Particularity of the time the offense was committed.

 The trial court found accused-appellant Edwin Ladrillo guilty as charged, sentenced him
toreclusion perpetua, and ordered him to indemnify Jane Vasquez the amount of
GR. No. 124342 | December 8, 1999 P100,000.00, and to pay the costs.
People of the Philippines, plaintiff-appellee vs.
Edwin Lardillo, accused-appellant ISSUE/S of the CASE:
Facts (a) Whether the peculiar designation of time in the information, i.e. “on or about the
 Jane Vasquez, the eight (8) year old complaining witness, could not state the month and year 1992,” runs afoul of the constitutionality protected right of the accused to be
year she was supposedly abused by her cousin Edwin Ladrillo. She could narrate informed of the nature and cause of the accusation against him.
however that one afternoon she went to the house of accused-appellant in Abanico,
Puerto Princesa City, which was only five (5) meters away from where she lived. There ACTIONS of the COURT
he asked her to pick lice off his head; she complied. But later, he told her to lie down in RTC - Guilty as charged.
bed as he stripped himself naked. He removed her panty and placed himself on top of “The crux of accuseds defense is that he was not in the place of the alleged rape in
her. Then he inserted his penis into her vagina. He covered her mouth with his hand to Abanico, Puerto Princesa City when this allegedly happened. He denied committing the
prevent her from shouting as he started gyrating his buttocks. He succeeded in raping crime of rape against the young girl, Jane Vasquez. After having carefully examined and
her four (4) times on the same day as every time his penis softened up after each calibrated the evidence on record, the Court is convinced more than ever that the accused
intercourse he would make it hard again and insert it back into her vagina. After Edwin Ladrillo indeed repeatedly raped or sexually abused Jane Vasquez, a girl who was
successively satisfying his lust accused-appellant Edwin Ladrillo would threaten to then only five (5) years old. This Court has no reason to doubt the veracity of the testimony
"send her to the police" if she would report the incident to anyone. of Jane Vasquez given the straightforward clarity and simplicity with which it was made. It
 Sometime in 1994 Salvacion Ladrillo Vasquez, mother of Jane, noticed that Jane had is highly improbable that a young, 8-year old girl would falsely testify that her own cousin,
difficulty urinating and kept pressing her abdomen and holding her private part. As she the accused herein, raped her. She told her mother: Ma, hindi ka maniwala sa akin na ang
writhed in discomfort she approached her mother and said,"Ma, hindi ka maniwala sa utin ni Kuya Edwin ay ipinasok sa kiki ko. Jane also described that after the intercourse
akin na yung uten ni Kuya Edwin ipinasok sa kiki ko (Ma, you won’t believe that Kuya and as the penis of the accused softened, the latter would make it hard again and then
Edwin inserted his penis into my vagina).Perturbed by her daughters revelation, inserted it again into her vagina and this was made four (4) times. Janes testimony has all
Salvacion immediately brought her to their church, the Iglesia ni Kristo, where she was the characteristics of truth and is entitled to great weight and credence. The Court cannot
advised to report to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). At the NBI Salvacion believe that the very young victim is capable of fabricating her story of defloration.”
was referred to the Puerto Princesa Provincial Hospital so that Jane could be physically
examined. Held:
 Dr. Danny O. Aquino, the examining physician, reported in his medico-legal certificate Yes. The peculiar designation of time in the Information clearly violates Sec. 11,
that Jane had a "non-intact hymen." He later testified that a "non-intact hymen" could Rule 110, of the Rules Court which requires that the time of the commission of the offense
mean either of two things: it could be congenital, i.e., the victim was born without a must be alleged as near to the actual date as the information or complaint will permit. More
fully developed hymen, or it could be caused by a trauma, as when a male organ importantly, it runs afoul of the constitutionally protected right of the accused to be informed
penetrated the private organ of the victim. of the nature and cause of the accusation against him. The Information is not sufficiently
 On 3 February 1995 Jane Vasquez with the assistance of her mother Salvacion Ladrillo explicit and certain as to time to inform accused-appellant of the date on which the criminal
Vasquez filed a criminal complaint against accused-appellant Edwin Ladrillo. act is alleged to have been committed. The phrase "on or about the year 1992" encompasses
 The defense is anchored on alibi and denial.Accused-appellant claims that in 1992, the not only the twelve (12 ) months of 1992 but includes the years prior and subsequent to 1992,
year he allegedly raped Jane as stated in the Information, he was still residing in e.g., 1991 and 1993, for which accused-appellant has to virtually account for his
Liberty, Puerto Princesa City, and did not even know Jane or her mother at that time. whereabouts. Hence, the failure of the prosecution to allege with particularity the date of the
That it was only in 1993, according to him, which he moved to Abanico, Puerto Princesa commission of the offense and, worse, its failure to prove during the trial the date of the
City. To corroborate his testimony, the defense presented as witnesses, Wilfredo Rojas commission of the offense as alleged in the Information, deprived accused-appellant of his
and Teodoro Aguilar, both of whom were neighbors of accused-appellant in Liberty, right to intelligently prepare for his defense and convincingly refute the charges against
Puerto Princesa City. They testified that in 1992 accused-appellant was still their him. At most, accused-appellant could only establish his place of residence in the year
neighbor in Liberty and it was only in 1993 when accused-appellant and his family indicated in the Information and not for the particular time he supposedly committed the rape.
