Rare Periodicals

Decision on Montano bail plea

Media

Part of The Lawyers Journal

Title

Decision on Montano bail plea

Creator

Ocampo, Felicisimo

Language

English

Year

1952

Subject

Criminal Case No. 11396.

Montano, Justiniano S., 1905-2005 -- Lawsuits and claims.

Rights

Fulltext

P•tent Rule. and Regulationa "(3.) 6. The Rulea of the Patent cations and decisions he is required to Patent Office, or who shall, with Ji. Office have the force of a statute antl make. and the modes provided by law. tent to defraud in any manner, deceive. bind' th Commissioner according to which, exclusively. they rniilead, or threaten any applicant nr =d :i1 of&ci:f. :r:°'he P~tent Office as may be reviewed." prospective applicant or other person upon applicants for patents and parties having immediate or prmpective busito interferences. Westinghouse Traction PRACTICE BEFORE THE PHILIPPINES ness before the office, by word, circular, Brake Co. v. Christensen, 243 F. 9()1, PATENT OFFICE IE.tter. or by advertieing. The reasons 905 (C. C. A. 3}; Andenon v. Walc;h, BY ATTORNEYS AND AGENTS for any such '.m!pension or exclusion Wfd ~of.d2~~s~~·u;P'Q c;,.3~·~~~ [Republic Act No. 637] ::t~!'" t~o;ec~:db. ~~':i":.; 347): /n re Korton, 58 F. 2d 682 (13 "Section 7. x ·x x x x x. the petition of the person 10 refused liSPQ 345) · Interference Law and '"The Director may pmcribe rules llnd m:ognition or So suspended or excludtid Practice, bv luvise and Caesar. Vol. I. regulations governin• the recognition of by the Supreme Court under such coop. 25, slO; Defendant's answer to Pa- attorneys, agents, or other persons repre- ditions and upon such proceedings as i's pa.,.. 8 of Amended C~plaint." senting applic.ants or other parties be- the said Court may by its rules deter/urisdiclion of the DePGJ:tmt;nt Head fore his office in patent and trademarks mine. The ·u. s. Supreme Court in the same cases, and may require such oersons. :it- "It shall be unlawful for any ~n case cited above: 'torneys or agents: before being recogniz- who has net been duly recognized to ed at representatives of applicants or practice beore the Patent Office t~ '"x x x x The condusion cannot b~ other per'5ons, that thev shall show that hold. himsdf out or knowingly permit resisted that, to whatever else supervisi.c;>n they are of good moral character and himself to be held out as a patent Qr and direction on the pan of the head of ill good repute, are pGSlessed of the ae- trademark solicitor, patent or trademark the department may extend, in respect cessary qualifications to enable them to agent, or patent ·or tradema:rk attornev. to matters purely administrative and render to applicftnts or other persons va~ or otherwise in any manner hold himself :E:!"~~= :r ~h~ c::issi'o!:'ie~ luable service. and are likewise compe- out, either directlv or indirectly, as autent to advi'.se and assist applicants 'J1' dte'n°'tize 01 d ttroademreprear'kentm' •thPP 01!ircabnu~.·nfessor P"<" Patent& in thoiie c~ in which, by law, o1her persons in the presentation or pro- .. , behe ii appointed to exerclae his discretfon secution of their applications or other fcre the Patent Office, and it shall be judicially. It is not consistent with the business before the Office. And the bi- unlawful for any person who has, und:r idea of judicial action that it should be rector of Patents may, after notice and the authority of thi's section, been c{is· subject to the direction of a superior, in opportunity for a hearing, suspend or barred or excluded from practice befD"'e the sense in which that authoritv is con- exclude, either «enerallv or in any par· the Patent Office, and has not been re~ ferred upon the head of an exeCutive de- ti"-ular case, from. further practice bef9~~ ir.stated. to hold himself out in any partment in reference to his subordinates. bs office any penons, attorney, or agent manner whatever as entitled to represent Such a subjection takes froin it the qual- shown to be incompetent or disreput- or assist persOns in the tran'taetion of ity of a Judicial' act. That it was in- able, or guilty of grO'JS misconduct, ot businea before the Patent Office; and tended that. the Commiuioner of Pa- gross discourtesy or disrespect towards i:'DY offen~ against the foregoing protents, in i!SUirta or withholding patents, any Patent Office cfficial or ex&mine; vision shall be a misdemeanor and b-. in re-iuue'1, interferences and extensions. while the latter is in the discharge of his punished by a fine of not lea than one should exercise quasi judicial functions is cfficial duty, or who refuses to comp.ly hundred pesos and· not exceeding one -•~pparen~-'-t_lrorn~-the~_•_at_u_re~of_th'-e_e_xa_m_i_-~wlth~~th_e~ru_l~_,_a_n_d_~-=.lu_l_at_ion~•-•_f_t_h•~~t~_.ous_._a._nd~n_"5ol.-'--"~~~~~~~ Demi.on on Montano Ball Plea Peopk of the Philippines, plaintiff, o•. /u.tfnfano S. M onlano, d. al., acc~sed. Crim. Cme No. 11396, December 2, 1952, Court of FiraJ Instance of Cavitt. The detennlnatlon of the IJlen £01· brill by, Senator Montano Is one of the spectu.cullC' lepl stell8 taken by ou1· courts or justlc.,.. Due to the hlc-h position being helcl by thP. defendant and tile Important tine11llons Involved therein, we ntt publlshlng this dechdon for the benefit or the remle1·s.