GR No. 123456 | Date: January 15, 2023 | Title: People of the Philippines vs. Juan Dela Cruz*

FACTS:
1. Juan Dela Cruz was charged with the crime of Robbery with Homicide under Article 294 of the Revised Penal Code.
2. The prosecution presented eyewitness testimony and recovered stolen items from the accused’s possession.
3. The accused interposed the defense of alibi, claiming he was in a different city at the time of the crime.
4. The Regional Trial Court (RTC) found the accused guilty beyond reasonable doubt and sentenced him to reclusion perpetua.
5. The accused appealed to the Court of Appeals (CA), which affirmed the RTC decision in toto.
6. The case is now before the Supreme Court on a petition for review on certiorari.

Whether the Court of Appeals erred in affirming the conviction of the accused for Robbery with Homicide based on the evidence presented.

*
The petition is DENIED. The Court of Appeals decision is AFFIRMED.

The Supreme Court held that the prosecution successfully proved the guilt of the accused beyond reasonable doubt. The positive identification by the credible eyewitness, corroborated by the physical evidence (stolen items), prevails over the weak defense of alibi, which was not substantiated by clear and convincing proof of the physical impossibility for the accused to be at the crime scene. The elements of Robbery with Homicide were all established. The concurrent findings of fact by the RTC and the CA are generally binding and conclusive upon the Supreme Court, absent any showing of arbitrariness or oversight of material facts. No such exception exists in this case.

AI Generated.