FACTS
CFI
SUPREME COURT
PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, plaintifappellee, vs. ZOSIMO CRISOLOGO, alias "AMANG", deendantappellant.
) April 3%=/ t!e a"sed t!ro"+! t!ro"+! a o"nsel de o4io aived t!e readin+ o t!e inormation and pleaded not +"ilt. Trial proeeded it!o"t an evidene ein+ presented on !is part.
!ECISION
Appeal rom a deision o t!e Co"rt o First Instane o #avao del S"r in Criminal Case $o. %& '()* onvitin+ t!e deendant o roer it! !omiide, sentenin+ !im to t!e deat! penalt, and orderin+ !im to indemnit t!e !eirs o Martin Franiso t!e s"ms o P/0,111.11 or loss o lie, P&0,111.11 or "neral e2penses, P/1,111.11 or loss o earnin+s and P&1,111.11 or moral dama+es. On 0 Ma 3%(), a riminal omplaint as 4led t!e Station Commander it! t!e M"niipal Co"rt o Ma+sasa, #avao del S"r a+ainst t!e a"sed 5osimo Crisolo+o alias 6Aman+6, a dea-m"te, or roer and !omiide alle+ed to !ave een ommitted on 3 Ma 3%() eteen ten to eleven o7lo8 in t!e evenin+ in Calama+o, Polaion Ma+sasa, #avao del S"r. ARRAIGNMENT 9 ARRAIGNMENT 9 #e 3&, :(( A"sed as as inormed o t!e rime !ar+ed t!r" Polieman M"no;, a !ild!ood a<"aintane. Mr. Mr. M"no; entered plea o +"ilt "t as disre+arded and arrai+nment as res!ed"led "ntil s"! time as t!e Co"rt o"ld avail o t!e servies o an e2pert in t!e si+n lan+"a+e rom t!e s!ool o t!e dea and d"m. ARRAIGNMENT – June 2, ‘7 "pon insistent plea o deense o"nsel or a si+n lan+"a+e e2pert to assist t!e a"sed, a+ain reset arrai+nment as no e2pert in si+n lan+"a+e as availale. T!e S!ool or t!e #ea and #"m in Pasa Cit as sent a op o t!e o"rt order to enale it to "rnis! t!e o"rt it! an e2pert in si+n lan+"a+e. $o s"! e2pert as made availale. $ov. %, 3%=& no si+n lan+"a+e e2pert e2pert or representative representative ever arrived rom t!e S!ool o t!e #ea and #"m in >a+o ?allera,
Upon ein+ as8ed !o 8illed t!e deeased, t!e a"sed alle+edl admitted to Pat. Pinto in si+n lan+"a+e t!at it as !e ma8in+ +est"res !i! Pat. Pinto interpreted to mean t!at t!e a"sed !ad een stoned t!e deeased, t!"s impellin+ t!e a"sed to sta t!e latter. latter. T!is onession, !oever, as not inl"ded in Pat. Pinto7s a@davit as !e alle+edl or+ot to tell t!e investi+ator. investi+ator. e a lso a8noled+e !is ail"re to noti t!e a"sed o !is ri+!t to o"nsel eore interro+ation and investi+ation d"e to di@"lt in onvein+ t!e matter si+n lan+"a+e. !ECISION 31 Fer"ar 3%=) it!o"t t!e servies servies o an e2pert in si+n si+n lan+"a+e ever ein+ "tili;ed at an sta+e o t!e proeedin+s, t!e a"sed as o"nd +"ilt eond reasonale do"t o roer it! !omiide and sentened to die eletro"tion. E2e"tive lemen as reommended. APPEAL Co"nsel or t!e a"sed and t!e Soliitor-?eneral no as8 or t!e reversal o t!e B"d+ment o onvition d"e to t!e ail"re o t!e trial o"rt to sae+"ard t!e a"sed7s ri+!t to d"e proess o la and t!e ins"@ien o t!e p"rel ir"mstantial evidene presented to overome t!e onstit"tional pres"mption o innoene in avor o t!e a"sed. Circumstantial evidence -proves the existence of a particular fact without any inferenc e orpresumption required.
t!e appealed deision is ere reversed. T!e a"sed is acquitted, on acquitted, on t!e +ro"nd t!at !is +"ilt !as not een proved eond reasonale do"t. REASONS 3* Patrol Patrolman man Pinto, Pinto, t!e interro+a interro+ator tor to !om t!e a"sed a"sed alle+edl alle+edl onessed onessed t!e details !i! led to a pres"mpti pres"mption on t!at t!at lie 8illed 8illed t!e deeas deeased, ed, e2pr e2press essl l admitted t!at !e o"ld !ave misinterpreted t!e +est"res made t!e a"se d as !e !ad onl a sli+!t 8noled+e o si+n lan+"a+e. T!e trial o"rt7s appreiation o t!e plea o +"ilt earlier entered or t!e a"sed Speial Speial Polieman Polieman AleBandro AleBandro M"no;, M"no;, !i! !i! t!e 4rst 4rst presi presidin din+ + B"d+e B"d+e earlier earlier disarded, is re+rettale, to sa t!e least, espe espei ial all l !en !en ons onsid ider ered ed it! it! t!e t!e admitt admittedl edl limite limited d 8nole 8noled+e d+e in si+n si+n lan+"a+e on t!e part o Pat. M"no; and in rela relati tion on to t!e t!e inve invest sti+ i+at ator or7s 7s on on admission admission t!at t!e a"sed a"sed as never inormed o !is ri+!t to o"nsel. &* T!e asene o an interpreter in si+n lan+"a+e !o o"ld !ave onveed to t!e a"sed, a dea-m"te, t!e "ll ats o t!e ofense it! !i! !e as !ar+ed and !o o"ld also !ave omm"niated t!e a"sed7s on version o t!e ir"mstanes !i! led to !is impliation in t!e rime, deprived t!e a"sed o a "ll and air trial and a reasonale opport"nit to deend !imsel. !imsel. $ot even t!e a"sed7s 4nal plea o not +"ilt an e2"se t!ese in!erentl "nB"st ir"mstanes. /* T!e asene o a <"ali4ed interpreter in si+n lan+"a+e and o an ot!er means, !et!er in ritin+ or ot!erise, to inorm t!e a"sed o t!e !ar+es a+ainst !im denied t!e a"sed !is "ndamental ri+!t to d"e proess o la. la. T!e a"ra and airness o t!e at"al proess !i! t!e +"ilt or innoene o t!e a"sed as determined as not sae+"arded. T!e a"sed o"ld not e said to !ave enBoed t!e ri+!t to e !eard !imsel and o"nsel, and to e inormed o t!e nat"re and a"se o t!e a"sation a+ainst !im in t!e proeedin+s !ere !is lie and liert ere at sta8e.
REFERENCE Const. '3%(/*, Art. I, Se. &1, 6$o person s!a+ e ompelled to e a itness a+ainst !imsel. An person "nder investi+ation or t!e ommission o an ofense s!all !ave t!e ri+!t to remain silent and to o"nsel, and to e inormed o s"! ri+!t. $o ore, violene, t!reat, intimidation or an ot!er means !i! vitiates t!e ree in s!all e "sed a+ainst !im. An onession otained in violation o t!is setion s!all e inadmissile in evidene.6 C. Art. III, Se. 3& o t!e 3%=( Constit"tion.
Talomo #istrit, #avao Cit
