People vs. Gambao (G.R. No. 172707, October 1, 2013)

 

Rule 116 Plea of guilty – eect on aggravating circumstances People vs. Gambao, G.R. Gambao, G.R. No. 172707, October 1, 2013 – Kidnapping for Ransom under Artice 2!7 of t"e Re#ised $ena %ode, as amended b& Repubic Act 'R.A.( No. 7!)*  PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES v. HALIL GAMBAO Y ESMAIL, EIE !ARIM Y "SO, E#IN "!ILMAN Y S"BOH, TONY ABAO Y S"LA, RA"L "AL  Y !AG"I, THENG THENG ILANG ILANGALEN ALEN Y NANI NANING, NG, $AMAN MA%ALINBOL Y !ATOL, MONETTE RONAS Y AMPIL, NORA E&A Y M"LO!, THIAN PERPENIAN Y RAFON A.!.A LARINA PERPENIAN AN $OHN OES G.R. No. 172707, 1 October 201! Pere", #. FA%TS' 

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 +"e accused conspiring, confederating and mutua& "eping one anot"er and grouping t"emse#es toget"er, did t"en and t"ere b& force and intimidation, and t"e use of "ig" "ig" poe poere red d -rea -rearm rms, s, if ifu u&, &, una unaf fu u& & an and d feonious& tae, carr& aa& and depri#e /ucia %"an & /ee of "er ibert& against "er i for t"e purpose of etorting ransom as in fact a demand for ransom as made as a condition for "er reease amounting to OR N4R54  +O6AN4 $56O6 '$00,000.00( to t"e damage and pre8udice of /ucia /. %"an. 4uring t"e "earing, after t"e #ictim and "er son testi-ed, Karim manifested "is desire to c"ange "is earier pea of  9not guit&9 to 9guit& 9guit&.9 .9 +"e presiding 8udge t"en epained t"e conse:uences of a c"ange of pea. pon "earing t"e c"ange of pea, t"e ot"er appeants ieise manifested, t"roug" t"eir counse "o "ad earier conferred it" t"em and epained to eac" of t"em t"e conse:uences of a c"ange c"a nge of pe pea, a, t"e t"eir ir des desir ire e to c"a c"ange nge t"e pe peas as t"e t"e& & entered.

 +"ereupon, t"e tria court ordered t"eir re;arra re;arraignment. ignment. After After t"e t"e& & pe peade aded d gui guit& t&,, t"e tri tria a co court urt dir direct ected ed t"e prosecution to present e#idence, "ic" it did. '1( to conduct a searc"ing in:uir& into t"e #ountariness and fu compre"en compre"ension sion of t"e conse:uences of t"e pea of  guit, '2( to re:uire t"e prosecution to sti pro#e t"e guit of t"e accused and t"e precise degree of "is cupabiit&, and '3( to in: in:uir uire e "e "et"e t"err or not t"e accu accused sed is"e is"es s to present e#idence in "is be"af and ao "im to do so if "e desires.  +"e rationae be"ind t"e rue is t"at t"e courts must proceed it" more care "ere t"e possibe punis"ment is in its se#erest form, name& deat", for t"e reason t"at t"e eec e ecut utio ion n of su suc" c" a se sent nten ence ce is ir irrre#er e#ersi sib be. e. +"e +"e primordia purpose is to a#oid impro#ident peas of guit on t"e t"e pa part rt of an ac accu cuse sed d "er "ere e gr gra# a#e e cr crime imes s ar are e in#o#ed since "e mig"t be admitting "is guit before t"e

 

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court and t"us forfeiting "is ife and ibert& it"out "a#ing fu fu& & un unde ders rsto tood od t" t"e e me mean anin ing, g, sign signii-ca canc nce e and and conse:uen cons e:uence ce of "is pea pea.. ?or ?oreo#e eo#er, r, t"e re:uire re:uirement ment of  taing furt"er e#idence oud aid t"is %ourt on appeate re#ie in determining t"e propriet& or impropriet& of t"e pea.

