G.R. No. 176633 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, VS. ARMANDO SAN ANTONIO, JR., ACCUSED-.

Ruling

WHEREFORE, the Court finds the [appellant] Armando San Antonio, Jr. y dela Cruz guilty beyond reasonable doubt of the crime of rape. Applying the scale of penalties provided in Republic Act No. 8353, [20] in relation to Article 63(2) of the Revised Penal Code, there being no mitigating or aggravating circumstance attending the commission of the offense charged, the Court hereby impose upon the [appellant] the penalty of reclusion perpetua . Further following the provisions of Article 345 of the Revised Penal Code, [appellant] is ordered to indemnify [AAA] of the amount of P 50,000.00 as and for moral damages. [Appellant] is unmarried, hence he should be further directed to acknowledge the minor child [CCC], and to provide him support which the Court initially set at P 1,000.00 per month. Cost de oficio . [21] [Emphases supplied]. The records of this case were originally transmitted to this Court on appeal. In his brief, appellants lone assignment of error was: the trial court erred in convicting the accused-appellant of rape . [22] Pursuant to People v. Mateo , [23] the records of the present case were transferred to the Court of Appeals for appropriate action and disposition. The Court of Appeals rendered its Decision on 31 October 2006 affirming the Decision of the RTC. Feeling aggrieved, appellant filed a Notice of Appeal [24] before this Court. This Court required the parties to simultaneously submit their respective supplemental briefs. Both the Office of the Solicitor General and the appellant manifested that they were adopting their respective briefs filed before the Court of Appeals as their supplemental briefs. After a careful review of the records of this case, this Court affirms appellants conviction. A rape charge is a serious matter with pernicious consequences both for the appellant and the complainant; hence, utmost care must be taken in the review of a decision involving conviction of rape. [25] Thus, in the disposition and review of rape cases, the Court is guided by these principles: First , the prosecution has to show the guilt of the accused by proof beyond reasonable doubt or that degree of proof that, to an unprejudiced mind, produces conviction. Second , the evidence for the prosecution must stand or fall on its own merits and cannot draw strength from the weakness of the evidence of the defense. Third , unless there are special reasons, the findings of trial courts, especially regarding the credibility of witnesses, are entitled to great respect and will not be disturbed on appeal. Fourth , an accusation for rape can be made with facility; it is difficult to prove but more difficult for the person accused, though innocent, to disprove; and Fifth , in view of the intrinsic nature of the crime of rape where only two persons are usually involved, the testimony of the complainant must be scrutinized with extreme caution. [26] Right off, it is clear that appellant does not deny the sexual intercourse between him and AAA. By w