Cited Laws
TL;DR — Ruling
WHEREFORE, premises considered, the court finds accused Domingo R. Muleta guilty beyond reasonable doubt of the complex crime of [r]ape with [h]omicide and hereby sentences him to suffer the penalty of RECLUSION PERPETUA. "The accused is hereby ordered to pay the heirs of the deceased victim Charito Delgado death indemnity of P50,000.00, actual damages of P44,000.
WHEREFORE, premises considered, the court finds accused Domingo R. Muleta guilty beyond reasonable doubt of the complex crime of [r]ape with [h]omicide and hereby sentences him to suffer the penalty of RECLUSION PERPETUA. "The accused is hereby ordered to pay the heirs of the deceased victim Charito Delgado death indemnity of P50,000.00, actual damages of P44,000.00, exemplary damages of P20,000.00 and moral damages of P20,000.00. "No pronouncement as to costs." [5] Hence, this appeal. [6] The Facts Version of the Prosecution The facts, as viewed by the prosecution, are summarized in the Appellee's Brief [7] thus: "On April 15, 1993, nineteen-year-old Charito Delgado, a native of Oriental Mindoro, went to Manila to find work. Once in Manila, Charito proceeded to 1347 Banaba Street, Moriones, Tondo, Manila, where her uncle, Ruben Delgado lived. There, she stayed with her sister Marissa. Shortly thereafter, Charito landed a job as a saleslady at the Ali Mall, in Cubao, Quezon City. "In the afternoon of April 29, 1993, Charito left Tondo, Manila and moved to Valenzuela, Metro Manila, bringing with her some of her sister's baggage. She, however, returned to Tondo, Manila to pick up their remaining baggage. It was the last time she was seen alive by her relatives. "On April 30, 1993, Charito's lifeless body was found naked in Mojon, Malolos, Bulacan, tied to a post with the use of a pair of pants and both her hands were tied with a bra. Charito's body bore five (5) stab wounds, three (3) in the left side of her neck and two (2) at her back. "The initial investigation on Charito's death was conducted by the police in Malolos, Bulacan but the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Manila, later took over and the case was assigned to NBI Agent Ely Tolentino on May 19, 1993. "Based on Tolentino's investigation, appellant is Charito's uncle, [appellant] being the brother of Charito's mother, Milagros Delgado; that on April 29 and 30, 1993, appellant was working at the Loadstar Shipping Lines located at Pier 16, North Harbor, Tondo, Manila; that on April 29, 1993, appellant left his work at 9:30 in the evening; that appellant reported for work on April 30, 1993 at 8:00 in the evening; that according to appellant's wife, he left for work on April 29,1993 but returned only in the morning of April 30, 1993. "On September 19, 1993, Tolentino went to appellant's house in Oriental Mindoro and requested appellant to go with him to the NBI, Manila for investigation. Appellant readily obliged. Danilo Delgado, Charito's paternal uncle, accompanied Tolentino and appellant to Manila. "During his custodial investigation on September 19, 1993, appellant was assisted by counsel, Atty. Deborah [D]aquis [8] , with address at Room 401, D & D Building, Pedro Gil and San Marcelino Street, Manila. There, he admitted having raped and later killed Charito Delgado. "Another prosecution witness, Danilo Delgado, testified that during the wake of Charito Delgado on May 13, 1993 in V