Source: http://lawlibrary.chanrobles.com/index.php?option=com_content&amp;view=article&amp;id=51727:gr-181043-2008&amp;catid=1510&amp;Itemid=566
Timestamp: 2019-04-19 08:53:28+00:00

Document:
THE PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Appellee, v. MILLANO MUIT, SERGIO PANCHO, JR., EDUARDO HERMANO ALIAS "BOBBY REYES," ROLANDO DEQUILLO, ROMEO PANCHO, and JOSEPH FERRAER, Appellants.
kidnapping for ransom with homicide1 and carnapping2 in two separate informations. Only Muit, Pancho Jr., Dequillo, Romeo, and Ferraer were arrested and stood trial. However, Ferraer was discharged from the criminal cases by the Regional Trial Court (RTC) and was utilized as a state witness.3 All appellants pleaded not guilty during their arraignments.
At one o'clock in the afternoon of 24 November 1997, Ferraer saw Pancho, Jr., and Hermano with a companion, seated under the tree in front of his house. Pancho, Jr. introduced their companion as Romeo. They informed Ferraer that the following day, they would proceed with their plan. Romeo would be the informant since he is an insider and a trusted general foreman of the victim. The next day, at nine o'clock in the morning, Pancho, Sr. arrived at Ferraer's house alone and asked Ferraer if he was already informed of the plan. Ferraer replied in the affirmative. Pancho, Sr. told him to wait for the group's return. However, the group returned without the intended victim because the latter did not show up at the construction site.5 On 2 December 1997, the group received a call from Romeo informing them that the victim was already at the construction site. Hermano, Morales, Udon, Manuel, Bokbok, and Muit commuted to the construction site at Barangay Darasa, Tanauan, Batangas. Pancho, Jr. was on board the Mitsubishi car as back-up.
On the other hand, after the assailants carried their plan into action, Pancho, Jr. proceeded to their agreed meeting place but did not find Hermano's group there. Pancho, Jr. waited along the highway in front of the construction site. He thought that he had been left behind when he did not see the group, so he left. When Pancho, Jr. returned to Ferraer's house, he told Ferraer what happened to their operation. Worried that something bad might have happened to the group, Pancho, Jr. went back and looked for the rest of his group. Pancho, Jr. came back alone.
At around 5:30 in the morning of 3 December 1997, Ferraer saw Pancho, Sr. and Pancho, Jr. watching the TV program "Alas Singko y Medya." He joined them and saw on the news the Pajero riddled with bullets. Pancho, Sr. and Pancho, Jr. left Ferraer's house at around 9:00 in the morning and they also left behind the Mitsubishi car they used. That night, Ferraer saw on the news program TV Patrol a footage showing the cadavers of Udon, Morales, Manuel, Bokbok and the victim, and the Pajero riddled with bullets. Ferraer also saw Muit in handcuffs.
The prosecution presented Ignacio Ong, Sr., the father of the victim Engr. Ignacio Ong, Jr.; Seraspe; Chavez; Dr. Anthony Llamas, the PNP Medico-Legal Officer who conducted the autopsy; Supt. Mission, Ferraer, as the state witness; and Atty. Narzal Mallare12 (Atty. Mallare), the lawyer who assisted appellants Pancho, Jr. and Dequillo in executing their respective sworn statements as witnesses. Their accounts were corroborated by the prosecution's documentary evidence such as the extra judicial confessions of Pancho, Jr. and Dequillo, which were executed with the assistance of Atty. Mallare. Muit executed two extra judicial confessions: the first statement was dated 4 December 1997, in which he was assisted by Atty. Ernesto Vergara, and the second statement was dated 7 December 1997 in which he was assisted by Atty. Solomon De Jesus and witnessed by his uncle, Bonifacio Muit (Bonifacio), and his brother, Dominador Muit (Dominador). On the other hand, the defense presented appellants Dequillo, Pancho, Jr., and Muit.
