EVIDENCE | B2015 CASE DIGESTS

SEGURITAN V. PEOPLE
April 19, 2010 Del Castillo J Raeses, Roberto Miguel (Edited Rodss digest. T a!"s#$

SUMMARY: Seguritan was convicted in TC and CA o! "o#icide !or $i%%ing "is unc%e during an argu#ent w"i%e drin$ing& 'ne o! t"e argu#ents o! t"e accused (raised on%) in t"e SC* is t"at t"e auto+s) was co#+ro#ised ,) t"e de%a) (1 #ont"* ,ased on a ,oo$ w"ic" "e cited on%) in SC& SC said t"at "e !ai%ed to +rove suc" a%%egations- and t"at t"e evidence was not !or#a%%) o!!ered& DOCTRINE: .C/ourts wi%% consider evidence t"at "as ,een !or#a%%) o!!ered& 0 0 0 T"e +rosecution was not given t"e c"ance to o,1ect since it was not o!!ered& A !or#a% o!!er is necessar) since 1udges are re2uired to ,ase t"eir !indings o! !act and 1udg#ent on%) 3 and strict%) 3 u+on t"e evidence o!!ered ,) t"e +arties at t"e tria%& To ru%e ot"erwise wou%d de+rive t"e o++osing +art) o! "is c"ance to e0a#ine t"e docu#ent and o,1ect to its ad#issi,i%it)& T"e a++e%%ate court wi%% "ave di!!icu%t) reviewing docu#ents not +revious%) scrutini4ed ,) t"e court ,e%ow& An) evidence w"ic" a +art) desires to su,#it to t"e courts #ust ,e o!!ered !or#a%%) ,ecause a 1udge #ust ,ase "is !indings strict%) on t"e evidence o!!ered ,) t"e +arties at t"e tria%& FACTS: o5o Seguritan was convicted o! "o#icide ,) t"e CA& CA #odi!ied t"e sentence and reduced it& TC and

cro+s- and t"is was !o%%owed ,) a "eated discussion and t"en ono +unc"ed 8ucrecio twice (rig"t and %e!t te#+%e* w"ic" caused 8ucrecio to !a%% as "e was standing u+- and "is "ead "it a "o%%ow ,%oc$ w"ic" was an i#+rovised stove& 8ucrecio %ost consciousness ,ut %ater revived- and "e was a,%e to go "o#e- at ,g) Ca%a)an- Caga)an& <is wi!e noticed ,%ood on "is !ore"ead ,ut "e said "e was stoned and t"en went to s%ee+& At a,out 6+#- "is wi!e and daug"ter noticed t"at "is co#+%e0ion dar$ened and !oa# co#ing out o! "is #out"& <e was not revived and "e died t"e sa#e nig"t& A!ter "is ,uria% on Dece#,er =- "is wi!e %earned o! ono;s invo%ve#ent and soug"t t"e "e%+ o! NBI& NBI 9edico78ega% o!!icer Dr& Antonio Vertido e0"u#ed t"e ,od) and +er!or#ed an auto+s) w"ic" !ound "e#ato#as in t"e rig"t +arieta% and %e!t occi+ita% areas- a %inear !racture in t"e rig"t #idd%e !ossa- and su,dura% "e#orr"age& T"e conc%usion was t"at t"e cause o! deat" was trau#atic "ead in1ur)& 'n 9a) 21- 166>- 9e%c"or e0ecuted a sworn state#ent ,e!ore Gon4aga :o%ice Station recounting events on t"e da) o! t"e incident& Version of the Defense: ono denied "itting 8ucrecio and a%%eged t"at t"e %atter died o! "eart attac$& <e said t"at since 8ucrecio was sitting on t"e o++osite end o! t"e ,enc"- t"at w"en ono stood u+ 8ucrecio !e%% ,e!ore "e cou%d ,e "it- and 8ucrecio;s "ead "it t"e "o%%ow ,%oc$& ono +resented ?oe% Ca,e,e- Asst egistration '!!icer o! Gon4aga- and Dr Cora4on @%or to +rove t"at 8ucrecio died o! "eart attac$& T"e witnesses identi!ied t"e Cert o! Deat" and t"e entr) t"ere t"at sa)s t"at cause o! deat" was cardiovascu%ar disease& ISSUES: A'N accused s"ou%d ,e convicted- and w"et"er it s"ou%d ,e "o#icide or rec$%ess i#+rudence resu%ting to "o#icide

Version of the Prosecution: Nov 25- 16657 a!ternoon- Seguritan was in a drin$ing session wit" "is unc%es 8ucrecio Seguritan (deceased*9e%c"or :anis- Ba%ta4ar :anis in t"e "ouse o! 9anue% De%a Cru4 in Bg) :aradise- Gon4aga- Caga)an& ono c%ai#ed t"at 8ucrecio;s cara,ao entered "is !ar# and destro)ed "is

