GR 41430; (November, 1934) (Digest)
G.R. No. 41430 ; November 1, 1934
THE PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, plaintiff-appellee, vs. DALMACIO MAÑGON, ET AL., defendants-appellants.
FACTS
Appellants were convicted of forcible abduction and rape. The prosecution alleged that on August 6, 1932, the offended party, Marcosa Clemente, was seized by force in Cabanatuan, placed in an automobile, and taken to Bustos, Bulacan, where she was raped by Dalmacio Mañgon. She claimed the acts were against her will and under threats. However, shortly after arrival in Bustos, she signed and swore to a sworn statement (Exhibit 1) before the municipal president, declaring she went voluntarily with Mañgon due to mutual affection. The next day, her mother intervened, but Marcosa initially refused to return home. She later consented to marriage preparations with Mañgon before returning to Cabanatuan with her mother, allegedly as a ruse. The defense claimed it was an elopement. Evidence included amorous letters from Marcosa to Mañgon (Exhibits 2 and 3), which she unconvincingly explained as attempts to make him stop bothering her. Testimonies from the municipal president, his wife, the parish priest, and other witnesses supported the defense version and contradicted the prosecution’s account of force.
ISSUE
Whether the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that appellants committed the crimes of forcible abduction and rape.
RULING
No. The Supreme Court reversed the conviction and acquitted the appellants. The testimony of the offended party and her witnesses was found “full of many contradictions and inconsistencies,” improbable, and not credible. In contrast, the defense presented clear and convincing evidence, including the sworn statement of voluntary accompaniment, the amorous letters, and credible disinterested witnesses, establishing the encounter as a consensual elopement. The Court also censured the trial judge for improperly asking the audience about the truth of the case, emphasizing that local passions and prejudices have no place in judicial proceedings.
AI Generated by Armztrong.