Republic of the Philippines SUPREME COURT
Manila
&he e$i%ence %oes %oes not ustif', in our opinion, opinion, this sentence As re.ar%s re.ar%s Roberto Baculi, althou.h he confesse% to ha$in. assiste% in the burial of the corpses, it appears that he %i% so because he /as co"pelle% to %o so b' the "ur%erers of the four teachers An% not onl' %oes the %efen%ant
EN BANC
March 29, 1905
ar" this, but he is corroborate% b' the onl' e'e/itness to the cri"e, &eo%oro &eo%oro 3abate, 3abate, /ho, b' the /a', is a /itness for the the prosecution &his /itness sa's he /as present /hen the A"ericans /ere ille%4 that Roberto
GR No 1!52
Baculi /as not a "e"ber of the .roup /ho ille% the A"ericans, but the he
THE UNITED STATES, co"plainant#appelle,
/as in a banana plantation on his propert' .atherin. so"e bananas4 bananas4 that
$s
/hen he hear% the shots he be.an to run4 that he /as, ho/e$er, seen b'
%efen%ants#appellants APOLONIO CABALLEROS, ET AL., %efen%ants#appellants
a"aso an% )si%oro, the lea%ers of the ban%4 that the latter calle% to hi" an% striin. hi" /ith the butts of their .uns the' force% hi" to bur' the
Hipolito Magsalin for appellants.
corpses
Oce of the Solicitor-General Solicitor-General Araneta for appellee. &he Penal Penal Co%e e6e"pts fro" fro" liabilit' an' person /ho perfor"s perfor"s the act b' MAPA, J.:
reason of irresistible force 7par 7par 9, art 8 Baculi acte%, %oubtless, un%er such circu"stances /hen he e6ecute% e6ecute% the acts /hich are char.e% a.ainst
&he %efen%ants ha$e ha$e been sentence% sentence% b' the Court of (irst (irst )nstance of Cebu
hi"
to the penalt' of se$en 'ears of presidio mayor as accessories after the fact in the cri"e of assassination or "ur%er perpetrate% on the persons of
As re.ar%s the other %efen%ant, Apolonio Caballeros, there is no proof that
the A"erican school#teachers *ouis A &ho"as, Cl'%e + (rance, ohn E
he too an' part in an' / a' in the e6ecution of the cri"e /ith /hich he
-ells, an% Ernest E.er, because, /ithout ha$in. taen part in the sai%
has been char.e%4 there is conclusi$e proof to the contrar', since Baculi,
cri"e as principals or as acco"plices, the' too part in the burial of the
as /ell as one of the /itnesses for the prosecution, &eo%oro 3abate,
corpses of the $icti"s in or%er to conceal the cri"e
e6pressl' %eclare %eclare that he, Caballeros, %i% not tae an' part in the burial of the aforesai% corpses, nor /as he e$en in the place of the occurrence /hen
"a%e before an ocial of the %i$ision of infor"ation of the Constabular', Enri:ue Cal%eron, as the latter states /hen testif'in. as a /itness, can not be consi%ere% as le.al proof, because the sa"e /itness sa's that Roberto Baculi /as the onl' one of the %efen%ants /ho "a%e a confession to hi" voluntarily )t appears besi%es, fro" the state"ents of another /itness for the prosecution, Meliton Co$arrubias, that the confession of Apolonio Caballeros /as "a%e throu.h the pro"ise "a%e to hi" an% to the other %efen%ants that nothing would be done to them Confessions /hich %o not appear to ha$e been "a%e freel' an% $oluntaril', /ithout force, inti"i%ation, or pro"ise of par%on, can not be accepte% as proof on a trial 73ec ;, Act No <19 of the Philippine Co""ission
&he fact of the %efen%ants not reportin. to the authorities the perpetration of the cri"e, /hich see"s to be one of the "oti$es for the con$iction an% /hich the court belo/ taes into consi%eration in his u%."ent, is not punishe% b' the Penal Co%e an% therefore that can not ren%er the %efen%ants cri"inall' liable accor%in. to la/
B' $irtue, then, of the abo$e consi%erations, an% /ith a re$ersal of the u%."ent appeale% fro", /e ac:uit the %efen%ants, appellants, /ith the costs de ocio in both instances 3o or%ere%
Arellano! ".#.! $orres! #ohnson and "arson! ##.! concur.
