GR L 683 4; (February, 1948) (Digest)
G.R. No. L-683 and L-684; February 26, 1948
EL PUEBLO DE FILIPINAS vs. ANASTACIO IMSON y NICOLAS IMSON (G.R. No. L-683) and EL PUEBLO DE FILIPINAS vs. ANASTACIO IMSON (G.R. No. L-684)
FACTS
On December 21, 1945, in Baguio City, Anastacio Imson approached Mayor Isidoro Siapno at a gas station to request the dismissal of a gambling complaint filed against him. Offended by Imson’s familiar manner of placing a hand on his shoulder, the mayor indignantly identified him as a gambler and declared he would “clear Baguio of gamblers.” Anastacio Imson then drew his revolver. When Guillermo Paraan, a special agent of the mayor, intervened, Anastacio ordered him away and fired shots, hitting Paraan in the abdomen. As the mayor fled, Anastacio and his brother Nicolas Imson fired at him. Mayor Siapno was hit by five bullets in the back and died two days later. Paraan died the next day from his wounds.
ISSUE
1. Whether the trial court erred in its factual findings and in admitting an alleged ante-mortem statement (Exhibit G).
2. Whether the evidence sufficiently establishes the guilt of both Anastacio and Nicolas Imson for the killings.
RULING
The Supreme Court affirmed the convictions with modifications regarding Nicolas Imson.
1. The trial court’s preliminary observation about the crime causing consternation was a harmless error. The alleged ante-mortem statement (Exhibit G) was properly disregarded due to doubts about its authenticity, as the signatories did not match the persons listed as present, and a key witness did not testify about it. This exclusion did not affect the outcome, as other evidence sufficiently established the facts.
2. The conviction of Anastacio Imson for the murders of Mayor Siapno and Guillermo Paraan is affirmed. The credible testimony of eyewitness Enrique Quinto clearly established that Anastacio initiated the shooting.
3. Regarding Nicolas Imson, the Court was divided. The majority affirmed his conviction as a co-conspirator, finding his act of shooting at the fleeing mayor as aid to his brother. However, a separate opinion expressed reasonable doubt, noting inconsistencies in prosecution witness accounts and defense alibi evidence, and the lack of proof of a pre-existing conspiracy. The final disposition in the provided text shows the Court acquitted Nicolas Imson based on reasonable doubt.
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