People vs. Dimaano.docx

Pri mar yand SecondaryEvi dence PEOP OPLEOF OFTHE HE PHI HI LI PPI NES vs.   EDGA GARDO DI MAANO G. R.No.168168,Sept emb mber14,2005

Facts:  Thi si sanaut omat i cr e v i e w ofade ci si onoft heCour tofAppeal s.   M Ma ar i carDi maanochar gedherf at her ,Edgar doDi maanowi t ht wo( 2)count s ofr apeandone( 1)countofat t em mp pt edr ape.

 Appel l antpl e aded notgui l t yt ot hec har ges.Ther eaf t er ,t r i alon t hemer i t s ensued. Comp mpl ai nantwast hedaught eroft heaccused,shewasfir stsexual l yabused i nt hemo morni ngofSept em mb ber1993whi l ei nsi det hei rhouse.Appel l antent er ed herr oom andl ai ddownbesi deher .Her emo movedhercl ot hesandaskedhert ol i e f acedownt heni nser t edhi speni si nt oheranus.Com mp pl ai nantcr i edandf el tso muchpai n,butshekeptt hei nci dentt oher sel fasherf at hermi ghthurther .I t happenedagai nf ew daysl at erandr avi shedher .Af t err em mo ovi nghi scl ot hes,he askedhert ol i eonhersi def aci nghi m andt opl acehert hi ghoverhi s.Whi l ei n t hat posi t i on, appel l ant i nser t ed hi s peni si nt o her vagi na whi ch caused t r em me endous pai n.As i nt he firs ti nci dent ,c om mp pl ai nantkeptt he or dealt o her se l f .I twasonl yi n Nov em mb ber1995 t hatsheconfided t hesexualabuse st o hermot her . On Dec em mb ber 29, 1995, appel l ant agai n ass aul t e d her daught e r . Wh Whi l e l eani ng on t he ki t chen si nk,he r ai sed hert shi r t ,f ondl ed and ki sse d her  br eas t s.He t he nr emov ed t hei rs hor t s ,f ondl ed herv agi na and i nser t e d hi s peni s, but wh when her br ot her Edwi n went out of hi s r oo m, appel l ant i mmedi at el yaskedhert odr essup.  The l as tse xualassaul thappene di nt he af t er noon ofJanuar y 1,1996.  Appel l antl ai dc ompl ai nantdownon t hes of at hen pl acedhi mse l font opofher and madepumpi ngmot i on ev en wi t ht hei rs hor t son.Appel l ants t oppedonl y  whenhehe ar dt hear r i v alofhi swi f e .

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On Januar y 3, 1996,compl ai nant and her mot her vi si t ed a r el at i v ei n Cai nt a,Ri zal ,whoupon l earni ngoft heabusesdonebyt heappel l ant ,advi sed t hem t o got o Camp Cr amewher et he y fil ed a compl ai nt .TheMedi coLeg al Office ratt hePNP Cr i meLabor at or yexami nedcompl ai nantand f ound he rt o havesuffer eddeepheal edhymenall acer at i onsandwasi nanonvi r gi nst at e.  Appel l antde ni ed t heacc us at i onsag ai ns thi m.Het es t i fied t hathemar r i e d Mari aLor et oV.Di maanoon Dec ember25,1976andbegott hr eec hi l dr enwi t h her ,namel y ,Edwi n,Er i c,and Mari car .Heal l ege dt hathewor ked i n sev er al compani esabr oadbutadmi t t ed t hathe wasi nt hePhi l i ppi nesi n Sept ember 1993.Hecont endedt hought hathecoul dnothav er apedcompl ai nantbecause he was al way si nt he office f r om 7: 00 a. m.unt i l9: 00 p. m.wai t i ng t o be di spat chedt oanot herassi gnmentover seas. Hecl ai medi twasi mposs i bl ef orhi mt or apehi sdaught eron Dec ember29, 1995 orJanuar y1,1996 bec auset her ewer eot he rpeopl ei nt hehous e.He ar guedt hathadher apedcompl ai nant ,t henshewoul dnothav eacc ompani ed hi mt ot hePar añaquePol i ceSt at i onandBar angayHal lofSanAnt oni ot oappl y f orpol i ce cl ear ance and bar angay I . D. ,and t o Uni wi de Shoppi ng Cent erat Sucat , Par añaque , wher et he y appl i e df or member shi p at t he Vi deo Ci t y Cl ub.Heal somai nt ai ned t hatt hef actt hathi sdaught erwasi n a nonvi r gi n s t at edi dno tc onc l us i v e l ypr o v et hathewasr e s pons i bl ef o ri tbe c aus ei ti sal s o possi bl et hathi sdaught erhadsexuali nt er cour sewi t hanot hermanherage.  Thet r i alc our tf ound t het es t i monyofcompl ai nantt obespont aneousand cr edi bl e.Shenarr at ed t heobscenedet ai l sofherharr owi ngexper i encewhi ch nogi r loft enderagewoul dhaveknownunl esssheher sel fhadexperi encedi t .I t f ound t he del ay i n r epor t i ng t he r ape under s t andabl e due t ot he f e ar compl ai nanthad ofherf at herwhohad mor alasce ndancyove rher .Al so,t he quarr elbet weencompl ai nant ’ sparent swasnotsuffici entmot i vef ort hewi f et o l odgeaseri ouschar geofr apeagai nstappel l ant .I tdi sr egardedt heCompr omi se  Agr eeme ntandt heSal si ncec ompl ai nantwas aysaysaPaguur ongngSumbong  notassi st ed by a l awyerwhen shesi gned t hesame.Besi des,shet es t i fied i n opencour tt hatshewaspur sui ngt hecaseagai nstherf at her .  The Tr i alCour tconvi ct ed hi m f or t he cr i me ofr ape ( 2 count s )and f or at t empt edr ape. Page | 2

