G.R. No. 2850
THE UNITED STATES, complainant-appellee, vs. EUGENIO VERGARA, defendant-appellant.

FACTS:
1. Eugenio Vergara, a councilor of the pueblo of Abucay, Bataan, was accused of violating Section 5 of Act No. 781 (amending Act No. 175) for failing to promptly notify the provincial governor or inspector of police about the presence of ladrones (bandits).
2. The prosecution alleged that Vergara had three encounters with Felix Encarnacion, a bandit chief, but failed to report them directly to the governor or inspector.
3. Vergara defended himself by stating that he had reported the incidents to the municipal president, who then forwarded the information to the inspector.
4. The prosecution argued that Vergara’s indirect reporting did not comply with the law and that his meetings with Encarnacion were not covered by the reports.

ISSUE:
Did Eugenio Vergara violate Section 5 of Act No. 781 by failing to directly notify the provincial governor or inspector of police about the presence of bandits?

RULING:
NO. The Supreme Court acquitted Vergara, ruling that:
1. Given the circumstances (time and place), Vergara had no practical means to directly notify the governor or inspector, making his report through the municipal president a reasonable and sufficient compliance with the law.
2. The prosecution failed to prove that Vergara’s meetings with Encarnacion were unrelated to the reports he submitted.
3. Since Vergara took the only available course of action, he did not breach his duty under the law.

Disposition: The accused was acquitted and ordered released immediately, with costs de oficio.

Concurring Justices: Arellano, C.J., Torres, Mapa, Carson, and Willard.

(Batas Pinas Note: This case highlights the principle that legal obligations must be interpreted in light of practical circumstances, and indirect compliance may suffice when direct action is impossible.)