G.R. No. L-19929 October 30, 1965
THE PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, plaintiff-appellee, vs. MANUEL STA. MARIA, ET AL., defendant-appellants.

FACTS

The accused, Manuel Sta. Maria, Francisco Sta. Maria, Ignacio de Guzman, Juanito dela Cruz, Alfonso Balinguit, Ruperto Santos, and Restituto dela Cruz, were charged with kidnapping with murder before the Court of First Instance of Bulacan. Initially, all pleaded not guilty. During trial, Juanito dela Cruz, Alfonso Balinguit, Ruperto Santos, and Restituto dela Cruz changed their pleas to guilty and were sentenced to death. Trial proceeded for Manuel Sta. Maria, Francisco Sta. Maria, and Ignacio de Guzman, who were also found guilty and sentenced to death, with all accused ordered to indemnify the heirs of the victim, Domingo Sanqui.
On the night of December 15, 1959, Domingo Sanqui was kidnapped from his barn in Malibay, San Miguel, Bulacan, by individuals including Juanito dela Cruz, who pretended to be policemen. Sanqui was dragged away, and a ransom note demanding P30,000.00, signed by “Mabalasik Commander” and prepared by Manuel Sta. Maria, was left behind. The victim was taken to the mountains of Tela Kawa, where Francisco Sta. Maria ordered Alfonso Balinguit to shoot him. After Sanqui fell, Manuel Sta. Maria ordered Ruperto Santos to hack the victim’s neck. The body, found decapitated and in an advanced state of decomposition on December 23, 1959, showed the cause of death as multiple skull fracture and severe brain injury.
Apprehensions and investigations followed, with Juanito dela Cruz, Ruperto Santos, and Alfonso Balinguit confessing their participation and leading authorities to the body. Manuel Sta. Maria, Francisco Sta. Maria, and Ignacio de Guzman also gave confessions before a justice of the peace but later denied their voluntariness, claiming coercion. The defense of the three included alibis and denial of involvement.

ISSUE

The main issues raised were: (1) whether the plea of guilty by four appellants was made with understanding of its consequences; (2) whether the extrajudicial confessions of the three other appellants were voluntary and admissible; and (3) whether the imposition of the death penalty was justified.

RULING

The Supreme Court affirmed the convictions but modified the penalties for the four appellants who pleaded guilty. The plea of guilty by Restituto dela Cruz, Juanito dela Cruz, Alfonso Balinguit, and Ruperto Santos was found to be made with full understanding, as the record showed they were properly informed. Their extrajudicial confessions, corroborated by the testimonies and confessions of Manuel Sta. Maria, Francisco Sta. Maria, and Ignacio de Guzman, established conspiracy. The confessions of the three appellants were deemed voluntary, as certified by a justice of the peace, with no evidence of threat or intimidation other than their bare claims. The death penalty was justified under Article 267 of the Revised Penal Code, as amended, since the kidnapping was for ransom and resulted in murder. However, commuting the death penalty to reclusion perpetua for the four appellants who pleaded guilty, following the Solicitor General’s recommendation, the Court affirmed the death penalty for Manuel Sta. Maria, Francisco Sta. Maria, and Ignacio de Guzman.