moved to Abanico. Certainly, time is not an essential ingredient or element of the crime of
rape. However, it assumes importance in the instant case since it creates serious doubt on the
 Edito Ladrillo, accused-appellants father, testified that his family lived in Abanico for
commission of the rape or the sufficiency of the evidence for purposes of conviction. The
the first time only in 1993; that when he and his sister Salvacion, mother of Jane, had a
Information states that the crime was committed "on or about the year 1992," and complainant
quarrel, he forbade his son Edwin from attending church services with Salvacion at the
testified during the trial that she was sexually abused by accused-appellant in the latters house
Iglesia ni Kristo, which caused his sister to be all the more angry with him; and, the
in Abanico, Puerto Princesa City.It appears however from the records that in 1992 accused-
instant criminal case was a means employed by his sister to exact revenge on him for
appellant was still residing in Liberty, Puerto Princesa City, a town different from Abanico,
their past disagreements.
Puerto Princesa City, and had never been to Abanico at any time in 1992 nor was he familiar
with the complainant and her family. He only moved to Abanico, Puerto Princesa City, in
1993.It was therefore impossible for accused-appellant to have committed the crime of rape in
1992 at his house in Abanico, Puerto Princesa City, on the basis of the prosecution evidence,
as he was not yet residing in Abanico at that time and neither did his family have a home
there. The materiality of the date cannot therefore be cursorily ignored since the accuracy and
truthfulness of complainants narration of events leading to the rape practically hinge on the
date of the commission of the crime.
Denial and alibi may be weak but courts should not at once look at them with
disfavor. There are situations where an accused may really have no other defenses but denial
and alibi which, if established to be the truth, may tilt the scales of justice in his favor,
especially when the prosecution evidence itself is weak.
Let it be made clear, however, that this opinion does not necessarily signify
acceptance of accused-appellants version of the incident. If complainant was indeed sexually
abused, this view should not be considered a condonation of what was done, as it was indeed
reprehensible. This only indicates that reasonable doubt has been created as to accused-
appellants guilt. Consequently, under the prevailing judicial norm, accused-appellant is
entitled to acquittal. To reiterate, there is in his favor the constitutional presumption of
innocence, which has not been sufficiently dented.
Rape is a very emotional word, and the natural human reactions to it are
categorical: sympathy for the victim and admiration for her in publicly seeking retribution for
her outrageous misfortune, and condemnation of the rapist. However, being interpreters of the
law and dispensers of justice, judges must look at a rape charge without those proclivities and
deal with it with extreme caution and circumspection. Judges must free themselves of the
natural tendency to be overprotective of every woman decrying her having been sexually
abused and demanding punishment for the abuser. While they ought to be cognizant of the
anguish and humiliation the rape victim goes through as she demands justice, judges should
equally bear in mind that their responsibility is to render justice based on the law.

WHEREFORE, the assailed decision of RTC-Br. 47, Palawan and Puerto Princesa
City, is REVERSED. Accused-appellant EDWIN LADRILLO is ACQUITTED of rape based
on insufficiency of evidence and reasonable doubt. Consequently, his immediate release from
confinement is ORDERED unless he is otherwise detained for any other lawful or valid
cause. Costs de oficio.