G.R. No. L-1996; May 30, 1949
THE PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, plaintiff-appellant, vs. SALIP JULMAIN, ALIMPONOS HADJA and INSAN-IN HADJA, defendants-appellees.

FACTS

The defendants were charged with murder allegedly committed on January 19, 1947, in the seas between Zamboanga and Sulu provinces, while they and the victim were on an unlicensed vinta traveling from Zamboanga City to Luuk, Sulu. After the alleged crime, the victim’s body was thrown overboard, and the widow and children landed at Pangasaan, Basilan Island. The Court of First Instance of Sulu dismissed the case for lack of jurisdiction, ruling that the proper court to try the case was in Zamboanga. The prosecution appealed.

ISSUE

Whether the Court of First Instance of Sulu has jurisdiction to try the murder case, considering the crime was committed on an unlicensed vessel in the seas between Zamboanga and Sulu.

RULING

No. The Supreme Court affirmed the dismissal. Under Section 14(c), Rule 106 of the Rules of Court, jurisdiction over offenses committed on a vessel during its voyage applies only to vessels registered or licensed in accordance with Philippine law. The vinta in question was unlicensed, so the provision does not apply. Consequently, jurisdiction is determined by the location where the crime was committed—the seas within the jurisdiction of Zamboanga. Even if the vessel were licensed, the first port of entry was Pangasaan, Basilan, which is under the jurisdiction of the Court of First Instance of Zamboanga. Therefore, the case should be tried in Zamboanga, not Sulu.

AI Generated by Armztrong.