G.R. No. 232339 , November 20, 2019
People of the Philippines, Plaintiff-Appellee, vs. Jefferson Maron y Emplona, Jonathan Almario y Caygo and Nestor Bulahan y Gutierrez, Accused-Appellants.

FACTS

Accused-appellants Jefferson Maron, Jonathan Almario, and Nestor Bulahan were charged with Murder for the killing of Michael A. Clarianes. The prosecution’s version, based on the testimony of eyewitness Alma Exconde, is that on January 4, 2010, around 10:00 p.m., while she and Michael were seated on a bench near Sampaloc Lake, three men on a motorcycle arrived. Two alighted; one urinated nearby and the other hid behind a coconut tree. The man who urinated then approached Alma and pointed a knife at her neck, while the one behind the tree approached Michael and pointed a knife at him. They announced a hold-up. The third man, who had remained with the motorcycle, then approached brandishing a “kawit.” Michael cried for help and attempted to fight but was repeatedly stabbed by the three men until he died. The appellants fled. The Postmortem Examination Report indicated the cause of death was stab wounds involving the left lung and great vessels. The defense interposed alibi, each claiming they were at their respective homes at the time of the incident and were later arrested and identified in a police line-up.

ISSUE

Whether the Court of Appeals erred in affirming the conviction of the accused-appellants for the crime of Murder.

RULING

The Supreme Court denied the appeal and affirmed the conviction for Murder with modifications to the damages. The Court held that the positive identification by eyewitness Alma Exconde, who had a clear view of the appellants and described their positions, clothing, and actions in detail, prevailed over the appellants’ denial and alibi. The qualifying circumstance of treachery was present because the attack was sudden and unexpected, denying the victim any chance to defend himself. The appellants acted in concert to achieve their purpose. The penalty of reclusion perpetua without eligibility for parole was affirmed. The monetary awards were modified: appellants were ordered to pay, solidarily, the heirs of the victim P54,000.00 as actual damages, P75,000.00 each as civil indemnity, moral damages, and exemplary damages, and P1,490,784.00 for loss of earning capacity, all with legal interest at 6% per annum from finality until fully paid.