THIRD DIVISION
[G.R. No. 205226. January 29, 2014.]
PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, plaintiff-appellee, vs. WILLIAM MARGEN Y SIRNUCULA, NILO RIOS Y AMACIO, NORBERTO MARGEN Y AMACIO AND MARIO GERMO Y AMACIO, accused-appellants.
NOTICE
Sirs/Mesdames :
Please take notice that the Court, Third Division, issued a Resolution dated January 29, 2014, which reads as follows:
"G.R. No. 205226 (People of the Philippines v. William Margen y Sirnucula, Nilo Rios y Amacio, Norberto Margen y Amacio and Mario Germo y Amacio). — The Assistant City Prosecutor of Parañaque charged William Margen (William), Nilo Rios (Nilo), Norberto Margen (Norberto), and Mario Germo (Mario) with murder of Mario Legria (Legria) 1 before the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Parañaque City in Criminal Case 04-0984. 2
The prosecution evidence shows that at around 4:30 p.m. on August 19, 2004, after he had eaten at the house of Jimmy Guimong (Jimmy), Legria went down the stairs and to the back of the house to smoke. As Cristeta Guimong (Cristeta), Jimmy's mother, also went downstairs, she saw the four accused in front of the house. William and Nilo were armed with "beinte nueve" knives; Norberto with a homemade gun; and Mario with a bolo. aTEHCc
Sensing that the four men were up to no good, Cristeta blocked them from gaining entry into the house while screaming: "Ano ba yan, kayo na nga ang nakadale sa anak ko, sugod pa kayo ng sugod dito sa bahay." She was referring to a past stabbing incident that took the life of her son, Julie Guimong. The four men left.
Later, however, accused William, Nilo, Norberto, and Mario went to a store with a billiard hall where they spotted Legria and Jimmy. Suddenly, William stabbed Legria on the back. For his part, Nilo stabbed Jimmy but the latter managed to run and board a tricycle that took him to a hospital. Meanwhile, Mario and Norberto continued assaulting Legria who cried out: "Kuya, bakit ninyo ako ginaganyan, ano ba ang kasalanan ko?" The four accused fled when they thought that Legria was already dead. Legria's body was later autopsied by a National Bureau of Investigation medico-legal Officer, Dr. Roberto San Diego, who certified that the cause of Legria's death was several stab wounds on the chest. 3
For the defense, accused William testified that he was at his house when he heard people shouting on the occasion of the stabbing of Legria. William took a peek outside and saw Legria and Jimmy stabbing each other, with Jimmy running away after being wounded. As William went down his house, some barangay officials asked him if he saw what happened. They then asked him to go with them to the barangay hall. His uncles, accused Nilo and Mario, accompanied him. At the barangay hall, William told its officials that it was Jimmy who stabbed Legria. Not believing him, they handcuffed him and brought him to the police headquarters.
Accused Nilo testified that he was buying cigarettes at a store when he suddenly heard people shouting. As he went into the billiard hall, he saw Legria coming out of an alley covered with blood. Jimmy, who was behind, kept stabbing Legria on the back. Nilo remained in the billiard hall for about 10 minutes. As he came out, he met some barangay officials to whom he offered to testify that Jimmy killed Legria. When he and those officials arrived at the barangay hall, however, Cristeta who was there identified him as one of Legria's assailants. HAISEa
Accused Mario testified that on the date in question he was welding steel gates at Casa Filipina Subdivision. He then went to the barangay hall as soon as he learned that accused Nilo had been brought there. On his arrival, however, Cristeta pointed to him as one of the assailants. The barangay officials brought him to the police headquarters together with accused William, Nilo, and Norberto and they were there charged with the murder of Legria.
Accused Norberto, for his part, testified that he was driving his taxi home on that day when he saw his nephew, accused William, who was accompanied by barangay officials. When he inquired where they were taking him, they said that they would just take his affidavit. When Norberto and William arrived at the barangay hall, however, Cristeta implicated Norberto as one of the assailants.
On February 20, 2008, the RTC convicted William, Nilo, Mario and Norberto of the murder of Legria 4 and sentenced them to suffer the penalty of reclusion perpetua. It also ordered them to pay jointly and severally Legria's heirs 1) P31,000.00 as actual damages, P50,000.00 as civil indemnity ex-delicto, 3) P50,000.00 as moral damages, and P50,000.00 as exemplary damages.
On appeal in CA-G.R. CR-HC 03265, the Court of Appeals (CA) rendered judgment on July 19, 2011, affirming the RTC Decision, 5 hence, the appeal to this Court.
The accused claim that both the CA and the RTC erred in giving credence to the testimonies of the prosecution witnesses citing supposed inconsistencies in such testimonies. 6 Further, they point out that Cristeta and Jimmy had ill motive for testifying falsely against them given an existing feud with them. cDTSHE
The Court finds no reason, however, for reversing the identical findings of the trial court and the CA respecting the credibility of the prosecution witnesses mentioned. The trial court in particular had the benefit of observing their behavior as it listened to their testimonies. The CA scrutinized the whole record on review and found no reason to disagree with the trial court's findings. This Court did likewise and is satisfied that the courts below committed no error in their judgments.
WHEREFORE, in view of the foregoing premises, this Court AFFIRMS the July 19, 2011 Decision of the Court of Appeals in CA-G.R. CR-HC 03265 which found William S. Margen, Nilo A. Rios, Norberto A. Margen and Mario A. Germo GUILTY beyond reasonable doubt of the crime of murder.
No costs.
SO ORDERED."
Very truly yours,
(SGD.) LUCITA ABJELINA SORIANODivision Clerk of Court
Footnotes
1. The crime was qualified by treachery and evident premeditation.
2. RTC records, p. 1.
3. Id., at 94.
4. Id., at 237-249; penned by Judge Raul E. De Leon.
5. CA rollo, pp. 112-130; penned by Associate Justice Noel G. Tijam and concurred in by Associate Justices Marlene Gonzales-Sison and Michael P. Elbiñas.
6. Id., at 38-56.