GR L 1703; (December, 1948) (Digest)
G.R. No. L-1703. December 21, 1948.
THE PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, plaintiff-appellee, vs. ERNESTO CASTILLO and QUINTIN CASTILLO, defendants-appellants.
FACTS
Appellants Ernesto and Quintin Castillo, along with others, were charged with robbery in band with rape. The prosecution evidence established that on April 1, 1947, five armed men entered the house of Paula Diana in San Pablo, Laguna. They robbed the house, tied up Paula’s stepfather, and then took Paula to a nearby location. There, four of the men, including both appellants, successively raped her through force and intimidation. The appellants raised defenses of alibi and questioned the credibility of the victim’s testimony, pointing to the delay in reporting the incident and alleged inconsistencies.
ISSUE
Whether the guilt of the appellants for the crime of robbery in band with rape has been proven beyond reasonable doubt.
RULING
Yes. The Supreme Court affirmed the conviction. The positive identification of the appellants by the victim and her stepfather prevailed over the weak defense of alibi. The Court found no merit in the appellants’ arguments attacking the victim’s credibility. The delay in the formal report was sufficiently explained by the immediate spontaneous disclosure to her stepfather and husband. The alleged inconsistencies in the testimony were minor and did not undermine the core narrative of the crime. The collective manner in which the rape was committed, in the presence of others, was deemed plausible under the circumstances of a common criminal design. The trial court’s assessment of witness credibility was upheld. The penalty of life imprisonment was affirmed, with the additional modification for the appellants to jointly and severally indemnify the victim in the sum of one thousand pesos.
AI Generated by Armztrong.