-The Edihr•. ORDER 1-tNTRODUCTORY OCAMPO, J.: Thia cnae Is befo1·e this Court u11on the appllco.tlon [or bt111 of defendant Juatlnlnno S. Montano, who stands chal'J:ed heoreln to· gether with aeveral ot11e1·s with the complex crime of kldnnpplng with multiple murdrrs and frustrated murders, con1mltted In the manner specified. In the 0 lnformutlon of the Special Prosecutor dated September . .29, 1911.2. No ball was 1·ecommended, the charge December 81, 1952 befng Cor a cnpltal orrense, (Sec. 5, Rule 110). The infol'matlon of the SpecL'\I Prosecutcr was directly lodged with this Court. Aftr.-r conducllni:- a p1•ellmlna1-y Investigation, tMs Court dl~poscd that a wm·1·ant be lsn·ed for the m·rest of Justiniano S. Montano and 11ome or his co-accused against whom the existence of a "probable cause·• hnd been shown. (Sec. 4, Rule 101). Hence, th<' Instant IJetltion for ball which was opJlnaed by the Gove1·nment. In the determination or th(' 1·lght of the accused to be admitted to IJnll, 1n·ecedents d1•cree thnt It is now mandato1•y to conduct a separate p1·0C'0edlng (Gerar<lo v, Judge of First InstuncC of Ilocos Norte, G. R. No. L-3451, May 29, 19i0), which would ln111el'.!'tlvely lnvoh•e lhe pi·esentll.tlon of evidence In l\ntlci).ia.tlon of the regul11r trlnl, neve1·theJNS this Court cleclded to g1·ant the request of counsels fo1· the petitioners Cor a si.rmrate hearing. This hearing wi.s summa!',r In nature. In the Interest <If J1:11.Uce-, J1owe\er, both pnrUes were afforded~ a wide THE LAWYERS JOURNAL lc.tltude In the presentation of their reapeclh·-e evidence, both In chief and In rebutta1. 'l:he hearlq lasted during the month of October, In the cou1·se of which an Amendvd I~fo1•matlon was flled by the Special Pl'OSE'<"Utors on the 3rd or the snm-e month. At the outset, the C'ourt lald down Ila c•ear-cui norm of conduct - that the hearIr.: ahnll be conducted heedless or the high position of the person Involved, and that eech judicial actuation and ever)· ruling to 1'&. laid down shall be unmlndtul of and Ir passive to the rnnk and eminence which th. petitioner bolds In Congreas - In order to stress and vouch to the public at lfu ge who have been following these proceedings the supremac)· of the law and the prlnclple of equal Justice before the law. II-FACTS OF THE CASE (a) Evidence for th, proaecution. Tbe concrete evidence for the prosecution discloses that at about five o"elock In the afternoon of .Auguat 31, 191! (t . .1.n, 71) H663 Deoielon On Mont•no B•il Plea vel-al · peraoils, nine In number,· idiil11tifled tO b ~ ·:Magno Iruguln, :Mariano 'le Raya, Leo· nardo )IJanlclo alias NaL•clong Putlk, A"nto· nlo Macailan, Eugenio MaG-llttn, Rafael Da.· h.aag, Itla:dmo Sarin, Slmpllclo Esgueh-a and Lilm·b Sl1-1on · nflii:C'mhleod In the house 0£ Magno Iruguln nt· hm•a•lo Tejero; General Trlafl, Cavlte. Sh0rtly aU.rr, tlir)· boarded iL four-door black nutomohUt> ·ct.R.n. 11) tor l\Innlla (t.s.n. 56: t.11.n, :!. S<>11t. 30, 1962). They went to the houHt' oC Senator -Juan.:. r.!flno S. Montano at the cornea· of Pl ·Y Mnrgnl and D. Tuazon· streets, Qnezon City, arriving the1·ent ·about dusk, nag·a•gaw ang dilim at liwanag) (t.s.n. 268, !9'1). On thnt <ln)·, Augu1-1t 31, J9ii2. the> Jilin 11et at C:09 p.m. (t.s.n. 416). TeJWo,· Generi.1 ·T1·las. ·cnlte; stopping .a.t E,"n.ilkayn.n WliC're Eugenio Magltan &118'hted (~S.n. 66). In8ide the ·<'al', Iruguln remind• e<l the g1•oup that on• Tuesday, September 2, 193! at about aeven o'clock In tile ever.lrig, th'eY were ·to meet In the uninhabited lo~ nen1· lllwhouse. (t.s.n, 10, SepL 30, 19i:!; t.S.n. 312). Jn the E'\·enirig or September 2, 1962, Rf! ag1•ee<l, M11.rl.mo de Rayn, Nar()ong Pullk, Antonio l\la(•rillan; Pio 00'11x.nles. :Marciano Thtlbll..ng, AleJnn<lro Snlsntln, SlmpllClo ·Esg~e1·ra, Co1·iiello Monzon, Lauro Sison, Ma.• xlmo S11ria, G1·egorlo Buklatln, Ponciano Ruklalln, one alias J4uls nnd another alla.111 Serapio, Flo1•<'1iclo lfnnalo, 1'1a1oeos Mnl'alang, RArael Dalusag and othei.·s boai'ded a wea11on cu1•rie1· n<'RI' the m11.1•ket place at The> g'l'Olll, w~reo met nt the gntt> hy guat":ls Cl.:>neml Trl;1s nnd proceeded towards Mn· l'r the l'llont:mo 1'l"siden<'e who. nrtC'r eon- rngon<lon. Cnvlte. (t.s.n. 38, 69,. lO ,t, 18, Yersln~ with ;\£agno Jrui:uln, allow<>d then: SeiJt. 30, •10521• 'rhey were armed with l·1 go inside tilt> 1>remb1~ where they walte(I cl.'rblnes, Gaa•ands, Thomt1SOns, and ptstoia, Jn the gnl'den. AftN· n sho1·t white, they (t.s.n. 1% & 13, Sept. so, 1952), Upon reach.we1'C!' tolll to come lmil<le the house. In no Ing Ba1•rlo Tcje1·0,. they #'topped In front or :::~~e;;::;P/~::;11.n::d 8~8::c~n:l~i.~ t::; lhf!! bo1.>se _0£ Magno lruguln, whe1·e the groqp h:id previous!)" assembled be£ore going to :~n ~:~~~e:~~~nlu;::~. i:t t~~s~ :;::~:n!r~; Srnator ~lontnno's pince on Auirust 81, llii. Six otherR, including Mn~mo lruguin, Morcn•nny things at home. (t.s.n. 59). They pro- n<• and Not'um. bo1udf'd the weapons c11.rrler CfedNl lmmedl.ate)j.