G.R. No. L-8413; August 14, 1913
THE UNITED STATES, plaintiff-appellee, vs. JORGE MANANQUIL, ET AL., defendants-appellants.

FACTS

On the night of May 5, 1912, the five defendants (Jorge Mananquil, Pablo Balingit, Severino Guevara, Sixto Romero, and Juan Policarpio), together with others, armed with bolos and clubs, assaulted the house of Apolonio Nidera in Tarlac. Mananquil, Balingit, and Guevara entered the house, while the others kept watch outside. Through force and intimidation, they seized money and personal effects from Apolonio Nidera and his niece Alfonsa Nidera, and maltreated the occupants. Some of the stolen articles were later recovered based on information from the defendants. After a preliminary examination, a complaint for robbery en cuadrilla was filed. During trial, two cohorts who were excluded from the complaint testified for the prosecution. The defendants pleaded not guilty but made admissions blaming each other and identifying Mananquil as the leader.

ISSUE

Whether the defendants are guilty of the crime of robbery en cuadrilla.

RULING

Yes, the defendants are guilty of robbery en cuadrilla. The crime, committed by more than three armed persons, is defined and penalized under Articles 502 and 503, No. 5, in relation to Articles 504 and 505 of the Penal Code. The evidence, including the testimonies of the victims and the recovering of stolen items, proves the defendants’ guilt beyond reasonable doubt. The aggravating circumstances of nighttime and dwelling were present, with no mitigating circumstances, warranting the imposition of the penalty in its maximum degree. The appealed judgment is affirmed, with the modification that the penalty for Severino Guevara and Sixto Romero is set at ten years of presidio mayor.