i it" t"ou outt e eig igib ibii iit& t& of pa paro roe. e. Accu Accuse sed; d;ap appe pea ant nt + +@A @AN N $5R$5N@AN & RAON A.K.A. /AR@NA $5R$5N@AN is found guit& be&ond be& ond re reas asona onabe be doubt doubt as accom accompic pice e in t"e cri crime me of  idn idnap appi ping ng for for ra rans nsom om and and se sent nten ence ced d to su su=e =err t" t"e e indeterminate penat& of si '!( mont"s and one '1( da& of  $rision %orrecciona, %orrecciona, as minimum, to si '!( &ears and one '1(

As a genera rue, con#ictions based on an impro#ident pea of guit are set aside and t"e cases are remanded for fur furt"e t"err pr proc oceed eeding ings s if suc suc" " pe pea a is t"e soe bas basis is of   8udgement. @f t"e tria court, "oe#er, reied on sucient and credibe e#idence to con#ict t"e accused, as it did in t"is case, t"e con#iction must be sustained, because t"en it is pr predi edica cated ted not mer mere& e& on t"e guit guit& & pe pea a but on e#id e#iden ence ce pr pro# o#in ing g t" t"e e comm commis issi sion on of t" t"e e o=en o=ense se c"arge c"a rged. d.) ) +"e manne mannerr b& "i "ic" c" t"e pea of gui guit& t& is made ma de,, "et "et"e "err impr impro# o#id iden ent t& & or no not, t, ose oses s ega ega si sign gnii-ca canc nce e " "er ere e t"e t"e con# con#ic icti tion on can can be base based d on indepe ind epende ndent nt e#iden e#idence ce pr pro#i o#ing ng t"e co commis mmissio sion n of t"e crime b& t"e acc accused. used. %ontrar& to accu accused; sed;appe appeants antsBB assertions, t"e& ere con#icted b& t"e tria court, not on t"e basis of t"eir pea of guit&, but on t"e strengt" of t"e e#idence adduced b& t"e prosecut prosecution, ion, "ic" as proper& appreciated appreciate d b& t"e tria court.7 +"e prosecution as abe to pr pro#e o#e t"e gui guit t of t"e acc accuse used;a d;appe ppea ants nts and t"e t"eir ir degrees of cupabiit& be&ond reasonabe doubt.

da& of $rision ?a&or, as maimum. Accused;appeants are orde orderred to inde indemn mnif if& & t"e t"e #i #ict ctim im in t"e t"e am amou ount nts s of  $100 $100,0 ,000 00.0 .00 0 as ci ci#i #i inde indemn mnit it&, &, $100 $100,0 ,000 00.0 .00 0 as mo mora ra dama damage ges s and$1 nd$100 00,0 ,000 00.0 .00 0 as eem emp par& ar& dama damag ges apportioned in t"e fooing manner> t"e principas to t"e cri crime me s"a s"a  8oint 8oint& & and se#er se#era& a& pa& t"e #icti #ictim m t"e tota amount of $2,000.00 "ie t"e accompice s"a pa& t"e #ictim$12,000.00, sub8ect to Artice 110 of t"e Re#ised $ena %ode on se#era and subsidiar& i iabiit& abiit&..  +"e %ourt orders t"e %orrectiona @nstitute for Come Comen n to immedia immediate te& & re reea ease se +@ +@AN AN $5R $5R$5N $5N@AN @AN A.K.A A.K.A.. /AR /AR@NA @NA $5R$5N@AN due to "er "a#ing fu& ser#ed t"e penat& impose imposed on "er, uness "er furt"er detention is arranted for an& ot"er afu causes.

ISPOSITION' #HEREFORE, )(e 45 $ue 47 e/-s-o o+ )(e %ou*) %ou*) o+ App Appeal eals s - %A8 %A8G. G.R. R. %R %R9H 9H.%. .%. No No.. 5 56: 6: -s (e*eb (e* eb AFF AFFIRM IRME E #I #ITH TH MO MOIF IFI%A I%ATIO TIONS. NS.  Accused; appeant appe ants s A/@/ GA?