· to the ground floor O( Which tm\·e(ed in ti1e direction o( lfaragonthe hOU!ff!: (t.s.n. 58), where lruguln lnta·o· dori. The,· we1·e about 21 or 23 In· number. d1.'ced N11.rdong J'utlk to Senatoa· lofontll.no, ll1»1t of them wo1·e fatigue and khaki uni• ll'lformlng the latter tlmt this fellow (Nar.- forms wllh in•my_ pntchee, with the u:cepdonc ·Putlk) was· the "bol·". (bata) whom lion· or Cornelio l'lhnzon and Pio Gonzales they could t1·ust nn~l <le1>end upon (t.s.n. 3, who we1·c gtn·bed In civilian cloth.ea &lid Sept. 30, 19i:!). Xni;dong Putlk shook hands t;cd ,\·ith 1·01>e to gfre them the appearance ~·~t~0:e:i:i:eM~:t::~: •:~:::~i~~a~~:h~:~: or "·Huk" ci111tlvea, (t'.s.n. 40), Upon l'eachlr.g the corner nnd just •before ::::::. !:a:~~a::, ~~a;c1~;o:~:~::~ r:1;~ turning right to the plaxn of llaragondo~ wa1•d to ·tha,t p1·omise· (umaasa siya) (t.s.n. :~l:e:'O~~e a:~~1:::.l>~0::1~~=~d 1:h:~~=I~:'; :~~ t!:e a:~:~:,. 1:;:;n:C'~:edcon::::·~:e: as guards at·t:hnt corner, while tha otbers low voice with Iruguin, de Raya, ~ai:dong r.1oved towards the nrnnlclpul bulldlnc. Upon Putlk nnd Dalusng ";ho .all 11ut a little :::1:~;:: ;~~~:11;~0 u:i:~~eD:ill~::; a1:art from the othe1•s. Then and the1·e, s;. or a PC ~aptaln with two hara on his c11.p, =~~ ~1::;:; ,~;l~~n~::a ~~:.~: /: · ~·=~:~ l'.J>p1•oached the polit'emnn on guard and gondon nnd, should they full to accomplish ~~k;l~s"h~~lo~:on 1:::l~:n!:~;":e :::-::: :;'~~e:: ~:~~st1:1."r.~l~~:d~~:~~~a·l::x~o~: him. (t.s.n. 41). When the policeman ratled •••rely atteml their fune1•al, on which oc- • ~::e:i:7gc~h~•1: =~:::lJ>~:::: w~~= t: c~sion the,· could e11slly wa)·ln)· him (t.s.n. . H11ks and In the Hmne breath ordered him !~1~~onll::;i:hfr-::~~d 11:::d ;::m~:::~on~~:·; to fetch the llayor. · l1.e11· opponenls once and ror all. Se~ator l\oleanwhllo. J.lagno Iruguln, Dalusag and Y.cntano then exi>a·~sed bia hoiie fo!· ltH A1 temlo CnKt••onueve and two otheni armed n<com1>llKhment as soon as possible. (t.l'l.n. with pistols and rtlles and also attired In El, Sept. 30. 195.2). This said, Senator Mon~ ld:akl an<l Cilllgue unlrorrns, went to the tano, d~~~· out a roll or bills .from his pocket l~ouse of Bonrd Membe1· :.W:a1•lano Vlllanuean~ hand~. 1.t to l'l'lugn~ !ruguln .. saying th~ wi. to fetch him, but Vlllanueya wns nown.oney w~s ut thel~ disposal (Si la .na anll here to be fOl!nd 11.t that· time (t.s.n. 161~ bahala) (t.s.n. G-1-65). · !'orth\~'lth." the gr~up ir9>. l•~de good-b)·e" aml ·left roi· Cavlte in the Not long ufter, Mayor Rlllo 11.ppeared Witt>. "rme lll1l<>moblle. wllh lfagnO I1•uguin ·at ·ih~ teer others, namel)'; Chier or· Polli!e Ber~ wheel. ft.s.n. 68), mn·d~ de Gula, Policemen Benjamin Ram.011, On.-th41l' WI\)•; tlle)··. slo)'l)>t\d 11.t n· ''r\.st11.-ul'/\t1t 'in Pasay. City for" their slipper (t.B.n, '7), MQno Jruguia pnil1 fo1• the bill. l"1•om there, the)· 1n·oceede<l direct)).· to Barrio 664 T'.artolome ··Ren•s and "F101•elido Bt!rr:ofi'I('. 'I hey we.re· followed aometilne later "by Ex~ Mr.yor Erlhc1•to de- Gulll. who wns llkei!Vlse t-· Ought to the municipal- building. Nardoi•t Putlk then asked Mayor Rlllo 11.nd his coin'THE LAWYERS JOURNAL imnlona whother the)" 'kl\O\\" Mio two "Huks" whom they had allcged.ly <ro.ptured In :the viel.nlty •. When Rlllo. o.nswercd tllat he did not know· tli.e two, Na:rdong Putlg blurted out: "You ai-e tolerating shameless 11eople - Huks." \Vhe1·eupon they disarmed ar.d h1•Ctled ihe policemen.· (Ls.n. t:!). At the ver,·. same molnent, Magno Irug\·ln hid . hlmselC behind a stone wall of lhe mlmh•ipnl huUdinc. altm· explaining 1:0 llW companions that he .was well known In M:u·acondon. Metutwhlle, two ve111c1es ueePnevs) were procured :In the vicinity. Mayo1· Rlllo -ind the policemen· we1-e compelled to board t11ose twO' j~epneys, nCeompanled · by tbe other membeni or the w.·oup. The vehicles were driven In the dh'ectlon or Nale . .Arter pssslng a s~nll bridge at the outsldrts or l1.nragondon, Where there were no m~re ho"u8'8, the- two jeepneys were 11ut to n stop. Mayor Rlllo und his comp11nlons were then roreed to get down. After <'Dlltnc :t.em fa.ithleas olfl<'lals, they were. tnkeoll' n lltUe farther where they were Ktabhed ·nnd fired upon with· pistols by Nm•dong PuM.k, Jru .. r;ulil and De ·Ra)·a. (t,s.n. 41' & 48). Bellev<lng that their victims were all dead alniatt}l', the ·IT'OllJ> 1-eturned to Genei·al Trina and· dlapersed themseh·e11. On the way noiile, Iruculn told the" men ·that Inasmuch aa 'they already had ll«1uldated the 11ersona whom Sena.to·1· Montano h11.d wonted to be elillllD'aled, the)' could· go arter Governor Camerl110, ror whose elhnlnntlon a. rewa1;.J· of 'P14,000.00 wa8 heing offered. tt.s.n·, 47-iO·J. One of Nardong Putlk'lf men then queri!"d, "Have we not walte<l for him rour times - twice In Sallm111 and twice In Noveletn ?" The next d.'l)' :llaca.llan. upon lnsti·u~Aon c' Iruguln, 11rocure:l from n docto1• n medical certificate to the <'ffect .that ht> was 1nek, e~ven though he was r.ot, so :tR to excuse him from appearing In n · c1•lminad ensc In Cavlte City on that dny. (t.H.n. 13:!