In a decision16 dated 22 November 2002, the RTC, Branch 83 of Tanauan City, Batangas found Muit, Pancho, Jr., Dequillo, and Romeo guilty.17 Only the cases involving the charges of carnapping and kidnapping for ransom which resulted in the death of the victim were automatically appealed to this Court.
The RTC held that mere denials and alibis of appellants cannot prevail over the positive declarations of the prosecution's witnesses. It found the prosecution's witnesses more credible than appellants, whose self-serving statements were obviously intended to exculpate themselves from criminal liability. The RTC did not give credence to the claims of appellants that their extra judicial confessions were procured through torture as these were belied by the testimony of Atty. Mallare and appellants' medical certificates which were issued during their incarceration and after the execution of their statements. And the RTC noted that even without appellants' extra judicial confessions, there was still sufficient evidence on record to hold them guilty.
The Court of Appeals in a decision19 dated 31 August 2007 affirmed the decision of the RTC.20 The appellate court held that the RTC was correct in convicting appellants for kidnapping and carnapping. The prosecution was able to prove through Ferraer that appellants conspired with one another in the planning and execution of their plan to kidnap the victim. Moreover, appellants executed extra judicial confessions, duly assisted by their counsels, detailing their participation in the kidnapping. As for Muit, other than his extra judicial confession, he was also positively identified during the kidnapping by eyewitnesses Seraspe and Chavez. Appellants filed their notices of appeal with the Court of Appeals.
The appeals are bereft of merit.
The elements of the crime of kidnapping and serious illegal detention23 are the following: (a) the accused is a private individual; (b) the accused kidnaps or detains another, or in any manner deprives the latter of his liberty; (c) the act of detention or kidnapping is illegal; and (d) in the commission of the offense, any of the four circumstances mentioned in Article 267 is present. The essence of the crime of kidnapping is the actual deprivation of the victim's liberty, coupled with indubitable proof of intent of the accused to effect the same.24 The totality of the prosecution's evidence in this case established the commission of kidnapping for ransom with homicide.
On the other hand, Republic Act No. 6539, or the Anti-Carnapping Act, as amended, defines "carnapping" as the taking, with intent to gain, of a motor vehicle belonging to another without the latter's consent, or by means of violence against or intimidation of persons, or by using force upon things.25 The crime was committed in this case when the victim's Pajero was forcibly taken away from him contemporaneously with his kidnapping at the construction site.
The kidnapping for ransom with homicide and the carnapping were established by the direct testimony of Ferraer, Seraspe and Chavez. Ferraer testified on how the group approached and convinced him to let them use his house to keep the victim they planned to kidnap. They planned the crime in Ferraer's house and waited for the call from Romeo to inform them when the victim would be at the construction site. The group received a call from Romeo on 2 December 1997 informing them that the victim was already at the construction site, and so they went there to carry out their plan. At the construction site, as testified to by Seraspe and Chavez, Muit and the other members of the group pointed their guns at the victim and his companion and ordered them to lie prostrate on the ground. After getting the keys to the Pajero from Seraspe, they forced the victim to board the vehicle with Muit driving it. They immediately reported the kidnapping of the victim to the police and the kidnappers were intercepted by the group led by Supt. Mission. Supt. Mission testified that the kidnappers refused to surrender and engaged the police in a shoot out in which the victim was among the casualties. Muit was one of the two persons who survived the shoot out, but was apprehended by the police. Pancho, Jr. returned to the house of Ferraer alone when the group did not arrive at their meeting place. Ferraer, Pancho, Jr., and Pancho, Sr. learned from the news that the group engaged the police in a shoot out and most of them were killed, and that Muit was arrested by the police.
After investigation, the police were able to apprehend appellants Pancho, Jr., Romeo, and Dequillo who all took part in the botched criminal conspiracy to kidnap the victim. During the investigation, Pancho, Jr., Dequillo, and Muit, with the assistance of their counsels and family members, executed extra judical confessions divulging their respective roles in the planning and execution of the crimes.
