People vs Dela Torre

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People vs Dela Torre
G.R. No. 137953-58
April 11, 2002
Facts
Appellee !"#FR$D% D$#A T%RR$ &a' t&ree (3) c&il're* +it& &is co,,o*-la+ +i-e .eli*'a Torre,
*a,el/ .1, .2 a*' .3. .eli*'a le-t &er -a,il/ +&e* .1 +as a0o1t seve* (7) /ears ol' 0ri*2i*2
+it& &er .3. T&e victi, live' +it& &er -at&er a*' 0rot&er .2 i* 3ta. 4r15, 6a,0ales.
"* 7a*1ar/ o- 1997, Felita 3o0revilla, teac&er o- .1, *otice' s1''e* c&a*2es i* &er 0e&avior a*'
+&e* co*-ro*te', t&e latter a',itte' t&at s&e +as se81all/ a01se' 0/ &er -at&er. 9er &ea' teac&er
i*-or,e' &er A1*t $lpi'ia :ali*'o a0o1t t&e se81al a01ses. T&e/ re-erre' t&e case to t&e D3!D
+&o too; &er 1*'er its c1sto'/.
.1 testi-ie' t&at &er -at&er co,,itte' se81al a01ses o* &er o* t&e -ollo+i*2 'ates 3epte,0er 30,
199<, %cto0er 10, 199<, %cto0er 18, 199<, Nove,0er 01, 199<, Nove,0er 12, 199< a*' Dece,0er
23, 199<.
A ,e'ical e8a,i*atio* co*'1cte' 0/ Dr. .ila2ri*a .a/or, R1ral 9ealt& P&/sicia* o- 3ta. 4r15,
6a,0ales, o* .ar/ Rose reveale' t&at &er &/,e* +as 0ro;e* +it& &eale' laceratio*s at t&e 300,
<00 a*' 900 *i*e o=cloc; positio*s. T&e 2irl also s1--ere' -ro, 1ri*ar/ tract i*-ectio*.
"ss1es
(a) !&et&er appellee s&o1l' 0e pe*ali5e' +it& recl1sio* perpet1a i* eac& o- t&e -o1r i*'ict,e*ts -or
rape, i*stea' o- i,posi*2 t&e s1pre,e pe*alt/ o- 'eat& as ,a*'ate' 0/ R.A. No. 7<59>
(0) !&et&er a* i*crease i* t&e pe*alt/ i,pose' 0/ t&e lo+er co1rt +ill violate t&e ri2&t o- t&e
acc1se' a2ai*st 'o10le ?eopar'/.
9el'
T&e RT4 r1le' t&at @it +as '1l/ esta0lis&e' t&at acc1se' !il-re'o co,,itte' acts o- lascivio1s*ess
a2ai*st .1 o* 30 3epte,0er 199< a*' 10 %cto0er 199<, a*' &a' car*al ;*o+le'2e Ao-B .1 o* 18
%cto0er 199<, 01 Nove,0er 199<, 12 Nove,0er 199< a*' 23 Dece,0er 199<.@ F1rt&er, t&e trial
co1rt a''e' t&at t&e ,oral asce*'a*c/ o- appellee over t&e victi, +as eC1ivale*t to i*ti,i'atio*. "t
'i' *ot 2ive a*/ pro0ative val1e to &is 1*corro0orate' a*' 1*s10sta*tiate' 'e-e*ses o- 'e*ial a*'
ali0i.
9o+ever, t&e co1rt re-1se' to i,pose t&e s1pre,e pe*alt/ o- 'eat& o* appellee. "t ,ai*tai*e' t&at
t&ere +ere circ1,sta*ces t&at ,iti2ate' t&e 2ravit/ o- t&e o--e*ses.
