SECOND DIVISION
[G.R. No. 225498. January 25, 2017.]
PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, plaintiff-appellee, vs. ARIEL VILLARUEL Y REBADINERA, accused-appellant.
NOTICE
Sirs/Mesdames :
Please take notice that the Court, Second Division, issued a Resolution dated 25 January 2017 which reads as follows:
"G.R. No. 225498 — (People of the Philippines v. Ariel Villaruel y Rebadinera)
The records of this case were elevated to this Court on July 26, 2016, pursuant to the Court of Appeals (CA) Resolution, dated July 1, 2015, which gave due course to the notice of appeal filed by Ariel Villaruel y Rebadinera (accused-appellant).
In a Resolution, 1 dated August 22, 2016, the Court required the parties to submit their respective supplemental briefs, if they so desired, within thirty (30) days from notice.
In its Manifestation and Motion (in Lieu of Supplemental Brief), 2 dated October 12, 2016, the Office of the Solicitor General manifested that it would not be filing a Supplemental brief because the matters raised in the Appellant's Brief had been amply discussed in the Appellee's Brief before the CA. In his Manifestation (in Lieu of Supplemental Brief), 3 dated October 27, 2016, accused-appellant stated that he would no longer file a Supplemental Brief in order to avoid being repetitious because there were no new issues material to the case.
After a perusal of the records of the case, the Court finds that accused-appellant failed to sufficiently show reversible error in the challenged decision to warrant the exercise of the Court's appellate jurisdiction.
The Court, however, finds that the award of damages by the Regional Trial Court should be further modified to conform with recent jurisprudence. 4 The award of civil indemnity and exemplary damages should be increased to P75,000.00 each. In addition, the award of damages shall be subject to interest at six percent (6%) per annum from the finality of judgment until fully paid.
WHEREFORE, the January 7, 2013 Decision of the Regional Trial Court, Branch 140, Makati City in Criminal Case No. 11-905, is AFFIRMED with MODIFICATION. The Court finds accused-appellant Ariel Villaruel y Rebadinera GUILTY of Kidnapping and Serious Illegal Detention, defined and penalized under Article 267 of the Revised Penal Code, and hereby sentences him to suffer the penalty of reclusion perpetua, and to pay AAA P75,000.00 as civil indemnity, P75,000.00 as moral damages and P75,000.00 as exemplary damages. The award of damages shall be subject to an interest of six percent (6%) per annum from the finality of judgment until fully paid. cAaDHT
SO ORDERED. (Velasco, Jr., J., designated additional member per Special Order No. 2416-D dated January 4, 2017)"
Very truly yours,
(SGD.) MA. LOURDES C. PERFECTODivision Clerk of CourtBy:TERESITA AQUINO TUAZONDeputy Division Clerk of Court
Footnotes
1.Rollo, pp. 21-22.
2.Id. at 23-24.
3.Id. at 26-28.
4.People v. Jugueta, G.R. No. 202124, April 5, 2016.