People vs. Larrañaga People of the Philippines v. Francisco Juan Larrañaga, Josman Aznar, Rowen Adlawan, Alberto año, Ariel !alansag, "avidson Rusia, James Anthon# $#, James Andrew $# Appeal from a decision of the RTC br. 7 of Cebu City. FA%&' On the night of July 16, 17, !ictims "ari#oy and Jac$ueline Chiong failed to come home •
on the e%pected time. T&o days after, a young &oman &as found dead at the foot of a cliff. 'er pants pants &ere &ere torn, torn, her t(shi t(shirt rt &as &as raise raised d up to her her breast breast and her her bra &as pulle pulled d do&n. 'er face and nec) &ere co!ered &ith mas)ing tape and attached to her left &rist &as •
a handcuff. The &oman &as identified as "ari#oy. After almost ten months, accused *a!idson Rusia surfaced and admitted before the police ha!ing participated in the abduction of the sisters. 'e identified appellants +rancisco Juan arra-aga, arra-aga, Josman Anar, Anar, Ro&en Adla&an, Adla&an, Alberto Alberto Ca-o, Ariel /alansag, /alansag, James Anthony
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0y, and James Andre& 0y as co(perpetrators in the crime. Rusia stated that at 123 in the e!ening of July 16, 17, he met Ro&en and Josman and they rode a &hite car. +ollo&ing them &ere arra-aga, James Anthony and James Andre& &ho &ere in a red car. Josman stopped the &hite car in front of the &aiting shed &here the sisters "ari#oy and Jac$ueline &ere standing and, together &ith Ro&en, forced them to ride the car. Jac$ueline managed to get out of the car after 14 meters but Josman chased her and brought her bac) to the car. Ro&en elbo&ed Jac$ueline in the chest and punched "ari#oy in the stomach. 5hen both &omen fainted, Rusia taped their mouths &hile Ro&en
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handcuffed them #ointly. That after stopping by a safehouse, the &omen &ere molested in separate rooms. The &omen &ere again brought to the &hite car and the group thereafter headed to the outh /us Terminal &here they met the !an dri!er Alberto and conductor Ariel, and hired the &hite !an dri!en by the former. They tra!eled to&ards south of Cebu City, lea!ing the red car at
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the outh /us Terminal. That after par)ing their !ehicles near a precipice, they dran) and had a pot session. ater, they they star starte ted d to rape rape "ari# "ari#oy oy insi inside de the the !ehi !ehicl cle, e, and and ther therea eaft fter er rape raped d Ja$u Ja$uel elin ine. e. Josman intructed Ro&en and Ariel to bring "ari#oy to the cliff and push her into the ra!ine. The claims of Rusia &ere supported by other &itnesses. 'e &as discharged as an accused and became a state &itness. till, the body of Jac$ueline &as ne!er found.
The RTC found the other appellants guilty of t&o crimes of )idnapping and serious illegal detention detention and sentenced sentenced them to suffer the penalties of t&o 89 reclusiones perpetua each. The appellants assailed the said decision, arguing inter alia, that court erred in finding that there &as consipiracy.
(&&$)&' 5O: there &as conspiracy. *)L"' ;es. Conspiracy may be deduced from the mode and manner by &hich the offense &as perpetrated, or may be inferred from the acts of the accused themsel!es, &hen such point to a #oint design and community of interest. The appellants< actions sho&ed that they had the same ob#ecti!e to )idnap and detain the Chiong sisters. The Court affirmed the trial court* but the penalty &as modified to *>AT' by lethal in#ection.