-3; 1389). (b) ·Evidence for the defen ... From the evidence submitted by the· defeb.ee, the rono"·ing may lH> gleaned: Ser.nto1· lfontnno and Ida wire went to a mah· jong pa1·0· at the house or one :Mrs. P.oanrlo Vdn. de lolendo:w. al 1655 Felix Jluertns, Mantia (t,s.n. 781, 955. SS1), nt 'loout two o'clock In the nrternoon or Augu11t 81, 1962. They played with several pe1•sona among wllo1n we1't' their hoetHl!i Mrs. )l'md(lza, Ex-Oo\'f'l'nor · Artm·o Ignacio.·· l~'ll C.aatlllo, Janunrlo -Solle1', Mrs. Bona, lira. :F.. Mendoza and others .. (t.~.n .. 885, 13!, i37. 805·6, 809, 819-20). At the start the 8<?nator played with a g1·oup upstairs while Mr.,, Montano plaJ'ed with another S'l'OUP d-;wnstalrs. (t.a.n. &ao-1, 731, 808). Around· :;:oo o'clock ~m.. merlen<la oonslstlng 'CIC ·p-utd, pospa•, ·sweets and sort d011nks was servet'f, t11· the guests. (t.k.n.· N'1-9, 77'3, ·81!). tlalf and hour l4~r;rormet Oo\'t1·nor·Jgnac.lo left the house. tt.u1. 551>-l, 811). Where111)0n, for lack or quorum, the senator went ·downalalra and Joined the table or Mrs. Bona. December 31, 1952 (t~n. 550, 7U-6, '812). Sometime late!", Mrs. Montano remarked that It was alnady getUng late and that they had better leave. u.s.n. 8lli). Ben CUtlllo had flaC'· gE'Cl a taii, and seeing' that Senator and Mrs. Montano were also waiting for 911e. hfl oftered It to them a.nd called for another. (t.s.n. 816). According to Patrlelo Ve· lasco, however, he was the one who had called the taxi which Senator and Mrs. Montano used In going to the Lyric l'heater to see the "Hoodlum Empire", v.·bere they arrived at about 7:30 o'clock that PVenlng. (t.s.n. 856, 860, 1432-4). Mayor Arsenlo H. , Lacson, who bad entered the theatre earlier at 7: 20. o'clock, noticed Senator and Mrs. Montano as the two entered the movie house. at about 7:45 o'clock on the Jeft entrance of the loge a.nd so.t tiu'ee or four seats a.way from hJs left. (t.s.n. 322-5, ~494.U). According to :Mrs. Montano lbe)-· \~ent home dlrectb' at about 10:00 o'clock. (t.s.n. 856). It was also revealed that on the S.J..ne evening, a group of young- boys, frlen•l'!I of the J.t:ontano chlldren, were In the house of the. Senator. They stayed there until b:OO o'dock practicing the ·Jilambo Nuevo In the sala,. In preparation forithe despedlda iMUtY that evenJng . at Attorney Panmo Bemo•' re.sldence in honor of tlie two ldon:-.ao children who were scheduled to leave tOr tl:e United States within the first we•1k of September, 1952. (t.s.n. 860-2, 3'7, 377-i, 403, 408 and 432). While these boys were there, they did not notice the group of nine ·mi:"n ''"ho allegedly arrived and conferred with Senator Montano, DOl' dld they notice the Senator or his wife return to the boufi' 'l'l-hlle they were there. (t.s.n. 872·6, 11811-3, ?.t7, 388-92, 402·3). At about 8:00 In the e~ enlng, they proceeded to that farewell party In hono1· of Nene (Consolaclon) and Jrnlor (Justiniano) Montano, using th.a fa· rr.lly car of the Montanos. (t.s.n. 356-36:?, 356-7, and 869-71). The defense also disclosed that Jdagno 11 ug:uln, one of the aceuaed, wlth woom E'enator. Montano conspired between 1::1)'1 and 7: 00 o'clock p.m. of August 31, 195J, according to the evidence for the pro~ncu­ Con, was actually att~ndlns the bJrUt•lay party of .Ex-Governor Samonte in the ht.t • t{';-'s reeildence at P. BurgOB atreet, Cn.vlte City, where he (lruguln) stayed from 6:00 t•J 8:00 o'clock in the evening. (t.s:n. b916U, 63$, 640, 6'2). Furthermore, it was that on sept~1nber ~- 1953, the same Magno [ruguln W9.S .a.t the Riaal Memorial Stadium Jn Manns at• tend.log- the basketball game between the Harlem Globe Trotters and the New rork CelUcs at tbe very time when the. aUo!ged conspiratorial plot waa belns" enoute.1 In Ma.racondon. lrusuin rei:iorte41.J". arrl"Nd at tba.t·. Stadium. at . a.bout the bQlim.IQS of the main . same between the Globe . Ttott•s and the Cel.t1cs; tbat 18.. after th6" prellmt• Jif..fY. p.11\i& between the Ateuo a.n4. l!8.tl Bede. teatns was already over. (t..s.n.. 686·7). December 31, 1952 Ircpln sat In the bleachers beside a Pa.say City policeman by the name of Ba.S!Ho de los Santos, who had earllei- arrived at a~out 7:09 o'clock p.m. (t.s.n. 682, 614). The pol!ceman recognized him, haVlng seen him q,t.Jte often In tbe house of Judge Folu while the latter was In charge of the Narle I!\ Pasay. (t.s.n. 686, 68, 402). Iruguln re• 4-11alned seated near De Joa Santos for ti.bout twenty to twenty-five minutes only, ar•er which he moved to a rear seat. (t.a.n. '66, 'i04 and 706). Iruguin was similarly 1.e.m t.y members of the Pasay Police Departmern. svcb as Detective& Tadl and Andre.a Esnirltn, Sergeu.nts Emilio Fuerte and Santoa Me~ dina. III-THE ~UESTION AT ISSUE Upon the evidence thus presented, the .