5/25/2017 G.R.No.

171268

RepublicofthePhilippines
SupremeCourt
Manila

ENBANC

PEOPLEOFTHEPHILIPPINES, G.R.No.171268
PlaintiffAppellee,

Present:

CORONA,ChiefJustice,
CARPIO,
CARPIOMORALES,
VELASCO,JR.,
NACHURA,
versus LEONARDODECASTRO,
BRION,
PERALTA,

BERSAMIN,
DELCASTILLO,
ABAD,
VILLARAMA,JR.,


PEREZ,
MENDOZAand
SERENO,JJ.
BRINGASBUNAYyDAMAT, Promulgated:
AccusedAppellant. PROMULGATED:
September14,2010

xx
RESOLUTION

BERSAMIN,J.:

The Regional Trial Court (RTC), Branch 26, in Luna, Apayao tried and found the accused
guiltyofqualifiedrapeinitsdecisiondatedDecember11,2001,thedecretalportionofwhichreads:

WHEREFORE,findingtheaccused,BRINGASBUNAYyDAMATguiltybeyondreasonable
doubtofthecrimeofRapeaschargedagainsthim,thiscourtherebysentencessaidaccusedtosuffer
theSupremePenaltyofDEATH.

Theaccusedisfurtherorderedtopaythevictim,AAA,theamountofSeventyFiveThousand
(P75,000.00)bywayofcivilindemnityplusexemplaryandmoraldamagesofSixtyThousandPesos
(P60,000.00).

TheaccusedisorderedtobeimmediatelyshippedtoNewBilibidPrisons,MuntinlupaCity,for
imprisonmentthereatwhileawaitingthereviewofthisdecisionbytheSupremeCourt.
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imprisonmentthereatwhileawaitingthereviewofthisdecisionbytheSupremeCourt.

[1]
ITISSOORDERED.


OnDecember13,2001,theaccusedwascommittedtotheNewBilibidPrisoninMuntinlupa
City,perthecertificationissuedonAugust14,2002bytheDirectoroftheBureauofCorrections.
[2]

Theconvictionwasbroughtforautomaticreview,buttheCourttransferredthecasetotheCA
[3] [4]
forintermediatereviewonNovember9,2004, conformablywithPeoplev.Mateo.

OnAugust10,2005,theCourtofAppeals(CA)affirmedtheconvictionoftheaccusedfor
[5]
qualifiedrapeinC.A.G.R.No.CRHCNo.00758, viz:

INLIGHTOFTHEFOREGOING,theassailedDecisionoftheRegionalTrialCourtofLuna,
Apayao,Branch26inCriminalCaseNo.52001isherebyAFFIRMED.

SOORDERED.

FollowingtheCAsdenialofhismotionforreconsideration,theaccusednowappealstothe
Court.


On April 20, 2010, the Court received the letter dated April 15, 2010 from Bureau of
Corrections Assistant Director for Operations Rodrigo A. Mercado, advising that the accused had
diedonMarch25,2010attheNewBilibidPrisonHospitalinMuntinlupa City. The report of Dr.
Marylou V. Arbatin, Medical Officer III, revealed that the immediate cause of death had been
cardiorespiratoryarrest,withpneumoniaastheantecedentcause.
On June 22, 2010, the Court required the Bureau of Corrections to submit a certified true
copyofthedeathcertificateoftheaccused.

By letter dated August 16, 2010, Armando T. Miranda, Chief Superintendent of the New
BilibidPrison,submittedthedeathcertificateoftheaccused.

Under the foregoing circumstances, the death of the accused during the pendency of his
appealinthisCourttotallyextinguishedhiscriminalliability.SuchextinctionisbasedonArticle89
oftheRevisedPenalCode,whichpertinentlyprovides:
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oftheRevisedPenalCode,whichpertinentlyprovides:

Article 89. How criminal liability is totally extinguished. Criminal liability is totally
extinguished:

1.Bythedeathoftheconvict,astothepersonalpenaltiesandastopecuniarypenalties,
liability therefor is extinguished only when the death of the offender occurs before final
judgment.
xxx

Thedeathoftheaccusedlikewiseextinguishedthecivilliabilitythatwasbasedexclusively
on the crime for which the accused was convicted (i.e., ex delicto), because no final judgment of
convictionwasyetrenderedbythetimeofhisdeath.Onlycivilliabilitypredicatedonasourceof


obligation other than the delict survived the death of the accused, which the offended party can
[6]
recoverbymeansofaseparatecivilaction.

UPONTHEFOREGOINGCONSIDERATIONS,theappealoftheaccusedisdismissed,
andthiscriminalcaseisconsideredclosedandterminated.

SOORDERED.


LUCASP.BERSAMIN
AssociateJustice


WECONCUR:



RENATOC.CORONA
ChiefJustice

ANTONIOT.CARPIOCONCHITACARPIOMORALES
AssociateJusticeAssociateJustice




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(OnLeave)
PRESBITEROJ.VELASCO,JR.ANTONIOEDUARDOB.NACHURA
AssociateJusticeAssociateJustice




(OnLeave)(OnLeave)
TERESITAJ.LEONARDODECASTROARTUROD.BRION
AssociateJusticeAssociateJustice





DIOSDADOM.PERALTAMARIANOC.DELCASTILLO
AssociateJusticeAssociateJustice

ROBERTOA.ABADMARTINS.VILLARAMA,JR.
AssociateJusticeAssociateJustice




(OnLeave)
JOSEPORTUGALPEREZJOSECATRALMENDOZA
AssociateJusticeAssociateJustice




MARIALOURDESP.A.SERENO
AssociateJustice


CERTIFICATION

PursuanttoSection13,ArticleVIIIoftheConstitution,itisherebycertifiedthattheconclusionsin
theaboveResolutionwerereachedinconsultationbeforethecasewasassignedtothewriterofthe
opinionoftheCourt.


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RENATOC.CORONA
ChiefJustice

[1]
OriginalRecords,p.116.
[2]
CARollo,p.30.
[3]
Id.,p.113.
[4]
G.R.Nos.14767887,7July2004,433SCRA640.
[5]
CA Rollo, pp. 115123 penned by Associate Justice Jose. L. Sabio, Jr. (retired) and concurred in by Associate Justice Hakim
AbdulwahidandAssociateJusticeMagdangalDeLeon.
[6]
Peoplev.Bayotas,G.R.No.102007,September2,1994,236SCRA239.

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