.R. No. 73907 %&! &I#. '(. )*!N+,!N%*R+ +R*%+, !% +#. Rep-./i0 o1 the hi/ippine( S* R!M!

! C"*R% Mani/a $IRS% 2I,ISI"N

May 18, 1993 !" #! "$

G.R. No. 73907

May 18, 1993 IN!S, p/ainti11-appe//ee,

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)*!N+,!N%*R+ +R*%+, N+%&+NI!# 3*IN"N!S, an4 5"&N 2"!, a00-(e4appe//ant(. %he So/i0itor Genera/ 1or p/ainti11-appe//ee. ,i0ente +-6ero 1or a00-(e4-appe//ant(.

CR*7, 5.8p Ce(ar Ga/'e9 (pe4 on hi( :otor0y0/e to :eet a 1rien4 that tragi0 night. #itt/e 4i4 he ;no< that it <a( 4eath that a<aite4 hi:, to 1a// -pon hi: <ith ;ni'e( an4 /ea'e hi: /i1e/e(( on the roa4. %hree :en <ere origina//y 0harge4 in the in1or:ation 1or hi( :-r4er. "ne <a( (hot to 4eath .e1ore he 0o-/4 .e arraigne4. +nother ha( ne'er .een i4enti1ie4 an4 i( (ti// at /arge. %hi( appea/ 0on0ern( on/y )-ena'ent-ra +r-ta, <ho 0/ai:( he <a( erroneo-(/y 0on'i0te4. %he ;i//ing o00-rre4 on 2e0e:.er 2=, 1982, at a.o-t (e'en o>0/o0; in the e'ening, in 5aro, #eyte. %he pro(e0-tion pre(ente4 t<o a//ege4 eye<itne((e( <ho .oth pointe4 to +r-ta a( one o1 the a((ai/ant(. +4riano Mar:ita te(ti1ie4 that on the night in ?-e(tion, he <a( <aiting 1or Ce(ar Ga/'e9 at Sta. Cr-9 Street (o he 0o-/4 hit0h a ri4e on hi( :otor0y0/e. @hen Ga/'e9 arri'e4, Nathanie/ 3-inone(, <ho <a( (tan4ing a.o-t 8 :eter( a<ay, 0a//e4 hi:. Ga/'e9 a/ighte4 1ro: hi( :otor0y0/e an4 par;e4 it, a1ter <hi0h 3-inone( approa0he4 hi:. 3-inone( then re(traine4 Ga/'e9 .y the (ho-/4er( an4 (ho-te4 A$ight hi:BA %hi( :-(t ha'e .een a prearrange4 (igna/ 1or it <a( then that )-ena'ent-ra +r-ta an4 another per(on e:erge4 1ro: the e4ge o1 the roa4 to atta0; Ga/'e9. +r-ta (ta..e4 Ga/'e9 t<i0e in the 0he(t. %he other

