G.R. No. L-2064; May 12, 1949
THE PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, plaintiff-appellee, vs. ELIGIO TORRES, defendant-appellant.

FACTS

Eligio Torres, a Filipino citizen, was charged with treason for aiding Japanese forces during the occupation. The prosecution presented multiple witnesses who testified that in January 1945, Torres, along with Japanese soldiers and another Filipino, arrested several individuals in Zamboanga City, accusing them of aiding guerrillas. The witnesses detailed that Torres actively participated in the investigation, torture, and beating of the detainees, including women. Specifically, Torres was identified as the one who killed Castro de la Vega by cutting his right foot and then beheading him with a sword provided by a Japanese soldier. Additional evidence showed that on March 2, 1945, Torres participated in the arrest and torture of Florencio Sebastian to locate a guerrilla, and robbed Sebastian and Jose Lim of cash, jewelry, and goods. The trial court convicted Torres of treason and sentenced him to death, with indemnities.

ISSUE

Whether the trial court erred in convicting Torres of treason based on the evidence presented.

RULING

The Supreme Court affirmed the conviction but modified the penalty and indemnities. The Court found the testimonies of prosecution witnesses credible and sufficient to prove Torres’s active participation in the arrests, torture, and killings in aid of the enemy, constituting treason. However, the death penalty was reduced to reclusion perpetua due to insufficient votes for capital punishment. Indemnities were adjusted: the heirs of each deceased victim (Castro de la Vega, Ponciano de la Chica, Mariano Alfonso, and Domingo Jimenez) were awarded P6,000 each, and Florencio Sebastian’s indemnity was reduced to P1,020. The separate opinion of Justice Pablo, dissenting, argued for affirming the death penalty due to aggravating circumstances of cruelty and robbery.

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