Republic of the Philippines

SUPREME COURT
Manila

EN BANC

G.R. No. L-25177 October 31, 1969

THE PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, vs. NICOLAS LAYSON, CEZAR RAGUB, CEZAR
FUGOSO and JOVENTINO GARCES, Defendants-Appellants.

Facts: In the early morning, at about 4:45 o'clock, the four accused, armed with bladed weapons, entered the cell where the
unsuspecting victim, prisoner Regino Gasang, was then Layson locked the door and Without warning they swiftly took turns in
stabbing Gasang. They refused to surrender to the trustees who had come to the scene of the crime, agreeing to surrender only to
Vicente Afurong, the supervising prison guard. Afurong arrived, identified himself, and assured them of their safety, whereupon
they handed their weapons through the hole of the barricaded door and surrendered themselves.

Gasang’s Death was caused by severe internal and external hemorrhage and shock, all secondary to multiple stab wounds.

Layson, Ragub and Fugoso admitted that they killed Gasang because the latter urinated on their coffee cups a number of
times. Garces stated that he killed Gasang because the latter spat on him a week before. The four plotted to kill Gasang a few days
prior to the actual slaying.

Issue: WON Nicolas Layson, Cezar Ragub, Cezar Fugoso and Joventino Garces should be penalized w/ Death penalty with
indemnification?

Held:

Yes. the judgment a quo imposing the death penalty on Nicolas Layson, Cezar Ragub, Cezar Fugoso and Joventino Garces, is
affirmed. The indemnification to the heirs of the victim, Regino, Gasang, is hereby increased to P12,000,to be paid jointly and
severally by the four accused. Costs de oficio.

Ruling:

"WHEREFORE, the Court finds the accused guilty beyond reasonable doubt as principals of the crime of murder, defined and
penalized under Article 248 of the Revised Penal Code, with the mitigating circumstance of plea of guilty in favor of all of them and
the aggravating circumstances of recidivism and having been previously punished for two or more crimes to which the law attaches a
lighter penalty with respect to the accused Nicolas Layson and Cezar Ragub, the aggravating circumstance of having been punished
with two or more offenses to which the law attaches a lighter penalty with respect to the
accused Cezar Fugoso and Joventino Garces and the aggravating circumstances consisting of any two of the qualifying circumstances
alleged in the information which are treachery, evident premeditation and abuse of superior strength for one is sufficient to qualify
the crime to murder and the special aggravating circumstance of having committed the crime charged while serving the penalty
imposed upon them for previous offenses as regards all the accused and conformably with Article 160 of the Revised Penal Code,
hereby sentences all of them to DEATH.