10/21/2016

G.R.No.152527

TodayisFriday,October21,2016

RepublicofthePhilippines
SUPREMECOURT
FIRSTDIVISION
G.R.No.152527October20,2005
JOEYGUIYAByDANAO,Petitioner,
vs.
PEOPLEOFTHEPHILIPPINES,Respondent.
DECISION
QUISUMBING,J.:
ThispetitionforreviewseekstosetasidetheDecision 1 dated September 27, 2001 of the Court of Appeals in
CAG.R. CR No. 23703, affirming the Decision of the Regional Trial Court, Branch 22, Cabagan, Isabela, in
CriminalCaseNo.221074,convictingJoeyGuiyabofHomicide,andtheResolution 2datedFebruary26,2002
denyinghismotionforreconsideration.
On March 11, 1993, petitioner Joey Guiyab was charged with Homicide before the Regional Trial Court of
Cabagan.TheInformationreads:
That on or about the 12th day of December, 1992, in the [M]unicipality of Tumauini, [P]rovince of Isabela,
Philippines, and within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, the said accused, did then and there willfully,
unlawfully and feloniously, with intent to kill and without any just motive, assault, attack and stab with a bladed
pointed instrument one Rafael Bacani, inflicting upon him, a stab wound on the right anterior back wall, which
directlycausedhisdeath.
CONTRARYTOLAW.3
Onarraignment,petitioner,withtheassistanceofcounsel,pleadednotguilty.Trialonthemeritsensued.
ProsecutionwitnessJOSEPHMADRIAGAtestifiedthatonDecember12,1992atabout9:00p.m.,whilethevictim
Rafael Bacani and he were conversing in front of the Community Center in Tumauini, a certain Juan Sanchez
approachedandkickedthem.Astheyposedforafistfight,petitionerJoeyGuiyabuttered"Purebannutainanna
nu"(Youtryandyouwillsee.)whilebrandishingaknife.Herecalledthatheretreatedandjumpedoverthefence.
He then picked up a stone, grabbed Juan Sanchez by the hair and struck him in the head. It was then that
petitionerchasedhim.Failingtocatchhim,petitionerturnedtoRafaelwhowasfollowingthem.Petitionerstabbed
Rafaelonceontherightchest.Rafaelranafewmetersbeforehefell.JosephandRafaelsbrother,BongMatias,
broughtthevictimtothehospital.
DR.ERASMOA.CRUZ,theresidentphysicianofIsabelaIntegratedProvincialHealthOffice(otherwiseknownas
theIsabelaProvincialHospital),testifiedthatataround10:45intheeveningofDecember12,1992,heattended
toRafaelBacani.Rafaelhada1.5centimeterstabwoundlocatedonthefourthinterpostalstate(middlepartof
thechestabovethenipple).Thevictimdied,accordingtothemedicalcertificate,ofcardiorespiratoryarrest,the
antecedent cause of which is hypovolemic shock and the underlying cause is the stab wound at the anterior
chest.Hediedatabout6:25a.m.thenextday.
VISITACION MATIAS VDA. DE BACANI, the victims mother, testified that she spent P10,000 for the medical
expenses,P18,000forthecoffinandP30,000fortheotherfuneralexpenses.
Forhispart,petitionerraisedthedefenseofalibi.JOEYGUIYABtestifiedthathewasnotatTumauiniCulturaland
SportsCenteratthetimetheincidenthappened.Heaverredthathewasfarminguntil5:00p.m.atSitioBayabo,
Camasi,andsleptataround9:00p.m.intheirhouseatSitioBayabo.HistestimonywascorroboratedbyDomingo
Gumaru,andpetitionersparents,SilvinoandVicentaGuiyab.
DOMINGO GUMARU, petitioners neighbor, testified that he saw the petitioner at Sitio Bayabo at 6:00 p.m. on
December12,1992andagainat8:00a.m.ofDecember13,1992.HealsotestifiedthattogototheCentro(the
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towncenterofTumauini)fromCamasi,onehastogotoCumabaoandtakeajeeptheretotheCentro.In1992,