Even though Pancho, Jr., Dequillo and Romeo did not participate in the actual abduction of the victim, they should still be held liable, as the courts below did, because of the existence of conspiracy. Conspiracy is a unity of purpose and intention in the commission of a crime.26 Where conspiracy is established, the precise modality or extent of participation of each individual conspirator becomes secondary since the act of one is the act of all.27 The degree of actual participation in the commission of the crime is immaterial.
The conspiracy to kidnap the victim was proven through circumstantial evidence. The group thoroughly planned the kidnapping in Ferraer's house and patiently waited for the day when the victim would be at the construction site. Then on 2 December 1997, the group received a call from Romeo so they proceeded to the construction site and carried out their plan.
All the appellants took active part in the criminal conspiracy and performed different roles to consummate their common plan. The roles which Muit and his other companions played in the actual abduction were described earlier. As for Dequillo, he was the one who procured the guns used by the group. Pancho, Jr. served as the driver of the back-up vehicle, and Romeo was the group's informant.
Section 4, Rule 133 of the Revised Rules of Evidence states that circumstantial evidence is sufficient if: (a) there is more than one circumstance; (b) the facts from which the inferences are derived are proven; and (c) the combination of all the circumstances is such as to produce a conviction beyond reasonable doubt.
persons had participated in the perpetration of the crime charged and proved. These are known as "interlocking confessions."34 Nonetheless, the RTC, in convicting Romeo, relied not only on the aforesaid extra judicial statements but also on Ferraer's testimony that Romeo was introduced to him in his house as the informant when they were planning the kidnapping.
circumstance.37 There is band whenever more than three armed malefactors shall have acted together in the commission of the offense.38 As planned, Muit and three other armed men kidnapped the victim and drove away with the latter's Pajero while two more persons waiting near the Pag-asa road boarded the Pajero.
P5,000.00 per month as an engineer is not sufficient proof.41 But pursuant to the Court's ruling in People v. Abrazaldo42 wherein we deemed it proper to award temperate damages in the amount of P25,000.00 in cases where evidence confirms the heirs' entitlement to actual damages but the amount of actual damages cannot be determined because of the absence of supporting and duly presented receipts, the Court awards P25,000.00 temperate damages to the heirs of the victim in the present case.
WHEREFORE, the Decision of the Court of Appeals in CA-G.R. CR-HC No. 02044 which commuted the death penalties imposed in Criminal Case Nos. P-521 and P-607 to reclusion perpetua without eligibility for parole is AFFIRMED with the MODIFICATIONS that the compensation for loss of earning capacity be deleted while the civil indemnity be increased to P75,000.00 and the moral damages to P500,000.00, and that appellants shall also pay the heirs of Ignacio Earl Ong, Jr. temperate damages of P25,000.00 and exemplary damages of P100,000.00 for the crime of kidnapping for ransom with homicide and P25,000.00 for the crime of carnapping. Costs against appellants.
1 Records, pp. 43-44. Crim. Case No. P-521 (for Kidnapping for Ransom with Homicide).
That on or about December 2, 1997, in the Municipality of Tanauan, Province of Batangas, and within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, above-named accused, being then private individuals, conspiring, confederating and mutually helping one another, acting in common accord with Sammy Pansoy @ Bukbok, @Morales, @Manuel Alfon and @Felipe Macalla (all deceased), and John Doe, Richard Doe and Peter Doe (whose true names and identities are unknown) while armed with high powered firearms, did then and there, willfully, unlawfully and feloniously, kidnap, detain and abduct by force, threat and intimidation and deprive IGNACIO ONG, JR., of his liberty for the purpose of [extorting] ransom from his family in exchange for the latter's liberty and as a consequenc[e] or on the occasion of the said kidnapping and detention, the said IGNACIO ONG, JR. was killed, to the damage and prejudice of his heirs.
