GR 125330; (September, 1999) (Digest)
G.R. No. 125330 . September 29, 1999.
PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, plaintiff-appellee, vs. GODOFREDO TAHOP alias “Dodong Gamay,” accused-appellant.
FACTS
Accused-appellant Godofredo Tahop was charged with rape with homicide for the death of Asuncion Sereño. He pleaded guilty at arraignment. The prosecution presented evidence, including the eyewitness account of Paquito Aton, who testified that on July 16, 1995, he saw Tahop drag Sereño to a secluded area in a coconut plantation, hit her head with a bottle, rape her, and then stab and hack her to death with a bolo. Aton witnessed this from about ten meters away but was too afraid to intervene. Cinderella vda. de Mure corroborated that she last saw Sereño alive with Tahop. Dr. Josefina Superable’s medical reports confirmed the victim was raped and died from incised wounds. The Regional Trial Court found Tahop guilty and sentenced him to death.
ISSUE
1. Whether the accused’s plea of guilty was improvident.
2. Whether the testimony of eyewitness Paquito Aton was credible and sufficient to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
RULING
The Supreme Court affirmed the conviction and the imposition of the death penalty.
1. The plea of guilty was not improvident. The records show the accused was represented by counsel de oficio, with whom he conferred before arraignment. The trial judge conducted a searching inquiry, ensuring the accused understood the nature of the charge and the consequences of his plea. Furthermore, even if the plea were improvident, the conviction was based not solely on the plea but on the evidence presented by the prosecution.
2. The testimony of eyewitness Paquito Aton was credible. The alleged inconsistency in his testimony—whether he was gathering grass or pasturing his cow—was minor and did not relate to the commission of the crime or the identification of the accused. Such minor inconsistencies can strengthen credibility by negating any suspicion of a rehearsed testimony. No evil motive was shown for Aton to falsely testify. The medical evidence corroborated his account. The factual findings and credibility assessments of the trial court are accorded great weight and respect.
The Court modified the damages, ordering the accused to indemnify the heirs of Asuncion Sereño P100,000.00 as death indemnity and P50,000.00 as moral damages.