per(on (ta..e4 Ga/'e9 in the (i4e o1 hi( .o4y. 3-inone( a/(o (ta..e4 the no< he/p/e(( Ga/'e9 in the a.4o:en. Ga/'e9 <a( 4ea4 <hen he 1e//. 1 Mar:ita (ai4 that he 1/e4 in 1ear an4 therea1ter ro4e <ith Cre(ente -erto//ano on hi( :otor0y0/e to in1or: 5a0into Ga/'e9 o1 hi( (on>( 4eath. 2 Martin Ro:.o :a4e pra0ti0a//y the (a:e narration o1 Ga/'e9>( ;i//ing. &e (ai4 he <a( on hi( <ay to hi( 0o-(in>( ho-(e <hen he <itne((e( the atta0; on Ga/'e9 .y +r-ta an4 hi( t<o 0o:panion(. Ro:.o 4i4 not i::e4iate/y report the ;i//ing to 5a0into Ga/'e9, eCp/aining that it <a( a/rea4y getting /ate at that ti:e. 3 2r. r-4en0io $e'i4a/, M-ni0ipa/ &ea/th "11i0er o1 5aro, #eyte 0on4-0te4 the a-top(y on the .o4y an4 reporte4 that the 0a-(e o1 4eath <a( (e'ere he:orrhage 4-e to 1o-r (ta. <o-n4( in the 0he(t an4 a.4o:en. 4 +r-ta too; the (tan4 in hi( 4e1en(e an4 (<ore he <a( not a:ong the three :en <ho atta0;e4 an4 ;i//e4 Ga/'e9. &e (ai4 that he <a( =0 ;i/o:eter( a<ay at the ti:e o1 the ;i//ing, en6oying a 4rin;ing (e((ion at hi( 0o:pa4re>( ho-(e at Cogon, "r:o0 City. D Mariano 2ag/e 0orro.orate4 thi( te(ti:ony, a11ir:ing that +r-ta /e1t hi( ho-(e 1or 5aro in the :orning o1 2e0e:.er 27, 1982, at a.o-t D o>0/o0;. = %<o other 4e1en(e <itne((e(, na:e/y Sa:-e/ 2e6ano an4 @i/1re4o Garri4o 4e0/are4 that they ha4 (een the ;i//ing an4 that it <a( 0o::itte4 on/y .y 3-inone(. 7 at. er1e0to ,i//a:or, <ho in'e(tigate4 the in0i4ent that (a:e night, te(ti1ie4 that no.o4y :entione4 +r-ta a( a:ong the :en <ho ha4 atta0;e4 Ga/'e9. 8 %he appe//ant>( .rie1 1a-/t( the tria/ 0o-rt 1or 0on'i0ting +r-ta 4e(pite the rea(ona./e 4o-.t( a.o-t hi( g-i/t. 9 Spe0i1i0a//y, it i( pointe4 o-t that the 1o-r <ere 0a-(e4 .y on/y one <eapon an4 th-( .y on/y one per(on. %hi( :an <a( 3-inone( an4 not +r-ta. %here <ere a/(o in0on(i(ten0ie( in the te(ti:onie( o1 the t<o a//ege4 eye<itne((e(, e.g., <ho a((a-/te4 Ga/'e9 an4 <hen, the n-:.er o1 thr-(t( :a4e, an4 the p/a0e <here the (ta..ing( o00-rre4. It <a( a/(o (trange that Ro:.o, <ho 0/ai:e4 to ha'e <itne((e4 the in0i4ent, too; a// o1 ten 4ay(, no /e((, to report the :atter to the 'i0ti:>( 1ather. )y 0ontra(t, the a00-(e4-appe//ant>( a/i.i <a( 0o:p/ete/y 0re4i./e an4 ha4 .een 0orro.orate4 .y the other 4e1en(e <itne((e(. @e are not 0on'in0e4. It i( a (ett/e4 4o0trine that the a((e((:ent o1 the 0re4i.i/ity o1 <itne((e( i( /e1t /arge/y to the tria/ 0o-rt .e0a-(e o1 it( opport-nity, not a'ai/a./e to the appe//ate 0o-rt, to o.(er'e the <itne((e( on the (tan4 an4 4eter:ine .y their 4e:eanor <hether they are te(ti1ying tr-th1-//y or /ying in their teeth. %he 1in4ing( o1 the tria/ 0o-rt on thi( :atter are re0ei'e4 <ith :-0h re(pe0t an4 in4ee4 a00epte4 a( 0on0/-(i'e i1 (-pporte4 .y the e'i4en0e o1 re0or4. %he 1in4ing( o1 the tria/ 0o-rt in the 0a(e at .ar are (o (-.(tantiate4. %he 4e1en(e theory that on/y one :an in1/i0te4 the 1o-r (ta. <o-n4( <a( 4e.-n;e4 .y the :e4i0a/ eCa:iner hi:(e/1, <ho 4e0/are4 that the <o-n4( 0o-/4 ha'e .een 0a-(e4 .y 4i11erent per(on( -(ing i4enti0a/ <eapon(. 10 %he in0on(i(ten0ie( 0ite4 are :inor one( an4 4o not 4etra0t 1ro: the e((entia/ 'era0ity Ean4 0on0or4an0eF o1 the (eparate narration( o1 the ;i//ing. Ro:.o eCp/aine4 hi( 4e/ayG it <a( /ate that night an4 he ha4 to