2 CA rollo, pp. 6-7. Crim. Case No. P-607 (for Carnapping).
That on the 2nd day of December 1997, at about 2:00 o'clock in the afternoon, at Barangay Darasa, Municipality of Tanauan, Province of Batangas, Philippines and within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, the above-named accused, together with one John Doe, one Peter Doe, one Richard Doe and one alias "Rocky Reyes" whose identities and whereabouts are still unknown, armed with firearms, conspiring and confederating together, acting in common accord and mutually helping one another, with intent to gain and without the knowledge and consent of the owner thereof, did then and there [willfully], unlawfully and feloniously take, steal and carry away one (1) Mitsubishi Pajero with Plate No. UDL-746 with an undetermined amount, owned by Ignacio Ong, Jr., to the damage and prejudice of aforesaid owner and/or his heirs.
4 TSN, 23 November 1999, pp. 16-22; 6 July 2000, pp. 3-6.
5 TSN, 6 July 2000, pp. 8-11.
6 TSN, 31 March 1998, pp. 4-5; 13 April 1998, pp. 4-5.
7 TSN, 31 March 1998, pp. 6-7, 9-10; 13 April 1998, pp. 6-7, 9-10.
8 TSN, 31 March 1998, pp. 7-8.
9 TSN, 13 April 1998, pp. 8-10.
10 TSN, 21 July 1998, pp. 3-7.
11 Id. at 8-11, 20, 23-24.
12 See TSN, 11 February 1999.
13 TSN, 6 March 2001, pp. 6-14.
14 TSN, 27 March 2001, pp. 2-9.
15 TSN, 13 November 2001, pp. 3-11.
16 CA rollo, pp. 200-219.
WHEREFORE, this Court finds accused MILLANO MUIT Y MUNOZ, SERGIO PANCHO Y CAGUMOC[,] JR., ROLANDO DEQUILLO Y TARIPOS, AND ROMEO PANCHO, GUILTY beyond reasonable doubt of KIDNAPPING FOR RANSOM[,] resulting in the death of Ignacio Earl Ong, Jr., punished under Article 267 of the Revised Penal Code[,] as amended by Republic Act [No.] 7659, and sentences all the accused to suffer the penalty of DEATH.
The accused are further directed to pay heirs of the victim Ignacio Earl Ong[,] Jr. an indemnity of FIFTY THOUSAND (P50,000.00) PESOS, actual damages in the amount of TWO MILLION TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND (P2,200,000.00) PESOS, and moral damages in the amount of TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND (P200,000.00) PESOS, with subsidiary imprisonment in case of insolvency.
In Criminal Case No. P-607, this Court finds the accused MILLANO MUIT Y MUNOZ, SERGIO PANCHO Y CAGUMOC[,] JR., ROLANDO DEQUILLO Y TARIPOS AND ROMEO PANCHO, GUILTY beyond reasonable doubt of CARNAPPING punished under Republic Act [No.] 6539, and sentences all the accused to suffer the penalty of DEATH.
In Criminal Cases Nos. P-534 and P-535, this Court finds the accused MILLANO MUIT Y MUNOZ guilty beyond reasonable doubt of ROBBERY with violence against or intimidation of persons, punished under Article 294 of the Revised Penal Code, and sentences accused to an indeterminate penalty of two years and six months of prision correccional, as minimum, up to eight years and six months of prision mayor, as maximum. MILLANO MUIT is also directed to pay actual damages of P18,875.00 to the offended parties.
The custodians of the accused MIL[L]ANO MUIT Y MUNOZ, SERGIO PANCHO Y CAGUMOC[,] JR., ROLANDO DEQUILLO Y TARIPOS AND ROMEO PANCHO are directed to immediately transfer detention of the accused to the National Penitentiary in the City of Muntinlupa, Metro Manila.
Let the records of Criminal Cases Nos. P-521 and P-607 be elevated to the Supreme Court for automatic review on appeal.
19 Rollo, pp. 2-31. Penned by Associate Justice Jose Catral Mendoza, and concurred in by Associate Justices Andres Reyes, Jr., and Ramon Bato, Jr.
WHEREFORE, the November 22, 2002 Decision of the Regional Trial Court, Branch 83, Tanauan, Batangas, in Criminal Case Nos. P-521 and P-607, is hereby AFFIRMED except with respect to the penalty of Death which is hereby reduced to Reclusion Perpetua in both cases.
