GR 124833; (July, 1998) (Digest)
G.R. No. 124833 July 20, 1998
People of the Philippines, plaintiff-appellee, vs. Romeo Enriquez y Nicdao, accused-appellant.
FACTS
On June 17, 1991, laborers Romeo Enriquez, Manuel Biasa, Ariel Donato, Jr., and security guard Eduardo Tupig engaged in a drinking spree in Quezon City. After drinking gin and later beer at D’Margs Beerhouse, they were at a 7-Eleven parking lot when Tupig was suddenly stabbed from behind. He was rushed to the hospital but died from the wound. Initially, Enriquez, Donato, and Biasa gave statements blaming ten unidentified men for the killing. Four months later, Biasa executed two sworn statements pointing to his patron, Enriquez, as the assailant and to Donato as an accomplice. Biasa testified that Enriquez had asked for his double-bladed knife during the drinking session and later used it to stab Tupig from behind. After the stabbing, Enriquez returned the knife to Biasa, later retrieved it, and threw it into a creek. At the hospital, Donato threatened Biasa to stick to the agreed-upon false story. The medico-legal report confirmed Tupig died from hemorrhage due to a stab wound. Enriquez maintained his innocence, claiming a group of ten unidentified men attacked them. The Regional Trial Court convicted Enriquez of murder qualified by treachery and sentenced him to reclusion perpetua and damages.
ISSUE
Whether the trial court erred in convicting accused-appellant Romeo Enriquez of murder based on the testimony of a single witness, Manuel Biasa, whose initial statement contradicted his later sworn statements and testimony.
RULING
The Supreme Court affirmed the conviction. The trial court’s factual findings are accorded great respect. The positive identification by eyewitness Manuel Biasa, who testified categorically and consistently under oath, prevails over the denial and alibi of the accused. The later sworn statements and testimony of Biasa, affirmed in court, are presumed to reflect his true will and intent, superseding his initial statement. The prosecution is not required to present multiple witnesses; the credible testimony of a single witness, which was substantiated by the postmortem findings, is sufficient to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt. The attack, where the victim was stabbed from behind without warning, constituted treachery (alevosia), qualifying the killing as murder. The decision of the trial court was affirmed in toto.