SECOND DIVISION
[G.R. No. 214878. March 22, 2017.]
PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, plaintiff-appellee,vs. ANTONIO LACSON, JR. y VILLAREAL @ "MULTO", accused-appellant.
NOTICE
Sirs/Mesdames :
Please take notice that the Court, Second Division, issued a Resolution dated22 March 2017which reads as follows:
"G.R. No. 214878: PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES v. ANTONIO LACSON, JR. y VILLAREAL @ "MULTO"
This Court resolves the appeal, via Rule 124, Section 13 (c) of the Revised Rule of Criminal Procedure, of the Decision 1 of Branch 40 of the Regional Trial Court of Daet, Camarines Norte. The Regional Trial Court found accused-appellant Antonio Lacson, Jr. y Villareal @ "Multo" guilty of rape under Article 266-A of the Revised Penal Code, as amended, and sentenced him to reclusion perpetua and the payment of P5,000.00 as actual damages, P50,000.00 as civil indemnity, P50,000.00 as moral damages, and P25,000.00 as exemplary damages. 2
On April 11, 2014, the Court of Appeals-Manila affirmed with modifications the trial court's ruling in its Decision 3 in CA-G.R. CR No. 05975. The award of exemplary damages was increased to P30,000.00 4 The amount of P5,000.00 as actual damages was deleted and was instead added as temperate damages. 5 The legal interest of six percent (6%) was also imposed on all damages awarded from finality of judgment until its full satisfaction. 6
The records of this case were forwarded to this Court on November 5, 2014, 7 pursuant to the Court of Appeals Resolution 8 dated May 21, 2014, which gave due course to the Notice of Appeal. 9 In the Resolution 10 dated July 8, 2015, this Court noted the records and required the parties to submit their respective supplemental briefs.
After considering the parties' arguments and the records of this case, this Court resolves to dismiss accused-appellant's appeal for failing to show reversible error in the assailed Decision that would warrant this Court's appellate jurisdiction.
WHEREFORE, this Court ADOPTS the findings of fact and conclusions of law of the Court of Appeals' April 11, 2014 Decision in CA-G.R. CR No. 05975 finding accused-appellant Antonio Lacson, Jr. y Villareal @ "Multo" GUILTY beyond reasonable doubt of rape under Article 266-A of the Revised Penal Code, as amended, and sentencing him to suffer the penalty of reclusion perpetua.
In view of People v. Jugueta, 11 the amounts of damages to be awarded are MODIFIED. Accused-appellant Antonio Lacson, Jr. y Villareal @ "Multo" is ORDERED to pay the offended party the amounts of (a) P75,000.00 as civil indemnity; (b) P75,000.00 as moral damages; (c) P75,000.00 as exemplary damages; and (d) P50,000.00 as temperate damages.
All damages shall earn legal interest at the rate of six percent (6%) per annum from finality of judgment until its full satisfaction. CAIHTE
SO ORDERED.(Peralta, J., no part; Bersamin, J., designated additional member per Raffle dated March 20, 2017.)"
Very truly yours,
MA. LOURDES C. PERFECTODivision Clerk of Court
By:
(SGD.) TERESITA AQUINO TUAZONDeputy Division Clerk of Court
Footnotes
1. CA rollo, pp. 47-57. The Decision was penned by Acting Assisting Judge Areniel A. Dating of Branch 40, Regional Trial Court of Daet, Camarines Norte.
2.Id. at 57.
3.Rollo, pp. 2-26. The Decision was penned by Associate Justice Fernanda Lampas-Peralta and concurred in by Associate Justices Francisco P. Acosta and Myra V. Garcia-Fernandez of the Ninth Division, Court of Appeals, Manila.
4.Id. at 24-25.
5.Id. at 25.
6.Id.
7.Id. at 1.
8.Id. at 30.
9.Id. at 27.
10.Id. at 34.
11. G.R. No. 202124, April 5, 2016 <http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/pdf/web/viewer.html?file=/jurisprudence/2016/april2016/202124.pdf> [Per J. Peralta, En Banc].