22 CA rollo, pp. 92-93; 171-172; 244; 306.
23 Art. 267. Kidnapping and serious illegal detention.â€•Any private individual who shall kidnap or detain another, or in any other manner deprive him of his liberty, shall suffer the penalty of reclusion perpetua to death.
1. If kidnapping of detention shall have lasted more than three days.
4. If the person kidnapped or detained shall be a minor, except when the accused is any of the parents, female or a public officer.
The penalty shall be death where the kidnapping or detention was committed for the purposes of extorting ransom from the victim or any other person, even if none of the circumstances abovementioned were present in the commission of the offense.
24 People v. Borromeo, 323 SCRA 547 (2000).
"Carnapping" is the taking, with intent to gain, of a motor vehicle belonging to another without the latter's consent, or by means of violence against or intimidation of persons, or by using force upon things.
26 People v. Lising, 349 Phil. 530, 579 (1998).
27 People v. Alilio, 311 Phil. 395, 405 (1995).
28 TSN, 11 February 1999, pp. 8-13, 17-20.
29 TSN, 31 March 1998, pp. 9-10; 13 April 1998, pp. 9-10.
30 TSN, 13 March 2001, pp. 17-18; 27 March 2001, p. 8; 18 June 2001, p. 11.
31 TSN, 13 March 2001, pp. 16-18; 18 June 2001, pp. 9-10.
32 TSN, 6 March 2001, p. 10.
33 See People v. Sinoc, 341 Phil. 355 (1997); People v. Sabiyon, 437 Phil. 594 (2002).
34 See People v. Encipido, L-70091, 29 December 1986, 146 SCRA 478, 492, citing People v. Domondon, 43 SCRA 486, 490-491 (1972).
35 People v. Salimbago, 373 Phil. 56, 75 (1999).
36 People v. Reynes, 423 Phil. 363, 384 (2001) citing People v. Danico, 208 SCRA 472 (1992).
37 Revised Penal Code, Art. 63.
38 Revised Penal Code, Art. 14. See People v. Lee, G.R. No. 66848, 20 December 1991, 201 SCRA 900, 911; People v. Buka, G.R. NOS. 68311-13, 30 January 1992, 205 SCRA 567, 588; People v. de la Cruz, G.R. No. 102063, 20 January 1993, 217 SCRA 283, 296.
(b) the penalty of life imprisonment, when the law violated does not make use of the nomenclature of the penalties of the Revised Penal Code.
40 See People v. Panabang, 424 Phil. 596 (2002); People v. Cuenca, 425 Phil. 722 (2002).
41 TSN, 5 March 1998, p. 20.
42 445 Phil. 109, 126 (2003). See also People v. Villanueva, 456 Phil. 14, 29 (2003).
43 People v. Tubongbanua, G.R. No. 171271, 31 August 2006, 500 SCRA 727, 742-743; People v. Bangcado, 399 Phil. 768, 792 (2000); People v. SPO1 Lobitania, 437 Phil. 213 (2002). See also People v. Amion, 405 Phil. 917, 934 (2001); People v. Court of Appeals, 405 Phil. 247, 269 (2001); citing People v. Pedroso, G.R. No. 125120, July 19, 2000; People v. Go-od, 387 Phil. 628 (2000); People v. Rosalino Flores, 385 Phil. 159 (2000); People v. Mindanao, 390 Phil. 510 (2000); People v. Quijon, 382 Phil. 339 (2000); People v. Buluran, 382 Phil. 364 (2000).
44 People v. Concepcion, 409 Phil. 173, 189 (2001), citing People v. De Vera, 312 SCRA 640 (1999).
45 People v. Deang, et al., 393 Phil. 314 (2000).
47 See CIVIL CODE, Art. 2230. See also People v. PO3 Roxas, 457 Phil. 566, 579 (2003), citing People v. Catubig, G.R. No. 137842, 23 August 2001. See also People v. Bergante, 350 Phil. 275, 292-293 (1998); People v. Reyes, 350 Phil. 683, 699 (1998).

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