G.R. No. 241088 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, VS. WILLIAM SABALBERINO Y ABULENCIA, ACCUSED-.D E C I S I O N - Supreme Court E-Library

Ruling

WHEREFORE, in view of the foregoing considerations, this Court finds accused WILLIAM SABALBERINO y ABULENCIA guilty beyond reasonable doubt of the crime of Parricide, and sentences him to suffer the penalty of imprisonment of RECLUSION PERPETUA ; and, to pay the heirs of the victim, Delia Fernandez Sabalberino, P75,000.00 as civil indemnity, and P50,000.00 for moral damages. To pay the Costs. SO ORDERED. [6] The RTC ruled that after accused-appellant admitted that it was he who stabbed his wife, the trial court, nonetheless, was not convinced that the stabbing was accidental because the evidence was contrary to accused-appellant's claim that his intention was to stab the man whom he caught as having sexual intercourse with his wife. The RTC gave credence to the separate testimonies of the daughters of accused-appellant and the victim that they did not see any man having sexual intercourse with their mother immediately prior to the stabbing incident and that their parents were, in fact, in the middle of an argument and quarrel when their father stabbed their mother. Aggrieved by the ruling of the RTC, accused-appellant appealed to the CA praying for his acquittal and the reversal of the assailed RTC Decision. In his Appellant's Brief, accused-appellant reiterated his defense that the stabbing of his wife was accidental. Reiterating the provisions of Article 247 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC), accused-appellant stood by his claim that he caught his wife having carnal knowledge with another man; that his intention was to kill that man with a knife but since his wife stood between him and the man, it was his wife who was accidentally stabbed. Accused-appellant also contends that, even granting that he failed to prove his innocence under Article 247 of the RPC, the trial court, nonetheless, erred in imposing the penalty of reclusion perpetua as it failed to appreciate the mitigating circumstances of: (1) having acted upon an impulse so powerful as naturally to have produced passion or obfuscation; (2) voluntary surrender; and (3) lack of intention to commit so grave a wrong as that committed. In its assailed Decision, the CA affirmed the conviction of accused-appellant, but modified the judgment of the RTC by ordering accused-appellant to pay the heirs of Delia temperate and exemplary damages, an increased amount of moral damages and interest on the monetary awards. The CA disposed, thus: WHEREFORE, in view of the foregoing, the appeal is DENIED. The Decision dated February 24, 2016 of the Regional Trial Court, Branch 6, Tacloban City, in Criminal Case No. 2005-08-446, finding appellant William Sabalberino y Abulencia, guilty beyond reasonable doubt [of] the crime of Parricide is AFFIRMED with the following MODIFICATIONS: 1) The award of moral damages is increased to P75,000.00; 2) Appellant is ordered to indemnify the victim's heirs temperate damages in the amount of P50,000.00 and exemplary damages in the amount of P75,000.00; and 3) Interest at th