therewereonlythreepassengervehiclesplyingCumabaotoCentroandthelasttripwasataround4:00p.m.
As rebuttal, the prosecution presented SP04 ROMEO TUMOLVA who swore that he personally knows the
petitioner as he is a "compadre" of the petitioners parents. He testified seeing the petitioner along the fenced
areaoftheCommunityCenteratthenightoftheincident.
OnJuly7,1999,thetrialcourtrenderedjudgment,4thedecretalportionofwhichreads:
WHEREFORE,theCourtherebyrendersjudgmentfindingtheaccusedJoeyGuiyabGUILTYbeyondreasonable
doubtofthecrimeofHomicideasdefinedandpenalizedunderArticle249oftheRevisedPenalCodeandhereby
sentenceshimtosufferanindeterminatepenaltyofprisionmayormediumtoreclusiontemporalminimumorfrom
eight (8) years and one (1) day to fourteen (14) years and eight (8) months, to pay the Heirs of Rafael Bacani
P50,000.00 as death indemnity, plus P30,000.00 for actual damages and P18,000.00 for funeral expenses,
withoutsubsidiaryimprisonmentincaseofinsolvency.Costsdeofficio.
SOORDERED.5
ThecasewaselevatedtotheCourtofAppeals.Theappellatecourtaffirmedthetrialcourtsdecisionanddenied
petitionersmotionforreconsideration.
Petitionernowcomesbeforeusraisingthefollowingissues:
I.
WHETHER OR NOT THE GUILT OF THE PETITIONER WAS PROVEN BEYOND REASONABLE DOUBT TO
CONVICTHIMOFTHECRIMECHARGED.
II.
WHETHER OR NOT THE IDENTITY OF THE ACCUSED AS THE ASSAILANT WAS FULLY ESTABLISHED BY
THEPROSECUTION.6
The core issue of the present case is whether the guilt of the petitioner was established beyond reasonable
doubt.Wemustlikewiseinquireastowhetherthepetitionerwasadequatelyidentified.
Petitionerclaimsthattherealidentityoftheassailantwasnotfullyestablishedbytheprosecutionsincethelone
eyewitness learned the name of the petitioner only after it was fed to him by Police Officer Armando Lugo.
Petitionercontendsthattheidentificationofthepetitionerwastaintedwithconjectureandspeculation.
The Solicitor General counters that Joseph Madriaga witnessed the whole incident and positively identified the
petitioner.Thisissufficienttoconvictpetitioner.
We have carefully examined the records and find nothing in them that supports petitioners claim that his
identification was tainted with conjectures and speculation. Our review of the transcript shows that Joseph
Madriaga testified in a categorical and straightforward manner on the events leading to the death of Rafael
Bacani.Wequote:
Q:DoyouknowJoeyGuiyab?
A:Yes,sir.
Q:TelltheCourtwhyyouknowhim?
A:IknowhimtobearesidentofSanVicenteandIoftenseehisface.
Q:IfJoeyGuiyabisinCourt,couldyoupointhim?
A:Yes,sir.
Q:Pleasepointtohim.
CourtInterpreter:
WitnesspointingtoapersonwhowhenaskedgavehisnameasJoeyGuiyab.
...
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Q:AfterJuanSanchezhityouwith(sic)RafaelBacaniwithonesinglekick,whatdidyoudo?
A:BecauseweweresurprisedbythekickofJuanSanchezweactedbypreparingourfiststofightbackbutthis
JoeyGuiyabtookhisknifeandsaidintheIbanagdialect"Purebannutainannanu"whichmeansyoutryandyou
willsee.
Q:AfterJoeyGuiyabbroughtoutaknifeandsaidtoyou,youtryandyouwillsee,whathappenednext?
A:Imovedbackandjumpedoverthefence.
Q:WillyoupleasetelltheHonorableCourtwhyyoujumpedoverthefence?
A:BecauseJoeyGuiyabistryingtoattackmewithhisbalisong.
Q:While(sic)youjumpedoverthefencewhathappenednext?
A:Afterjumpingoverthefence,IpickedupastoneandwhenIsawJuanSanchezIhithimwithastone.
Q:Whenyouwentoverthatfence,wherewasRafaelBacani?
A:Heraninsidethepremises.