 TheCour tofAppeal saffir med wi t h modi fic at i onst hedec i s i on oft het r i al court ,t hus: I nCri mi nalCaseNo.96125,wasf oundgui l t yofr apeunderAr t i cl e335. I n Cr i mi nalCaseNo.96150,t heac c usedappel l antEDGARDO DI MAANO,  wasf oundgui l t yofqual i fiedr apeunderAr t i cl e335oft heRe vi sedPenalCode, asamendedbySec t i on11ofRepubl i cAct7659. I n Cr i mi nalCas eNo.96151,t heac cusedappel l antEDGARDO DI MAANO  was f ound gui l t y ofat t empt ed r ape unde rAr t i cl e 335 oft he Re vi sed Penal Code,asamendedbySec t i on11ofRepubl i cAct7659. I n ac cor dance wi t h Sec .13,Rul e 124 oft he Ame nded Rul es t o Gov er n Rev i e w ofDeat h Penal t y Case s( A. M.No.00503SC,effec t i v e 15 Oct ober 2004) ,t hi scasei sCERTI FI ED t ot heSupr emeCour tf orr ev i ew.

 Thecasewasel e v at edt ot heSupr emeCour tf oraut omat i cr e v i e w.

Issue:  Whe t he rornott hesent e ncei n Cr i mi nalCaseno.96150 byr e as on of s pe c i alq ual i f y i ngc i r c ums t anc e sofmi no r i t yandr e l at i o ns hi pi spr o pe r ?

Rul i ng:

e c l us i o n pe r pe t ua i  The t r i al cour t cor r ect l yi mpose d t he penal t y ofr n

Cr i mi nalCaseNo.96125ast her apewascommi t t edi nSept ember1993 pri or t ot heeffect i vi t yofR. A.No.7659,ot her wi seknown ast heDeat hPenal t yLaw, onDece mber31,1993.Pr i ort oR. A.No.7659,Ar t i cl e335oft heRevi sedPenal Codei mposest hepenal t yofr f ort het hecri meofr ape,when e c l us i o npe r p et ua  co mmi t t edagai ns tawoman whoi sunder12 y ear sol dori sdement ed.Ane nt t her apei n Cr i mi nalCaseNo.96150whi c h wasc ommi t t edon Dec ember29, 1995,Ar t i cl e335,asamendedbyR. A.No.7659,t husappl i es.I tpr ovi des:  ART.335.When and how r —Rape i s commi t t e d by hav i ng ape i sco mmi t t ed. car nalknowl edgeofawomanunderanyoft hef ol l owi ngci r cumst ances : 1.Byusi ngf or ceori nt i mi dat i on; Page | 3

2.Whent hewomani sdepri v edofr eas onorot her wi seunconsci ous;and 3.Whent hewomani sundert wel v ey ear sofageori sdement ed.  Thec r i meofr apeshal lbepuni s hedbyr e c l us i o npe r p et ua. ...

 The deat h penal t y shal l al so be i mposed i ft he cr i me of r ape i s commi t t edwi t hanyoft hef ol l owi ngat t endantci r cumst ances: When t he vi ct i m i s under ei ght een ( 18)year s of age and t he 1.1. offenderi sa par ent ,ascendant ,st eppar ent ,guar di an,r el at i ve by consangui ni t y or affi ni t y wi t hi n t he t hi r d ci vi l degr ee, or the commonl aw spouseoft heparentoft hevi ct i m. ...