>11ly question at Issue Is whether the e\0 ld(!nce o! guilt of the petitioner Justiniano S. liontano is strong enough to warrant the deJi.lal, or quite Insufficient to merit the recognition, of his right to ball, he being charged with a capital offense. IV-DISCUSSION In deciding this. question, resort must be made to the Constitution which furnished the very role by which this Court can be Guided. On this point, Article III, Par. (16) of the Conatltutlon provld.es: "All persons "shall before conviction be bailable -by 2-.if· Ylclent sureties, except those charged .v-Jth ca.plt&l offenses when evidence of guilt ls stl'Qng". This constitutional precept fouud supporting expresslen In Sec. 6, Ru~e 110, Rules of Court, In this wise: "No per'Jon in custody for the commlBBlon of a ca.pita! offense shall be admitted to ball it the evidence of his 'guilt Is sti-ong". Io construing, therefore, the quantum of e\.'idenee required to sustain a denl:ll or ball 1n capita.I offenses, the nature and ~iur­ J''•se of the_ proeeedlngs, as well as the esto.bli8hed jurisprudence on the matter, must b • fully conaldered. In the "summary hear· Decision On Montano Bail Pl .. d"termlnatlon. Notwithstanding the Ul!le of the phr.Hea "proof evident", or "evident proof", or ••presumption great" In the United States CMI· stliutlon and In the various state conatitv~lons, our Supreme Court has alwan: considered that the "provision on ball In our Constitution Is patterned after slmllar Pi:<t· vlsJons contained In the Constitution ;;Jf the United States and that oC many States of the Union." (Teehankee v. Director of Prisons, 43 0. G. 513). In the case cited, the Supreme C'ourt had occasion to lotxserve tbat the provisions of Section 63 of the Code o! Criminal Procedure whicl1 provided. t~t "all prisoners shall be bailable before cu11victlon, except those charged with the commission of capital offense, when proof of guilt Is evident or the presumption of guilt l::i strong" Is .substantially the same as Article III, Section 1, par. 16, of our Co·1st1t1Jtlon. In this connection, It baa been held that "althouch the rule is couched by the r.eurts lin various terms, and the question Is one which must be determined In the exerc.lae oi sc-und discretion of the court or office_., Jt n~ be b1·oadly stated that the facts and cbcumstances must be sucll. as clearly to e\·idence the guilt of the accused and the probability of his conviction In order to jue· t!fy a refusal to admit him to ball". (ti C. ,T 56). Ago.Jn, "The tendency of the courW has been toward a fair and Uberal con•uuctlon, rather than otherwise, of the law de· tc-rmining what degree of proof 01· conclus!veness of p1·esumptlon Is sufficient to ;11stlfy a denia.I of ball. This Is evident not ~mly from various expressions used In the c\ecisions, but also from a conslderatbn ~f the facts on which the courts have refused to allow ball". (Ex pllrte Varden 23'7 8.W. 734, 291 Mo. 51i2-6 C. J. p. 967 note 46). It has been equally decided that "to- t<UB· taln a refusal of ball in a ,capital case, 1t is enough that evidence inducH th• beJief th•t Ing" provided bl' the Rules, the Court "doe"' aoou .. d may have committed the offenH." not sit to try the merits or to ente1• mto (Elr. parte Page 256, p. 887, 82 Cal. App. any nice Inquiry as to tile weight that ought 5'i6). The test, therefore, Is not whetfier t .... be allowed to the evidence for or aq:alnst the evidence establishes the gullt beyond a the accused, no1· wlll it speculate on the reasonable doubt, but whether It shows eTl.C'Utcome of the trial or what further evt- dent guHt or a great presumption ot ~uilt. dence may be therein offered and adn11t- (i C.J.S. i7, sec. 30. ted." (8 C. J. 93, 94; Ocampo v. Rillorazo., Thus, the me1·e fact that the evidence as e~ al., G. R. No. L-439, August 20, lH!>). to the accused's guilt ts conflicting, even (ID. The original Fra.nclsco a.mendment to the a vftal ls11ue, CN.M. - Ex parte Wright, ?83, bail provision of the Constitution, as ap- P· SO; Oki. - Ex: 1>arte Burks, (Or.} 60 P. proved by the Constitutional convention 2d} 401: Ex parte OrmP, (Cr.) 60 P. (;l!d) orlglnalb· read:" x x: x except when the 213; Tex· Ex pa1·te Shnw, 25T S. W. !la6 pnson 18 detained because of an ac~wi:a- etc.); or the tact that defensJve lsaues ue :~~l~e~~r :r ct:~:.e:~:n:~~:n:f t::n~r::~~~ ~;:~ndbal~Y Is tl:ot a::~;:e:; i~h~ts:~:i~~:~ n\ent.'' 'rhls was subsequently changed b)· title blm to bail, WbSl'e the proof of bis the committee on Style with the more de(~u.llt for a capital offense Is evident oo:- Ute tl1 lte and clear-cut clause: "when the m ,Pl'9BlJJD.Ptlon great. (8· C.J.S. 63). dt1nce ef guilt Is stron;." Juat the sft.me, 4s bu been cogently pointed out, i.b• :~::;:t~~:I:~ ~n b:Y t::.:::. =_l :a:.~r:: a~ :.:::·~oa:. ==· 1 · the. Unlon. ea.n stlU be nsort.ed to -a~ u any words of ezplani.tlOn o0ul4 lfta.1rlt re:led upon as guide In the process of tbmt,.laa•. and they are Intended to tndleat6- tDlt "' THE LA WYERS JOIDIN:AL Dmolelon On Montano Beil Plea same desree of certainty whether the evlclence la cllrect or clrcumstanu8i. 'l'~eae statements lead unerringly to the . conclusion that a men conflict In one's testimony Is· pa.nlmonloual:v Insufficient of lta,il to ..,arrant the crant of ba.11, an4 the aame al&o hold.a true of the fact f:hat the e"-'1dence agalnat the accUeed Is clrcumatantlal. ce· Am. Jr. ~4. s~. 