go to hi( 0o-(in>( ho-(e, an4 there <a( a/(o the nat-ra/ re/-0tan0e o1 per(on( to .e in'o/'e4 in 0o-rt /itigation(, e(pe0ia//y i1 they 4ea/ <ith :-r4er an4 per(on( not ;no<n to .e eCa0t/y /a<-a.i4ing. +( 1or the a/i.i, it <a( 1or the tria/ 6-4ge to a(0ertain <hether it (ho-/4 .e a00epte4, 0on(i4ering it( inherent <ea;ne(( an4 the 0re4i.i/ity o1 the 0orro.orating <itne((e(. @e (ha// not 4i(t-r. hi( re6e0tion o1 thi( 4e1en(e in /ight o1 hi( apprai(a/ o1 the e'i4en0e on thi( :atter. It <o-/4 (ee: that the 4e1en(e i( ta;ing a4'antage o1 the (hooting 4o<n o1 3-inone( to eC0-/pate +r-ta 1ro: the ;i//ing o1 Ga/'e9. 3-inone( ha( .y hi( 4eath .e0o:e a 0on'enient (0apegoat <ho 0an no /onger .e p-ni(he4 .y the Co-rt. )-t <e are not 4e0ei'e4. %here i( eno-gh e'i4en0e that +r-ta hi:(e/1 (ta..e4 Ga/'e9 a( (o 4i4 3-inone( an4 the other atta0;er. +t any rate, there i( no ?-e(tion that a 0on(pira0y eCi(te4 .et<een the three a((ai/ant(, :a;ing the a0t o1 a// the a0t o1 ea0h o1 the:. 11 *n4er thi( r-/e, the a0t( o1 the 4e0ea(e4 3-inone( are a/(o i:p-ta./e to +r-ta. Moti'e 4oe( not ha'e to .e e(ta./i(he4 <here the :a/e1a0tor( ha'e .een po(iti'e/y i4enti1ie4, a( in thi( 0a(e. Ne'erthe/e((, the rea(on 1or the ;i//ing o1 Ga/'e9 i( not 4i11i0-/t to 4i(0o'er 1ro: the a0ti'itie( o1 the protagoni(t(. %he :oti'e i( tra0ea./e to the 'io/ent ri'a/ry .et<een t<o gro-p( operating the ga:e o1 :a(iao in 5aro, <ith Ga/'e9 an4 the a00-(e4 on oppo(ite (i4e(. %hi( 0o-/4 ha'e .een the rea(on 1or the (-.(e?-ent ;i//ing o1 Nathanie/ 3-inone( .y an a//ege4 a((o0iate o1 Ga/'e9 in that .-(ine((. %he ;i//ing o1 Ga/'e9 <a( atten4e4 .y trea0hery an4 (o ?-a/i1ie4 a( :-r4er. %he 'i0ti: <a( ta;en 0o:p/ete/y .y (-rpri(e <hen the three a((ai/ant( gange4 -p on hi: an4 (ta..e4 hi: to 4eath. %he ;i//er( ha4 in(-re4 that their prey <o-/4 ha'e no :ean( to 4e1en4 hi:(e/1 again(t their (-44en atta0;. %he a//egation o1 e'i4ent pre:e4itation ha( not .een pro'e4, .-t e'en i1 it <ere, the pena/ty, <o-/4 (ti// not 0hange .e0a-(e the :aCi:-: pena/ty o1 4eath 0annot .e i:po(e4 in 'ie< o1 the inhi.ition in +rti0/e III, Se0tion 19E1F. $o//o<ing o-r r-/ing in eop/e '. M-Ho9, 12 <e appro'e the i:po(ition o1 the pena/ty o1 re0/-(ion perpet-a. %he 0i'i/ in4e:nity i(, ho<e'er, in0rea(e4 to D0,000.00 in a00or4an0e <ith eCi(ting po/i0y. @&!R!$"R!, the 0ha//enge4 4e0i(ion i( +$$IRM!2 a( a.o'e :o4i1ie4 an4 the appea/ 2ISMISS!2, <ith 0o(t( again(t the a00-(e4 appe//ant. S" "R2!R!2. GriHo-+?-ino, )e//o(i//o an4 3-ia(on, 55., 0on0-r.