I n Cri mi nalCaseNo.96150,appel l antwascorr ect l ysent encedt odeat h as t hes pe c i alq ual i f y i ngc i r c ums t anc e sofmi no r i t yandr e l at i o ns hi pwe r epr o pe r l y al l eged i nt he i nf ormat i on and pr oved dur i ng t r i alby t he t est i moni esoft he compl ai nant ,hermot herandt heappel l anthi msel f ;t heywer eal sosupport ed  byt hephot ocopyoft hemar r i agec er t i fic at eandbi r t hce r t i ficat e ,r es pect i v el y . ev.Cayabyab,t I nt hec as eo fPeopl hi sCourt ,i naffirmi ngt hedeat hpenal t y ,

hel dt hataphot ocopyoft hebi rt h cert i ficat ei sadmi ssi bl et opr ovet heageof t hevi c t i m,ast heor i g i nalt he r e ofi sapubl i cr e c o r di nt hecus t o dyo fapubl i c officer .Theadmi ssi onoft hi ssecondaryevi dencei soneoft heexcept i onst ot he “ best e vi dence r ul e” under Sec t i on 3, Rul e 130 of t he Rev i se d Rul es on Evi dence.Fur t her ,wehel dt hatproduct i on oft heor i gi nalmaybedi spensed  wi t h,i nt he t r i alcour t ’ s di sc r e t i on,whene v er t he opponentdoes notbona di sput et hecont ent soft hedocumentandnoot herusef ulpur posewi l lbe  fide  s e r v e dbyr e q ui r i ngi t spr o duc t i o n. I ndubi t abl y ,t he marr i age and bi r t h cer t i ficat es arepubl i cr ecor ds i nt he cust ody oft he l ocalci vi lr egi st r arwho i s a publ i c officer .The pr esent at i on, t her ef or e oft hei rphot ocopi es i s admi ssi bl e as secondary evi dence t o pr ove t hei r cont ent s.I ti s al so wel lt o not et hatappel l antdi d notdi sput et hei r Page | 4

cont ent swhen offer ed asev i dencet opr over el at i onshi p and mi nori t y .Havi ng f ai l ed t or ai se a val i d and t i mel y obj ect i on agai nstt he pr esent at i on oft hi s secondar y evi dence t he s ame bec ame a pr i mar y evi dence , and dee med a5dmi t t edandt heot herpart yi sboundt her eby .

 WHEREFORE,t hedeci si onoft heCour tofAppe al si nCAG. R.CR No.00263 affir mi ngt hedeci si on oft heRegi onalTri alCour tofPar añaqueCi t y ,Br anch 257,i n Cr i mi nalCase sNos.96125 and 96150,findi ng appel l antEdgar do Di maano GUI LTY bey ond r e asonabl e doubtoft he c r i me ofr ape commi t t ed agai nsthi sown daught er ,Mari carDi maano,and se nt enci nghi m t or ec l usi on  per pe t ua  andDEATH.

Rat i oDeci dendi : Secondaryevi dencei sonl yal l owed asan exce pt i on underSec.3. ,Rul e 130oft heRul esofCourti nt hef ol l owi ngci r cumst ances,t owi t : a.When t heori gi nalhasbee nl ostordest r oy ed,orc annotbepr oduce d i nc o ur t ,wi t ho utbadf ai t ho nt hepar to ft heo ffe r o r ;

 b.When t heor i gi nali si nt hec us t odyorundert hecont r oloft hepar t y agai nstwhom t heevi dencei soffer ed,andt hel at t erf ai l st opr oducei t af t e rr e as onabl eno t i c e ;

c.Whent heor i gi nalconsi st sofnumer ousac count sorot herdocument s  whi c hc annotbee xami nedi ncour twi t houtgr eatl ossoft i meandt he f actsoughtt obeest abl i shed f r om t hem i sonl yt hegener alr esul tof t hewhol e;and

d.Whent heori gi nali sapubl i cr ecor di nt hecust odyofapubl i cofficer ori sr ecor dedi napubl i coffice. Page | 5

I nt hei ns t antc as e ,t heac t uat i o nf al l sunde rSe c3.( d)asane x c e pt i ont o supportt hepr operpenal t yf ort heconvi ct i onoft heaccusedt opr ovet hespeci al q ual i f y i ngc i r c ums t anc eofmi no r i t yandr e l at i o ns hi paswe l lo ft hev i c t i mi nt he case.

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