13). Speaking of "aummary hearing'', the Supreme- Court. meo.nt by It such brief aild. speedy method of receiving and· conaldei.·lq the eVldence of sullt as 18 practle:sble and' conaJatent with the pUl'POS& of the hearing which fa merely to determine the wei&"ht cf the evidence for purPoses of ha.II. (Oe.i.mpo "· RIHoraza, supra). Conae<iuently, It may be stated that the procedure In the reception of evlden le l"'J ball hearlncs In this Jurisdiction Is .wellaettled. The pl'Osecutlon assumes the vt:tal burden of showlnc- thnt the lncontrow.rtl• ble evidence of guilt le strong the a.ccQUd n.arahalla definite and effectual evl4.Hlee to establish the contrary. Furthermore. the acoua8d 18 entitled to co behind th• tn't!lctment and Introduce, evidence att.,CUn: Or going to the merlta of the caae. • tr. .all thoee clrcumatances, boUI Sides are aC~ord e·"': the opportunity to cross-examine I.he Tt-ltnesaes presented. While the heinous· lgullt or spotless lnnocenae of the ac~used Is not to be detel'mlnecl, still the quantity t:nd chamcter of the proof on these 90ints are, tor the special p1tri>oae In ban.1, necusarlly considered.' because the Con .. Utu. 'tlon requlrea the court to determ.lne '""'"'ncJu81vely for Itself whethei.· or not the ~of l'I evident" 01· preaumptlon creat In a given case'. . T'1ua, where a well-founded doubt of 1o~lll can .nen be ente1:tll!ned. the evldelwe Ol g1,11lt cannot be said. to be etL·ong (Ell: pu-te Brld:well, 57 .lllh1s. 39, 43); C1·1t. Comna. ::v. Pr~~ Keeper, I Ashm (Pa), 227; cited· in F(lal)O.i"co'• ~rini. Procedure 4 Forms, Vol. 1, p. I?).; or the lowm· court ltaeJf could. •lOt pronounce the evidence strong, but merely cOJ\S(dei-ed It only 'suf11clent', a word th'J.t does not convey the Idea Involved- In the con11Ututlonal requirement (Enase v. !'10\, Warden, Davao City, G. R. No. L-Hts, 0ct. 2,, 19'8); or tl'e evidence of the wl!ness 11·.es not make out a prima faoie cae aJlfa.,in•t tbca accuied (Ocamp0 . v, Rlllorasa, supra.), ball shall be cnanted as a· matter of ·rlA'ht and the Court· la Doi. JusUfted t~ deny the iktine. · · ·· · · and the court should·deny the same;. Indeer1,· 111. so1ne Jurtsdtctlo"na the &i1owanC8 Of ball le forbidden by JaW where proof of guilt of a capital o.ffense la evident or the presump-. tlon la great. (C. J. s. H, b. (1) p. H-lii).· In ascertaining the meanlns of the w:n'Ci "capital" as used In the Constitution 01· statute on an a.ppllcatlon f0r ball, the rauestlon la whether the offense le of the ch.<1.ni.c·' ter ·wh1ch may be punlihed capltallJ". Jn this rqard, the nature of -the crime ta ~e ftrat consideration, and the gra"Ylty of t11e offense 18 cb8racterlze<I: b.Y the sta.tu.tc)ey · pfnalty preecrlbed against lta commission. (Ex. parte Barry, 88 P., 2d), 427, '1938) Wm L. J. SP.I)., . It follows that the determination of whetl1er the evidence of cunt Is or Is not stronc, wfll nece8!18.rlly rest upon and find support in the quaUt:r of t_he evidence preaen.t~ by the prosecutlon and cOnaldered. via-a-via with that adduced by the defenae. In other words, the prosecution cannot lncen!ou<ily build up its case on the •Impotent weat.nea of the detenee but must rely e•IY .:in Its V-EVALUATJON OF EVIDENCE And now, to evaluate the evidence oa 1-e· cord. The prosecuUon established the ..:om.Pllclty of the petitioner, Senator Montano, In the conspiracy to do away with tho ..-ict;me of the Ma1:ag9ndon l'ald. bY teatlmonlu or two 1>1"oaec11tlon witnesses, Anto-110 Ma.Caua.n and Eugenio Magllan, whO were J.ol'eBent In the Senato1·':s residence at the time they plottecl and decided to execute that Infamous 1"0.ld. The i,atlmonles' ,,f a. t>artlclpant, Co1-nello Monzon, and two eyewltnessea to the 1·ald, Bayani de lefl .Reyes and Cirilo Hernnndea, were likewise p: esc>nted to show the ta.eta and cll·cumatau•:es surrounding the execution of the raid by the co-conspirators. This raid resulted in lb• kldnapPlng and death of fo11r perilchlll, au publlc offlclals, unde1· very grueKOme clrcumatancea, and In the sel'ioue wounding of two others which would have equ.a.1· ly produced lllelr death were It not for Lhe timely lnte1·ventlon ol .skllled medical assl&tance. The Impregnable e'•ldence of that massacre leaves no room for unce1·ta'r.ty t."Jat U1e execution of the plot was schemed and decided. In Senato1• Montano'• house in the evenlq of August 11, 1852, It h'lvlng been ahown that (a) the Intended vlctlm9 (Villanueva or Rlllo) actually .soucht out by THE LAWYl!lRS JOURNAL Senator :llontano _Is thUa • being ch<J.rged not aa a dlreet participant In the pb)'1dcal execution or the actual kidnapping and kill· Ing&.. but a.a the maatermlnd who dlt'9cl11' ·ltduced othe1·a to commit tbe same ~~J1er by agreement, by order, or by &Ill' otb• alm:Jlar act consdtutlq a true Intentional l•.cltement. dellb8rate1,., directly, and ell' c.iclouely made. On this ~ore, there Is nothl~c In thG r~­ crrd that may· Indicate an unholy motive OI? the part of thOH witnesses In testlf71ng aplnst S9nator Montano tn the manner· U1ey did. All a whole, their teeUmonlee which Were gl1'en lh a frank and straightforward tna'.lner, have 1·emalned unimpeached ID. all their ri"l&terlal aspects, In spite of the rigid croam• examination by the able ancl dlatlngulshecl defense counsels. It le true that Ma.c.a.llan, ror one. Incurred some minor contradictions~ partlc;,ulorly on the period of time durlog which the conference with Senato1· Montano lasted ond on the preclae time thq Jett the Senn.tor's home. But It will be re .. ...Ued that, by· the wltneae• own adm~on, tr8 Ill unlettered and bas had no sehooilns and v.