Q:AfteryouhitJuanSanchezwithastonewhathappenednext?
A:ThenJoeyGuiyabchasedme.
Q:Didheovertakeyouwhenhechasedyou?
A:No,sir.
Q:Now,whenhewasnotabletoovertakeyou,whatdidhedo?
A: Because he was not able to chase me he was able to get hold of Rafael Bacani and that was the time he
stabbedhim.
Q:WhenJoeyGuiyabstabbedRafaelBacaniwasRafaelBacanihit?
A:Yes,sir.
Q:Whatpartofhisbody?
A:Here,sir.
CourtInterpreter:
Witnesspointingtoaportionofhisrightchestnearthenipple.
...
Q:WhenRafaelBacaniwashitandstabbedwithaknife,howfarwereyou?
A:Five(5)meters.
...
Q:Yousawtheaccusedstabbed(sic)RafaelBacani,isitnot?
A:Yes,sir.7
Asarule,appellatecourtswillnotinterferewiththejudgmentofthetrialcourtinpassinguponthecredibilityofa
witness, unless there appears in the record some fact or circumstance of weight and influence which has been
overlooked, or the significance of which has been misinterpreted or misapprehended.8 That general rule holds
trueinthiscase.
WedonotdoubtJosephsidentificationofJoeyGuiyab.Evenifhedidnotknowthenameofthepetitionerpriorto
theincident,hewasabletoidentifyhiminopencourt.Besides,Josephmaintainedthatalthoughhedidnotknow
thenameofthepetitioner,heknewhimbyhisface.9Thereisnothinginlaworjurisprudencewhichrequires,asa
condition sine qua non, that, for a positive identification of a felon by a prosecution witness to be good, the
witnessmustfirstknowtheformerpersonally.10Thewitnessneednothavetoknowthenameoftheaccusedfor
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solongasherecognizeshisface.11Weruledthat"knowingtheidentityofanaccusedisdifferentfromknowing
his name. Hence, the positive identification of the malefactor should not be disregarded just because his name
was supplied to the eyewitness. The weight of the eyewitness account is premised on the fact that the said
witnesssawtheaccusedcommitthecrime,andnotbecauseheknewhisname."12
WHEREFORE, the petition is DENIED. The Decision dated September 27, 2001 and the Resolution dated
February 26, 2002 of the Court of Appeals in CAG.R. CR No. 23703, which sustained the judgment of the
Regional Trial Court, finding petitioner JOEY GUIYAB guilty of Homicide and sentencing him to suffer an
indeterminatepenaltyofprisionmayormediumtoreclusion temporal minimum or from eight (8) years and one
(1)daytofourteen(14)yearsandeight(8)months,andtoPAYtheheirsofRafaelBacaniP50,000.00asdeath
indemnity, plus P30,000.00 for actual damages and P18,000.00 for funeral expenses, without subsidiary
imprisonmentincaseofinsolvency,areAFFIRMED.
Costsdeoficio.
SOORDERED.
LEONARDOA.QUISUMBING
AssociateJustice
WECONCUR:
HILARIOG.DAVIDE,JR.
ChiefJustice
Chairman
CONSUELOYNARESSANTIAGO,ANTONIOT.CARPIO
AssociateJusticeAssociateJustice
ADOLFOS.AZCUNA
AssociateJustice
CERTIFICATION
Pursuant to Section 13, Article VIII of the Constitution, it is hereby certified that the conclusions in the above
Decision were reached in consultation before the case was assigned to the writer of the opinion of the Courts
Division.
HILARIOG.DAVIDE,JR.
ChiefJustice

Footnotes
1 Rollo, pp. 7195. Penned by Associate Justice Remedios A. SalazarFernando, with Associate Justices

RomeoA.Brawner,andMarianoC.DelCastilloconcurring.
2Id.at101.
3Records,p.1.
4Rollo,pp.2531.
5Id.at31.
6Id.at14.
7TSN,11May1993,pp.15,1923(JosephMadriaga).
8Peoplev.Federico,G.R.No.146956,25July2003,407SCRA290,296.
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