GR 227866; (July, 2020) (Digest)
G.R. No. 227866 . July 08, 2020.
PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, PLAINTIFF-APPELLEE, VS. TAHIR TAMANO Y TOGUSO, ACCUSED-APPELLANT.
FACTS
The accused-appellant, Tahir Tamano, was charged with two counts of rape. The prosecution’s version established that the victim, AAA, met Tamano at a mall on July 12, 2009, when he took her gaming console. To retrieve her cellphone left with him, AAA returned the next day. Tamano lured her to a fast-food restaurant, where she drank a beverage he provided, causing her to feel dizzy, weak, and disoriented. In this incapacitated state, Tamano took her to a room where he sexually assaulted her multiple times through forcible sexual intercourse. AAA eventually escaped, reported the incident, and was medically examined.
The defense presented a denial and claimed the sexual encounter was consensual. Tamano testified that he and AAA were in a romantic relationship and that their intimate acts on the date in question were voluntary. The Regional Trial Court convicted Tamano of two counts of rape. The Court of Appeals affirmed the conviction, leading to this appeal before the Supreme Court.
ISSUE
The core issue is whether the prosecution proved the guilt of the accused-appellant for two counts of rape beyond reasonable doubt.
RULING
The Supreme Court affirmed the conviction. The Court meticulously applied the principles governing rape cases. The victim’s testimony was found to be credible, consistent, and candid, detailing the use of a substance that deprived her of reason and will, constituting force and intimidation under Article 266-A of the Revised Penal Code. The Court emphasized that in rape cases, the complainant’s testimony, if credible, is sufficient to sustain a conviction. AAA’s immediate reporting of the crime, her distressed condition, and the medical findings corroborated her account.
The Court rejected the defense of consensuality as inherently weak and unsubstantiated. Tamano’s claim of a romantic relationship was belied by the evidence of how he initially detained AAA’s belongings to compel her meeting. The totality of the prosecution evidence conclusively established all elements of the crime: (1) sexual congress took place; (2) it was accomplished through force or intimidation; and (3) the victim was deprived of reason or otherwise unconscious. The Court modified the awarded damages in accordance with prevailing jurisprudence, imposing civil indemnity, moral damages, and exemplary damages for each count of rape, with interest.