~e In no poeltlon to tell the time b7 the hands of a wateb. ha eft'ect,. bl!ll knowledge 'of the hours of the day or of the nlgbt iii tielns baaed merely on rough estimation or wild gueuea, his stomach serving ln most ~ues as Ida ob"·louslJ" falllble guide In r~.:i­ konlng the time. Thus, be la wont to consider as 13:00 o'clock noon the time when II" eats his lunch and as 8:30 to 7:00 o'rlock ii~ the evening when he takes his supper. (t.s.n. 271-78). However, he woa stea•lfast 111.ncl definite In asserting that they actl.IA.117 a.rrlved at the 1-esldence of Senator llo11i.a110 at dusk (n•g·aagaw and liwaneg at dilim) and thnt their slay was brief. (t.s.n. 272, 276). lt Is ta·ue thnt In hb1 affldn"·Jt (Exhibit Nl:·A"} beC01·~ Captain J\ramos, Macallan siated. that he and his companions bad stayed for about an hour In the Montn.no i·~sldence durlnc that conference. Bui. as he himself clarltled, hla own calculation of one hour Is ·not very long. (Ls.n. !71). At any rate,. even ·a comparison between bra &aid sworn statements and hl8 teeti.ri.ony Of) the stand would i-eadlly reveal • rlnc'ing. harmony In all their Important detatJs: the pJsn Conceived at the Montano rHid-mce. tbe role played by Senator Montano In that ccnference, and the actual e.xecuUon Of the Maragondon raid. Whatever lnconsletencles may be buoyed to the surface by a ~Nh­ lng analysla. of his_ two d~laratlona .ue sufflc~entlY. expl'!-lned b_Y· the wltneag h~mself when · _b~ te~Ufl~ that, during hla ln~au­ ~"'t.lon by Cap_taln ~mOll, he was so ~red and confused b~cauae It waa conducted from noon till midnight without any respite. ~ ~;:~~:~· -~t.;.:;t_;;::::e~~ ~ . .-.4:~}4.n.'s adm~.on aa io 1118 rea::~~2~:::. ~~n a:: ::::t?~~~~ ponrii.ent of hie case: In O&"Ylte "City s~e..:. December 31, 1952 !>dciSioi11 on. r.font9n'o "'Eillifr Pl•• :,i~~;;~~~i~t~~ .. , ~l!!!:!u~_fac,. .. 0 . .,..wh!c 0 hn,.ht; h:&-4 ~o l1J.l!'J'e!9t In. , th HINU'lng,. and ar'e Inherently. hea.~a.y, tr.~ : ~~g the ral~ .n~ ~~.ra~~".t~ · 1a ~~-~~~~ to • ... ~,: · I'·, (. · ·, .F.act:a>.. .J"ot setr.aervlng:.·A. newspaper· accouWJt or ~~1•· .. prea11~n~ ~~a~in~ .• ror bal~ of.~lp.,Pt"tl,,All thlnp aom1del"ad;:tha·C?ourt· a.lt91'."0b- .• •·" event.•or. an occurrence has. been chn- ;. ~!aner, sei:a'!-t~~ :J:uii.tlnlnno ~ •. :?ot:of!t.al'."o,, (t. •#Cill;YlnB- the wlttte884la'Hle'meanor nnd n:nn-·:·· 1"tctel'lzed ·na "bearll8.J' evidence, twice re• ... · s:~. 198 ~. seq.-J. . ·, . 'n,el;·.-:on .the stand- believes .tlat th~lt. re•t1-· ··moved."'·'I Jones on.Evidence, Id ,ed.., sec. :·,.:;·A~nt'ui9 ei"fe~ .ot P1• ~ntrodjic~\on. of ~on,I~ bea.1· ~111!! atppost• P.l.;trat.k.r.:•: or··: IOU .a).· Aa to-. I.he pre8ume4 reward to 'he .. ~ended ln~9rm111.t1on, :this C~J:t.,. i• nt ·~QUi.:a.~ .• thls.,C.Ou~ Is ·~re oc·.the1t~~.:~lat·· ... J.!aoallaa. •Jl•.18'.ti .J:le observt'd .. that 1n~'1 a .it..h~ ~i>l,IJ.1~.~ that the alh!pJI ~nad~l~~Y,1ty c\'en tru~htu~ w:itnesaea ~a not Jn~!!-.P.1t4ect • ,f•J'a.ccwse!' if.' A, .me1-e ·conjqcture -.and car.not.. , ~ .~l~ .~rUons .. ~~ ~he .~vldei:iice ~.e11e..ned wltne.s.sea. Their dcg1•ee or education, tbefr····be··made .the:balf111.or·a. lffnl :conclusion. ,tief-?1'9 ~he ame~dment b,as. been. ~Pred by · il.enad'·trondlU~L·evth\:•·t.ne"liOteiiiftlfy- ot· Bt11ldes,' the non-Inclusion of Ma.caUa•, In ','t~e·pr,98en~tlo~.oft~~·-~.ine.~ded,,LD~~.~.1on ~urt: Jll'Qcee8:1ng& ·oftim ·'8.Ccouh't 'tor ·hiR.nl-' the Information, conRldered .In t11e light or . ~ the n.tent. t~ .f.h•Y. .are aclllJ..~b~' l' re· .. detective· anawera. But :jUdK'!s a.re tth.lhcd hil!!!;te.ft.lmc,,iY.. ctn:,i.htl: s\an!l .. admlttl.Dg his. d11troducl!!d .after ,such .flUIJC' .. Qll 9«;to~"':f 3, . lo .fO.Ake 4'1l~wancea. They pay exb-emerr.a.re:. oom.»llcl~r.ln·lll~ cO~aptracr aa·a dJreot.,.~-. 195~ .• <t-~·i:'I·· lii,9). Thia' I~ sO "beai.ii."9 .~'·c-n !'8,r,.d atten~lon. to ihe sJnaerlt)· of:·the.-wi'nas · JJtr::UQl~t,:-el-en before be was.;pr.e\l'.l•(IQRIY 1.'. :a:"8~f~.s: 'the~-~ be tii8d!Jil~.tb1' 1~,i:'·!~o?k o"N'~.:~ wl.llil}Sne•11:·to t911 tb-·whale:•lory. ,.clw.'P4:1and. th .. ·dtscha.rge~ Is, ._t.m~":, fot: •1!1.~~n~ !l;Jlega.tlon In the 9rig1~1 .• n···•{::~.::€·:.:::go~G~:~.:<: ·::·~:~ ::::~=:=~~:::~s:.~::s~~:: .. ~:~~~~::~~:s~~:,;:;~1~~= .:g11~du~·that;Govemor cmneiinr...,-coo- seem unr~abJ,e. tq~,t.lsbelleve f.!·W.lt.11!••-: ~ucl~J' th~~ ~.nder .. ~h.e a~e:nd._~ ... 1.~::·::;;::.:£:£.;~:~:::~;: .·. ;~~:;:.::::r~.~"r:;:~;E: · :~:~!;';1;~~:~::~~:~~~'.!; ·.in~:--' JOU~t.1!J.ve tul'Qlah~. the -v~\lence ·~·~.;:~·=~-·~in!: ::e·a:w:~· :~, ··~== ~::~~~~:':t~!!'