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6/30/2015 G.R. No. 95351

http://www.lawphil.net/judjuris/juri1991/aug1991/gr_95351_1991.html 1/2

TodayisTuesday,June30,2015

RepublicofthePhilippinesSUPREMECOURT

Manila

FIRSTDIVISION

G.R.No.95351August9,1991

PEOPLEOFTHEPHILIPPINES,plaintiffappellee,vs.JIMMYLAURIOandDOMINADOR"Tulong"LAURIO,accused.DOMINADOR"Tulong"LAURIO,accusedappellant.

TheSolicitorGeneralforplaintiffappellee.

PublicAttorney'sOfficeforaccusedappellant.

GRIOAQUINO,J.:p

OnJuly25,1989,thebrothers,JimmyandDominadorLaurio,werechargedwithmurderinaninformationfiledbytheProvincialProsecutorofMasbate,docketedasCriminalCaseNo.5753oftheRegionalTrialCourtofMasbate,whichreads:

That on or about May 7, 1988 at midnight thereof, at sitio Bagong Sirang, Barangay Panique,Municipality of Aroroy, Province of Masbate, Philippines, and with the jurisdiction of this HonorableCourt,theabovenamedaccusedwithintenttokill,evidentpremeditationandtreachery,didthenandtherewilfully, unlawfully and feloniously conspiring and helping each other, attack, assault, box andstabwithaknifeoneElyBanculo,hittingthelatteronthedifferentpartsofthebody,therebyinflictingwoundswhichdirectlycausedhisdeath.

Contrarytolaw.(p.7,Rollo.)

Uponarraignment,theaccusedDominadorLaurio,assistedbycounseldeparte,enteredapleaof"notguilty."Trialensuedonlyagainsthim,becausehiscoaccused,JimmyLaurio,was,andstillis,atlarge.

In theeveningofMay7,1988,abenefitdancewasheld in thedancehallat thepublicplaza inBagongSirang,Barangay Panique, AroroyMasbate. The dance wasmanaged by RobertoManlapaz who was president of theaffair.

Whilethebenefitdancewasgoingon,ElyBanculo,DominadorLaurio,andJimmyLauriodrankbeer"grande"atacornerstoreneartheplaza.Whenthethreedecidedtoretire, theyoffereda lastdrinktoRobertoManlapaz,whoaccepted it. Shortly after eleven o'clock in the evening, they asked permission to leave. After the three haddeparted,Manlapaz went to the comfort room about tenmeters away.While he was there, he sawDominadorLauriosuddenlyboxElyBanculoontherightjaw.TheblowcausedBanculotofallontheground.Instantly,JimmyLaurioplungedhishandknucklewithaprotrudingbladethreetimesintoBanculo'sbodyashelayontheground,woundinghimontherightnipple,ontheback,andintherightarmpit.

Since the place of the scuffle was welllighted by a fluorescent lamp on a nearby coconut tree, Dominador'sneighbor,AndioloEsquilonawhochancedtobepassingby,witnessedthestabbingofBanculobyJimmyLaurio.AfterrenderingBanculoprostrate,theLauriobrothersfled.

Manlapaz reported the incident to the barangay captain, who went after the Laurio brothers straightaway.Dominadorwasarrested,buthisbrotherJimmywentintohidingandhasremainedatlarge.

SomeoneinformedBanculo'swife,Delia,aboutthestabbingofherhusband.SherushedtothesceneofthecrimeintimeforherhusbandtoinformherthathewasstabbedbyJimmyandDominadorLaurio.

6/30/2015 G.R. No. 95351

http://www.lawphil.net/judjuris/juri1991/aug1991/gr_95351_1991.html 2/2

Banculowasbrought to theAtlasClinic for emergency treatment.Afterwards, hewasmoved to the clinic ofDr.Corpus,whereheremainedfortwodaysandtwonights.Ashisconditionworsened,upontheadviceofDr.Corpushimself,BanculowastransferredtotheMasbateProvincialHospitalwhereheunderwentanoperationinthelungs.Unfortunately,infectionhadalreadysetin.Hediedofcardiopulmonaryarrestsecondarytosepticemiawithseverehemothorax,secondary tostabwounds,chestanterior (Dr.EnriqueO.Legaspi'sCertificationMasbateProvincialHospital).

In a decision dated July 24, 1990, the Regional Trial Court of Masbate (Br 45) found Dominador Laurio guiltybeyond reasonable doubt ofmurder and sentenced him to suffer the penalty of reclusion perpetua, and to payindemnityintheamountofP30,000totheheirsofthevictim,ElyBanculo,pluscosts.

Hehasappealedthatdecision,allegingthatthecourtaquoerred:

1.infindingthatheconspiredwithhisbrother,Jimmy,andemployedtreacheryinkillingthevictimand

2.ingivingfullcredittothetestimoniesoftheprosecutionwitnessesdespitematerialinconsistencies.

Thereismeritintheappeal.

Itisabasicprincipleofconstitutionallawthattheaccusedshallbepresumedinnocentuntilthecontraryisprovenbeyondreasonabledoubt.Lackingsuchcertainty,thetrialcourthasthedutytorenderaverdictofacquittal(Peoplevs.Macasinag,173SCRA292).Thesamedegreeofproofnecessarytoestablishthecrimeisrequiredtoestablishacriminalconspiracy(Peoplevs.Drilon,Jr.,123SCRA72).Itcannotbeestablishedbyconjecturesbutbypositiveand conclusive evidence (People vs. Martinez, 127 SCRA 260). A conspiracy may be inferred from thecircumstances attending the commission of the crime, but, like any other ingredient of the offense, it must beestablishedbyclearandconvincingevidence(Peoplevs.Agda,111SCRA330).

Theevidence in this case showsonly that theappellant,Dominador Laurio, and thedeceasedquarreledover awomanand that theyhada fist fight. Inanger,DominadorboxedBanculoon the jaw.Hisbrother,JimmyLaurio,immediately jumped into the fray by stabbingBanculo in different parts of the body and inflictingwoundswhichcaused his death. There is no evidence that the brothers had conspired to kill Banculo or that Dominador hadforeknowledgeofwhatJimmy(whoapparentlyhadnoscore tosettlewithBanculo)woulddo.OnlyaconspiracybetweenthebrotherswouldqualifytomurderDominador'sactofboxingthevictim,butsuchaconspiracywasnotproven as indubitably as the homicide itself (People vs. Felix Raquipo, 188 SCRA 571). Absent any evidenceprovingthegravityordurationofthephysicalinjuryinflictedbyDominador'sfistblowuponthevictim,orproofofaconspiracyoftheLauriobrotherstoseriouslyinjureorkillthevictim,Dominadorispresumed,andshouldbeheld,liableforslightphysicalinjuriesonlyPeoplevs.Bautista,30SCRA558Art.266,RevisedPenalCode.Vol.II,1987Ed.byAquino,pp.603605).

WHEREFORE, the appealed decision is herebymodified, by finding appellant Dominador Laurio guilty of slightphysicalinjuriesonlyandsentencinghimtosufferthepenaltyofimprisonmentforthirty(30)daysofarrestomayor,with theaccessory penalties providedby lawand to pay the costs. If hehasbeendetained for longer than thatperiod,his immediate release fromcustody isherebyordered,unlesshe isbeingheld toanswer forsomeotheroffenseoroffenses.

SOORDERED.

Narvasa(Chairman),Cruz,GancaycoandMedialdea,JJ.,concur.

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