GR L 1060; (March, 1949) (Digest)
G.R. No. L-1060; March 17, 1949
EL PUEBLO DE FILIPINAS, plaintiff-appellee, vs. SERGIO REVILLA Y DORINGO, ET AL., defendants-appellants.
FACTS
The accused, Sergio Revilla, Diosdado Guinto, Luis Bautista, and Hermogenes Tolentino, were charged with the crime of robbery in band in an inhabited house, committed with violence and intimidation against persons and with multiple rape. The prosecution evidence established that in the early morning of June 11, 1946, the accused, armed with revolvers and knives, entered the house of spouses Porfirio Lapena and Amparo Santiago. They threatened the occupants, ordered them to lie face down, and robbed them of cash and valuables. Subsequently, Sergio Revilla, Luis Bautista, and Diosdado Guinto, one after another, raped Amparo Santiago through force and intimidation. The accused were later arrested, and several stolen items were recovered from them. They also executed written confessions admitting their participation in the crime. At the trial, the accused denied the charges, alleging alibis and claiming their confessions were extracted through police torture.
ISSUE
Whether the guilt of the accused for the crime of robbery in band with multiple rape has been proven beyond reasonable doubt.
RULING
Yes. The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the trial court convicting the accused. The Court found the prosecution evidence, particularly the positive identification by the victims and the written confessions of the accused, to be credible and sufficient to establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt. The defenses of alibi and alleged coercion in obtaining the confessions were rejected as unmeritorious and unsupported by the evidence. The aggravating circumstances of band and nocturnity were properly appreciated. The penalty of reclusion perpetua for each accused was upheld.
AI Generated by Armztrong.