EVIDENCE | B2015 CASE DIGESTS

RULING: Accused is gui%t) o! "o#icide RATIO: ono contends t"at t"e !racture cou%d "ave ,een caused ,) !a%%ing !ro# a "eig"t& <e a%so said t"at t"e +unc"es t"at "e t"rew "ad not"ing to do wit" 8ucrecio;s deat"- and t"at t"e in1uries were caused ,) t"e %atter "itting t"e "o%%ow ,%oc$& SC: Disagrees& It is on record t"at 8ucrecio su!!ered 2 e0terna% in1uries and 1 interna% in1ur) in "is "ead& T"e auto+s) re+ort s"ows t"at "e died o! interna% "e#orr"age caused ,) in1uries (see !acts !or %ocation o! in1uries*& A%so9e%c"or categorica%%) testi!ied t"at ono +unc"ed 8ucrecio twice- w"o !e%% to t"e ground and "it "is "ead on t"e "o%%ow ,%oc$& <e even "esitated to testi!)- as s"own ,) t"e !act t"at "e e0ecuted t"e sworn state#ent on%) a!ter t"e auto+s) re+ort& 9e%c"or;s testi#on) was consistent wit" t"e auto+s) !indings& T"e court a%so dec%ared t"at t"e +unc"es cou%d rea%%) cause t"e !racture on deceased;s "ead& T"e testi#on) o! Dr Vertido a%so sa)s t"at t"e cause o! deat" is not "eart attac$ ,ut interna% "e#orr"age& <is testi#on) said t"at t"e gross e0a#ination o! t"e "eart s"owed no signs o! "eart attac$ w"ic" caused "i# not to !urt"er e0a#ine& T"e notation in t"e Deat" Cert "as no weig"t since Dr& @%or said s"e did not e0a#ine t"e cadaver o! 8ucrecio since enato Sidantes- ,rot"er7in7%aw o! t"e deceased "ad no $now%edge o! t"e rea% cause o! deat"& ono contends t"at t"e de%a) in auto+s) o! 8ucrecio;s ,od) and its e#,a%#ing co#+ro#ised t"e resu%ts t"ereo!& <e 2uotes t"e ,oo$ 8ega% 9edicine ,) Dr& :edro So%isB (%i!ted !ro# t"e case* (1* Ca dead ,od) #ust not ,e e#,a%#ed ,e!ore t"e auto+s)& T"e e#,a%#ing !%uid #a) render t"e tissue and ,%ood un!it !or to0i%ogica% ana%)ses& T"e e#,a%#ing #a) a%ter t"e gross a++earance o! t"e tissues or #a) resu%t to a wide variet) o! arti!acts t"at tend to destro) or o,scure evidence&C

(2* Ct"e ,od) #ust ,e auto+sied in t"e sa#e condition w"en !ound at t"e cri#e scene& A de%a) in t"e +er!or#ance #a) !ai% or #odi!) t"e +ossi,%e !indings t"ere,) not serving t"e interest o! 1ustice&C ono !ai%ed to adduce evidence t"at t"e one #ont" de%a) in auto+s) #odi!ied t"e !indings& <e !ai%ed to su,stantiate t"e c%ai# t"at e#,a%#ing !%uid rendered t"e tissue and ,%ood sa#+%e un!it !or to0i%ogica% ana%)sis& Further, it is settled th t !"urts #ill "$l% !"$sider s e&ide$!e th t #hi!h h s 'ee$ ("r) ll% "((ered. The lle* ti"$ th t the results "( the ut"+s% re u$#"rth% "( !rede$!e # s ' sed "$ '"", th t # s $either ) r,ed ("r ide$ti(i! ti"$ $"r ("r) ll% "((ered i$ e&ide$!e duri$* the he ri$* "( the ! se. Thus, the tri l !"urt s #ell s the ++ell te !"urt !"rre!tl% disre* rded the). The +r"se!uti"$ # s $"t e&e$ *i&e$ the "++"rtu$it% t" "'-e!t s the '"", "r +"rti"$ there"( # s $e&er "((ered i$ e&ide$!e A ("r) l "((er is $e!ess r% si$!e -ud*es re re.uired t" ' se their (i$di$*s "( ( !t $d -ud*)e$t "$l% / $d stri!tl% / u+"$ the e&ide$!e "((ered '% the + rties t the tri l. T" rule "ther#ise #"uld de+ri&e the "++"si$* + rt% "( his !h $!e t" e0 )i$e the d"!u)e$t $d "'-e!t t" its d)issi'ilit%. The ++ell te !"urt #ill h &e di((i!ult% re&ie#i$* d"!u)e$ts $"t +re&i"usl% s!ruti$i1ed '% the !"urt 'el"#. A$% e&ide$!e #hi!h + rt% desires t" su')it t" the !"urts )ust 'e "((ered ("r) ll% 'e! use -ud*e )ust ' se his (i$di$*s stri!tl% "$ the e&ide$!e "((ered '% the + rties t the tri l. ono cannot ,e "e%d %ia,%e !or rec$%ess i#+rudence on%) since even w"en t"ere is no intent to $i%%- deat" resu%ted"ence t"e cri#e is "o#icide- since wit" res+ect to cri#es o! +ersona% vio%ence- t"e +ena% %aw %oo$s at t"e #ateria% resu%ts !o%%owing t"e un%aw!u% act and "o%ds t"e aggressor res+onsi,%e !or conse2uences t"ereo! (cited art =- :C*&

EVIDENCE | B2015 CASE DIGESTS

Penalty and Damages: T"e #itigating circu#stance o! no intention to co##it so grave a wrong as t"at co##itted was a++reciated- and t"e +ena%t) i#+osed ,) CA was correctB #in7> )ears- 1 da) +rision #a)orD #a0712 )ears and 1 da) rec%usion te#+ora% Civi% inde#nit)B correct%) awarded (deat"* :50-000 8oss o! earning ca+acit)B :1E5-EE1 (:1=-000 annua% inco#e*- uncontested Actua% da#ages (connected to deat"- wa$e- ,uria%*B no evidence to su++ort- "ence t"e court awarded te#+erate da#ages :25-000 9ora% da#agesB correct%) awarded (deat"* :50-000 DISPOSITIVE: :etition denied& #odi!ication (+ena%t) and da#ages* CA a!!ir#ed wit"