G.R. No. L-60100, L-60768, L-61069 March 20, 1985
People of the Philippines vs. Jaime Rodriguez alias Jimmy alias Wilfred de Lara y Medrano, Rico Lopez, Dario de Reyes alias Dario Dece Raymundo y Elausa, and Peter Ponce y Bulaybulay alias Peter Power.

FACTS

The accused-appellants, crew members of the M/V Noria 767, were charged with Piracy. On August 31, 1981, while the vessel was within Philippine territorial waters near Cagayan de Tawi-Tawi, they conspired and, armed with bladed weapons and high-caliber firearms, seized the vessel. They stole cash and property worth millions of pesos and, in the process, killed numerous passengers and crew members while inflicting injuries on others. Upon arraignment, appellants Rodriguez, Lopez, and Raymundo initially pleaded not guilty but later changed their pleas to guilty; appellant Ponce pleaded not guilty and underwent trial. All were convicted and sentenced to death by the trial court, leading to an automatic review by the Supreme Court.
At trial, eyewitnesses, including passengers Clyde Que and Hadji Mahalail Alfad, testified to the appellants’ active participation in the violent takeover, shooting, and disposal of bodies. The prosecution also presented the extrajudicial confessions of the appellants, which detailed their roles and were found to be given voluntarily. Appellant Ponce specifically challenged the admissibility of his confession, claiming it was obtained without being informed of his constitutional rights.

ISSUE

The central issue is whether the guilt of all accused-appellants, particularly Peter Ponce who pleaded not guilty, was proven beyond reasonable doubt, and whether the extrajudicial confessions were admissible as evidence.

RULING

The Supreme Court affirmed the convictions. The Court held that the guilt of all appellants was established beyond reasonable doubt. For appellants who pleaded guilty, the judicial confessions were sufficient bases for conviction. For appellant Peter Ponce, his guilt was proven through the direct, positive, and credible testimonies of eyewitnesses who identified him as an active participant in the piracy, armed and standing guard during the crimes. Regarding the extrajudicial confessions, the Court found them admissible. The records showed that Ponce was properly apprised of his rights to remain silent and to counsel, and he voluntarily waived these rights, as indicated in the sworn statement where he acknowledged understanding his rights and declined a lawyer. The confessions of all appellants were interlocking and corroborated by eyewitness accounts, firmly establishing conspiracy. Consequently, each conspirator is liable for all acts executed in furtherance of the common criminal design. The penalty of death was affirmed, with the Court noting that the constitutional requirement for the death penalty at the time was satisfied.