T&e prosec1tio* as;s t&is 4o1rt to ,o'i-/ t&e RT4 Decisio* 0/ i,posi*2 t&e s1pre,e pe*alt/ o-
'eat& o* t&e acc1se'. "t ar21es t&at it &as prove* t&at t&e victi, is t&e 'a12&ter o- t&e acc1se', a*'
t&at s&e +as 0elo+ ei2&tee* (18) /ears ol' +&e* t&e rapes too; place. As a co*seC1e*ce, t&e trial
co1rt s&o1l' &ave i,pose' t&e pe*alt/ o- 'eat& p1rs1a*t to 3ectio* 11 o- RA 7<59.
D*'er 3ectio* 1, R1le 122 o- t&e 2000 R1les o- 4ri,i*al Proce'1re, a*/ part/ ,a/ appeal -ro, a
?1'2,e*t or -i*al or'er, 1*less t&e acc1se' +ill 0e place' i* 'o10le ?eopar'/. T&is provisio* is
s10sta*tiall/ t&e sa,e as t&at provi'e' 0/ t&e 1985 R1les.
"* several cases, t&is 4o1rt &as alrea'/ 'e-i*itivel/ r1le' o* t&is iss1e. Rece*tl/, i* People v.
#eo*es, it 1*,ista;a0l/ 'eclare' t&at @A+B&ile it is tr1e t&at t&is 4o1rt is t&e 4o1rt o- last resort, t&ere
are alle2atio*s o- error co,,itte' 0/ a lo+er co1rt +&ic& +e o12&t *ot to loo; i*to to 1p&ol' t&e ri2&t
o- t&e acc1se'. 31c& is t&e case i* a* appeal 0/ t&e prosec1tio* see;i*2 to i*crease t&e pe*alt/
i,pose' 1po* t&e acc1se' -or t&is r1*s a-o1l o- t&e ri2&t o- t&e acc1se' a2ai*st 'o10le ?eopar'/.@
T&e 0a* o* 'o10le ?eopar'/ is 'eepl/ roote' i* ?1rispr1'e*ce. T&e 'octri*e &as several avo+e'
p1rposes. Pri,aril/, it preve*ts t&e 3tate -ro, 1si*2 its cri,i*al processes as a* i*str1,e*t o-
&arass,e*t to +ear o1t t&e acc1se' 0/ a ,1ltit1'e o- cases +it& acc1,1late' trials. "t also serves
t&e a''itio*al p1rpose o- precl1'i*2 t&e 3tate, -ollo+i*2 a* acC1ittal, -ro, s1ccessivel/ retr/i*2 t&e
'e-e*'a*t i* t&e &ope o- sec1ri*2 a co*victio*. A*' -i*all/, it preve*ts t&e 3tate, -ollo+i*2 co*victio*,
-ro, retr/i*2 t&e 'e-e*'a*t a2ai* i* t&e &ope o- sec1ri*2 a 2reater pe*alt/.
@!&ile certiorari ,a/ 0e 1se' to correct a* a01sive acC1ittal, t&e petitio*er i* s1c& e8traor'i*ar/
procee'i*2 ,1st clearl/ 'e,o*strate t&at t&e lo+er co1rt 0lata*tl/ a01se' its a1t&orit/ to a poi*t so
2rave as to 'eprive it o- its ver/ po+er to 'ispe*se ?1stice. %* t&e ot&er &a*', i- t&e petitio*,
re2ar'less o- its *o,e*clat1re, ,erel/ calls -or a* or'i*ar/ revie+ o- t&e -i*'i*2s o- t&e co1rt a C1o,
t&e co*stit1tio*al ri2&t a2ai*st 'o10le ?eopar'/ +o1l' 0e violate'. 31c& reco1rse is ta*ta,o1*t to
co*verti*2 t&e petitio* -or certiorari i*to a* appeal, co*trar/ to t&e e8press i*?1*ctio* o- t&e
4o*stit1tio*, t&e R1les o- 4o1rt a*' prevaili*2 ?1rispr1'e*ce o* 'o10le ?eopar'/.@
4ase Di2est 0/ c0ca0al5a2009