16 People V Continente
16 People V Continente
*
G.R. Nos. 10080102. August 25, 2000.
________________
* SECOND DIVISION.
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4
tioning. During the interrogation which was conducted by
CIS Investigator Virgilio Pablico in the presence of Atty.
Bonifacio Manansala in Camp Crame on June 17, 1989,
appellant Continente admitted to his participation in the
ambush of Col. James Rowe and his driver as a member of
the surveillance unit 5under the Political Assassination
Team of the CPPNPA. Among the documents confiscated
from appellant Continente by the CIS agents, and for
which a receipt dated June 16, 1989 was prepared and
issued by Sgt. Reynaldo dela Cruz, was a letter addressed
to “Sa Kinauukulan.” At the dorsal right hand side of the
letter appear the acronyms “STR PATRC” which allegedly
mean “Sa Tagumpay ng Rebolusyon”6 and “Political
Assassination Team, Regional Command.”
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10
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11
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II
III
II
III
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IV
17
“Sec. 12. (1) Any person under investigation for the commission of
an offense shall have the right to be informed of his right to
remain silent and to have competent and independent counsel
preferably of his own choice. If the person cannot afford the
services of counsel, he must be provided with one. These rights
cannot be waived except in writing and in the presence of
counsel.”
________________
31 People vs. Fabro, G.R. No. 95089, August 11, 1997, p. 14, 277 SCRA
19; People vs. Santos, 283 SCRA 443, 454 (1997).
18
32
tion, inducement, or false promises; and credibility, i.e., if
it was consistent with the normal experience of mankind.
In assailing the validity of their written statements,
appellants Donato Continente and Juanito Itaas contend
that they were not properly informed of their custodial
rights under the constitution as to enable them to make a
valid waiver. The pertinent portion of appellant Donato
Continente’s written statement dated June 17, 1989 is
quoted hereunder, to wit:
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33 Exhibit “A.”
20
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34 Exhibit “B.”
35 Exhibit “C.”
36 People vs. Santos, 283 SCRA 443, 455 (1997).
21
37
tation of an abstract constitutional principle. In other
words, the right of a person under investigation “to be
informed” implies a correlative obligation on the part of the
police investigator to explain, and contemplates an effective
communication that results in understanding of what 38
is
conveyed. Short of this, there is a39 denial of the right.
In the case of People vs. Jara, we declared that:
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22
________________
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Court: Proceed.
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by the CIS agents to admit the truth of the same before the
administering officer. This Court held that where the
appellants did not present evidence of compulsion or duress
or violence on their persons; where they failed to complain
to the officers who administered the oaths; where they did
not institute any criminal or administrative action against
their alleged intimidators for maltreatment; where there
appeared to be no marks of violence on their bodies and
where they did not have themselves examined by a
reputable physician to buttress their claim, all these should
be considered48
as factors indicating voluntariness of
confessions.
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48 People vs. Pia, 145 SCRA 581, 586 (1986) citing People vs. Villa
nueva, 128 SCRA 488 (1984); People vs. Urgel, 134 SCRA 483 (1985); and
People vs. Toledo, 140 SCRA 259 (1985).
49 TSN, dated September 3, 1990, p. 11.
50 People vs. Suarez, 267 SCRA 119, 136 (1997).
51 People vs. De Vera, et al., G.R. No. 128966, August 18, 1999, 312
SCRA 640.
25
52
someone in the know so to speak. They reflect spontaneity
and coherence which psychologically cannot be associated
with a 53mind to which violence and torture have been
applied.
In particular, appellant
54
Juanito Itaas admitted in his
written confession dated August 29, 1989 that he was an
active member of the New People’s Army (NPA) and
performed different functions mainly in the province of
Davao; that he was one of the two other members of the
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57 People vs. Suarez, 267 SCRA 119, 136 (1997) citing People vs.
Parojinog, 203 SCRA 673 (1991).
58 People vs. Suarez, 267 SCRA 119, 137 (1997).
27
________________
28
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30
“When the defendants by their acts aimed at the same object, one
performing one part and the other performing another part as to
complete it, with a view to the attainment of the same object, and
their acts, though apparently independent, were in fact concerted
and cooperative, indicating closeness of personal associations,
concerted action and concurrence of sentiments, the Court will be
justified in concluding that said defendants were engaged in a
conspiracy.”
68
doubt, the same need not be proved by direct
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doubt, the same need not be proved by direct evidence and
may be inferred from the
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31
at ito ay
aming tinitipon.
xxx
T: Nakikilala mo ba itong si Col. James Rowe ng U.S.
Army na
nagtrabaho sa JUSMAG?
S: Nakilala ko po lamang siya ng mapabalitang patay siya
sa
ambush sa may malapit sa JUSMAG noong buwan ng
Abril
1989.
xxx
T: Ano ang iyong naging partisipasyon sa pagkakapatay
nitong si Col. Rowe?
S: Surveillance po lamang ang aking naging papel dito.
T: Paano mo naman isinagawa itong pagsurveillance kay
Colo
nel Rowe?
S: Nagpunta po ako sa area ng JUSMAG doon sa Tomas
Mora to
Avenue, Q.C. at nagmanman doon tungkol sa dami ng
tao at
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32
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71 People vs. De Vera, et al., G.R. No. 128966, August 18, 1999, 312
SCRA 640.
33
principal and
72
those attributed to the person charged as
accomplice.
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72 People vs. Elijorde, et al., G.R. No. 126531, April 21, 1999, 306 SCRA 188.
73 Supra, at p. 30.
34
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35
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75 Exhibit “P1.”
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36
Judgment modified.
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