G.R. No. 175333 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, VS. SONNY RENTORIA Y VELASCO, ACCUSED-.D E C I S I O N - Supreme Court E-Library

Ruling

WHEREFORE, in view of all the foregoing, the Court finds the accused SONNY RENTORIA guilty beyond reasonable doubt of the crime of Statutory Rape under Articles 266-A and 266-B of the Revised Penal Code as amended by R.A. 8353 and is hereby sentenced to DEATH. He is further sentenced to indemnify the victim AAA the sum of P75,000.00 and to pay P50,000.00 as moral damages plus P50,000.00 as exemplary damages to deter others from committing same act. [15] In holding accused-appellant accountable for said crime, the RTC gave credence to the testimonies of the prosecution witnesses and held that - Even the conscience of the Court was shaken at the sight of the 5 year old victim AAA, 3 years old at the time she was raped, who when asked to identify the accused Sonny Rentoria did not want to look at the latter instead she closed her eyes and when counsel pointed to the accused, she cried. She seemed to be so afraid of the accused. x x x x The testimony of AAA albeit short of verbal ambience but complimented by her body gesture established beyond cavil that she was indeed raped by the accused. On this score, the Supreme Court has spoken in the case of People vs. Victor , 292 SCRA 187, "The revelation of an innocent child whose chastity was abused deserves full credit." It is a reputable precept that the testimonies of rape victims who are young or of tender age are credible. Courts usually lends (sic) credence to the testimony of a young girl especially where the facts points to her having been a victim of sexual assault. x x x x Considering the age of the complainant-victim who was three years old when the crime was committed, it would be improbable for a girl of her age to fabricate a charge so humiliating (sic) to herself and family had she not been truly subjected to the painful experience of sexual abuse. If the victim herself AAA failed to point in blank (sic) the accused in Court for she cowered in fear at the sight of the accused. AAA's failure to point in blank (sic) to accused to identify him categorically in open court was supplanted by her sister CCC who positively identified the accused as the rapist of her sister AAA. x x x x The testimony of BBB, the mother of AAA, corroborates the testimony of her daughter CCC x x x. x x x x The cause (sic) of the prosecution in establishing the guilt of the accused was strengthened and buttressed by the testimony and medical findings of Dr. Virgilio T. Mislang establishing beyond cavil that there was penetration of solid object on (sic) the vagina of the victim AAA most probably a penis x x x. [16] And in the end concluded that - [T]he evidence adduced by the prosecution is overwhelming against the sham and pretended innocence of the accused and has established with moral certainty the guilt of the accused of the offense of statutory rape charged against him. [T]here is not an iota of doubt in the mind of the Court that accused is guilty of statutory rape. Indeed, prosecution succeeded in overcoming the