GR 1222; (January, 1905) (Digest)
G.R. No. 1222 : January 21, 1905
THE UNITED STATES, complainant-appellee, vs. MATEO LAPUS, ET AL., defendants-appellants.
FACTS:
On the night of June 3, 1902, a band of about four hundred men, including the accused-appellants Mateo Lapus, Bonifacio Bautista, Rufino Ordoñez, Victorino Manalang, and Pedro Bautista, armed with various weapons, raided the town of Cabiao, Nueva Ecija. The band roamed the streets firing shots, yelling, and frightening the inhabitants. They attacked the house of the municipal president, raided several other houses, and took sixty to seventy residents captive, including prominent community members. The captives were taken to different locations and detained until the following noon. Members of the band, identifying themselves as part of the association “Santa Iglesia” under Felipe Salvador, declared to the prisoners that their actions were against wealthy landowners and public officials for alleged oppression and failure to administer justice equally. They threatened to kill the prisoners if they followed the orders of their chief. The accused were identified by witnesses as participants in the raid. The defense of the accused was a general denial, which was not substantiated.
ISSUE:
Whether the acts committed by the accused constitute the crime of sedition under Act No. 292 .
RULING:
Yes. The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the Court of First Instance, finding the accused guilty as principals of the crime of sedition. The acts of publicly and tumultuously attacking the town, roaming its streets while firing shots and yelling, threatening residents, and taking captives with the declared political-social purpose of targeting authorities and the wealthy, constitute sedition as defined in paragraphs 3 and 4 of Section 5 of Act No. 292 . The crime is consummated by the commission of these public and tumultuous acts aimed at promoting hatred and vengeance against the authorities, regardless of whether their ultimate objective was realized. The liability of the accused as principals was fully proven by the testimony of multiple witnesses. Each appellant was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment, a fine of $1,500, and a share of the costs.