G.R. No. L-568; July 16, 1947
THE PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, plaintiff-appellee, vs. JUAN FRANCISCO, defendant-appellant.

FACTS

The defendant-appellant, Juan Francisco, was a detention prisoner in the municipal jail of Mansalay, Mindoro, on March 4, 1945. He requested and was granted permission to go to his house, accompanied by Sergeant Pacifico Pimentel as his guard. Upon arrival, Sergeant Pimentel allowed the appellant to go upstairs to see his wife while the sergeant remained at the foot of the stairs. Shortly after, Pimentel heard a woman’s scream, ran upstairs, and saw the appellant’s wife running out of a room, holding her bleeding right breast. Moments later, Pimentel found the appellant lying down with his one-and-a-half-year-old son, Romeo, on his chest. The appellant had a wound in his belly, and the child had a wound in the back. The child was found dead.
The prosecution’s case relied primarily on: (1) Exhibit C (and its translation, Exhibit C-1), an affidavit sworn by the appellant before the justice of the peace on March 5, 1945, which contained a virtual confession; (2) Exhibit D, the record of the appellant’s arraignment before the justice of the peace where he pleaded guilty; and (3) the rebuttal testimony of the appellant’s wife, Emilia Taladtad.
In his affidavit (Exhibit C), the appellant stated that upon reaching his house and talking to his wife, he remembered his uncle’s threat to have him killed for dishonoring the family. He claimed he “lost his sense,” thought it preferable to kill himself, saw a pair of scissors, unconsciously picked them up, stabbed his wife, then looked for his child on the bed and stabbed him, after which he stabbed himself. He lost consciousness after hearing a shot and agreeing to surrender to Sergeant Pimentel.
Sergeant Pimentel testified that the appellant confessed to wanting to “wipe out his family” because he was tired or disgusted with his life due to accusations from his father-in-law and felt ashamed. The voluntariness of the affidavit was attested to by the justice of the peace, Sergeant Pimentel, Sebastian Punzalan, and Chief of Police Alfredo Iwahi. The appellant claimed he was threatened by Pimentel to swear to the affidavit, but the court found this version incredible due to a lack of motive for such a threat and inconsistencies in the appellant’s testimony. The court noted the appellant understood English, the language of the translated affidavit.

ISSUE

Whether the conviction of Juan Francisco for the crime of parricide is supported by evidence beyond reasonable doubt.

RULING

Yes, the conviction is affirmed. The Court found the fact of the commission of parricide established beyond reasonable doubt. The appellant’s extrajudicial confession (Exhibit C) was deemed voluntary and credible, corroborated by the physical circumstances and the testimony of Sergeant Pimentel. The Court rejected the appellant’s claim of having been threatened into signing the affidavit, finding his testimony untrustworthy due to inconsistencies. While the motive for the crime was strange, the commission of the act was proven. The Court diligently searched the record for evidence to support a defense of insanity but found none. The decision of the trial court convicting Juan Francisco of parricide is upheld.