?=.~i:i':~\':e . :~;:!:~£~£~=~~';;~~~SE..... . . :~~.~:bf..;~·~:::~:::~·'·· ·· .. ~~i:~ .. ,1~~~~ ~i ·;L. ~~~·~ ;,.: .~r; M~nta~o equall)' . cooperated w.lt!J ·tho. :n•U¥5. ~dt1f&11ae ·.haatislm1l&11IY.·:·a.dvnnc~,, by effect th11ot ~elr .,<!bJ~D,!J.-Wh~~ ~ P!8· . ~:i'IJ!',:V ·~~. ~iaclni;; -'.~t ·~he. latter's d!~~sal ··'Ji.el!' . .or-... ~onlng. ·th&t · SeQator. llonta110, \1~~:v.~~ und~~ ~h~ o~. :1.n!.f ev_etr,. bJt ~f ,1~.torma.tlon. q.~'!. <;~ue C$)m.lnF';:!11\('·~ ·:ltll :bl&. b,\telllgence,· could no~ . have. h; .~~lhc~. i~~~· . the · t;.i 'hlB knoW19dg8 Which in18'11t 19a.1 i to tbe . be•n .. o .. :foolbardl!'· .u ·to· "Unravel bl.It IJllDd ... ~.k •. C!1' ~~cten~ ~11 .=.:.~. _•_ ·.• ·a~_Prehena.10~: or:·th~ .-uui, -~~·tin; ~n~::b.v ... ~q~-aucb a. Cl'lmlnal. plan· In tJiie,Pl'ff9'11ce.,,.~~o~t~· th~e~,re. Dal.be :u. ' U".•lnir all htia' POUtlcai foDowerS ·~u3Pe'ct-. !pr .. .aout.J.:#rfAIPn. like..:llacallan. and ¥.'I."'·, , RI~ <t:s.n •. 11~? ,becomea . . .. : . . ~' ~fht ,, . ...,. Ot belftg llKltllcAteci'"ift thas6 ':ici.i1i~g;11 to .,Jll.•a.;. an«:~ t\t· a1aeuu its .execution. Ill.· eo, 'of'.~h~.~~~m~~· ... , ,, , . .. . •• , 1 ·· ~otuntarli:v submit 'ibemaelves to: f.h& ).i._ .. i.l)r~.-., ,.tb13ie .1J!· hjs .. waaldence wltbout .. an7 .•.. ~~~· i:t!~Pect t~·~t11:~,: ~tlC!~. to. ~~·_put -i~7 .authorities 'for"IJ\vntlgatlOft; ·Di mil:t" be oll"·DrjJ !l• .to Its grave natur6... ·-:&u'. tM .. r (t-:'!I:~·: 100 -~ •.eR,.) t:'C!.~_1.?A18' of tlie.~Unt$DY ;,·~~~ ... .::~·~:::;:=~ ... "·~~:~·~!'-~::.::.:~;·:;~::.::-~;:::;~ ::tJ;5~~:~~1i:.~1~i~~t:~ ·•:i, !t!;:iu~ k~o~~:~ ti;mt n°. 1!'~ ~~an.1 • .,.,.,u..,~s? :whr,have.::vou come just nuwt" ;,P.f~ll.Y.,exe.~1;11\1~.yD~fr ~lit t"Ul9!1.~:.~.V/.d· ~ ,. . 'k perso~ of s~wryl r &fU1,.,.. ~llllUAI! .way• Il':Uguln lntrodatM ~~.~~tlcul~ly ~.Jl!ler.the doot~q-,qr ....... •• 8 , , Y ~ad t~ ~n !'-~ Interest a.i a. •W8""•QC·Pu&lk·•·the Senato11 as chi& who, l~tiir •Ii~~ ~·;·8:~.d: under .th~ .orl~l~!)n:a:.'k:I 'the ln".eat!f't,lon °~. t~~~•1t1tn: 1.r~.Ph1 ~trµated .,....., lm.da one to bellen the ... ~~rm!!-tlop.' ap~tt~tly Jmmaterlal ~~ ,th•,.~b­ all kil ngs, reaultl g ~~ !~1d ~1 . ~~, . o. _ ~ ot·.BOl!le .PreY.lous plan ancl.ef·ea.r- · .. ~Ce of.an. fll.leca.t!on 1·egardlng_ the.Plot to t --~el~=cts." ·Jt Ii .. h~1:/cHly, ~~~~- •, 1M:meetlngl!: ·or ,negatlal.lona towatd 1&n::om- : .. '.)~~e. th.e l~~e ~~-~o~~!'Oi:' Camet;",ln9, ;th:~~~n­ -~tlve th in the .a~a~n~ ot,,& ~~~r~ ·J rfOA end .. 'l'l,oee .me:a; .. went;tberft..ptep(lred ~-.. r~le .o~ ~K~lu~lo~ dOl!a ~~t. ~~\to )t at the. Arm)Y- ~'1' s.~:Mn 1..:'·.f.Qr.,&;P1'!!/i•C<1nn~ action: !l'o 'that .. n:t'dnt,. e111i1 ~~ti!"~n.:r.ln. t~~- preserice c:>C Ql'QP.fa.or beB.P•:-'Y-· which· hi -wld81y. kftO'w.n ·t~ ulv., : ,Jh&;D\LtUl'4J; -of· "1e ·~e:U,ng11.•11t1fflee4·1o·.c..m- a·~~~'l!-C:V•. w~.IC:h . thereby rend~d It , Q.d, en I strume.n.tal.ln llrlnglng 11.'llout n·'rJMn. \·"'~ ln,t:elllgenca- from. ·OD• :te the"othet: ~nd .. ~laalble as 11-r. ex_ce''*lop ~o ~.tb 'tbe.hiar· .•'.~:it:ei:: :1eaiiou., In. 1801,. · WGuld. n~lbw. :tl,ltl ~lH'lt 11a.v11 been.·tt1e reason- why the~· ls!"~~~rid ·~l!I lntef- '.•!.i9s ·-~~ ·~~1.:S.',. ~J;l~ ~st ... ~~'a .Rady, aubeer,fent..('tOQl.a:nd, .P,f!'Utl~ne,ir .was.not· war)' no1• mlnd"rd In .. ~ ~~t ~het~er the.off~ e:ylden:ce .. ~.i~d• ~:=-·and. l,)l'OVincl.aj, Governor IQr; t~l'tui· ~e~N' ~ ... fmpatlt!nce ana- In. glvlntt fl- . <->. prove "'~· _lnde~4.ent, 9CfeJ?-~ , bli,t .~•~e­ t,.lc.8.l ;,; nsG'l'R~f:Cl~lo.n oft.he lq~r:' ... llOJ.f- -:c pal l:D~b'uotlona .. to his men,:·followed:·bv the . )~_er. l~}s ~le~ant ~·· ~end,lng to &!l'.!l.ve..11\oY ! ;.• .· ~Ir. : ,,.. ·,. ~ ... :~:, ~J delivery of money to Iruguin who' was siven _tabt' material to th.e wu; In the ca11,e ~ore : .•. ·.Tl:I• def,nse llke:wlae. ad.vane•· tl11t,. tl"Mtty ,)f~ ~ee ,. ~!~"?•!.~Jon., ... ; · .... " • : .. :.. . .' .}Ii~' ~Co~H'.. cs.tat~ vs. cae,sa.~. ~i' ¥oDl~: ~z • . .. '1!•~-~ i~rlmlqallon;.Pf· ·Senatm· .ll1tnt<1.110 Yi•~a-vis. U1e .to,regolng evlden.oe of ·tne sllJ ~c. 1109), Under ti.I.' amended "nf1Jr, .. t;n.'~~· ccmaplrac:v mulf! haye. he;,11 'h~ .re- :,·.'~.~~~lip~!· ·the: Pet.1~~7 .ll'l~l>aaed :i:.ie :·=J'ia_a~I~~;· th~_.-qU~t~?n..oi. l~~?i;i~.-~."be­ . ~'8;,rd .. tor ~Ian's su~tle effOJllS;-~C!:·l:!.a,u- • .' .dete.n~ 9f. alibi. Bj!:f~ s.Qlng .at- legth iQlo • ·a~9'1 co~pe-ilt .ana.· ~9vant •Del,. th"9e. ·~~~f~1~E;~~\~;~;;7~::;~; ·:14!t~:~~;.::£~:::i:-~E ~,~::!::·:,:: ;;~;:.::::~~ "'"~... ~~n~~ .. t~. _t~e, .~s. .~.~Ing • ht~ .. Jran.o- . Inf ~1';e. .. h~r.lng: .. ~lrst. • th.fl. qaql!?Jl,. p; tne . . . :";l'li'- .a41t. or (\~ratl~. ot, a .. oons1'1: ~~· ~~ e~brea~l'1&'.· II'~ ~~1.~~ttl1 ~ nnc~:. ~r~11t · .~r~~f ~ '. ~.r~~;~~~ 8::.:.i~.rt~,'\;Of :·i~.!: ~¥'- ~~,: ~.l'.~~1: ~~~_!a~i!I¥. t.o. ~~- ~.,tf.ai~ durh oul- eourta ot Justice, apparenl'b· f'o Rno\\" Uhtony or the 1n'08ecutlon witness., Anl'>nlo Ing Its existence, may be glve.:i 1n: "'•Id·. '1'iiE-LAWYliliS·'30i:JRi-iA.L ei:ic1;1 agalne~ the conepjrator .l'-flel' tho con.splracy Is ebown by evldtn~ CJther than such act or d,eclarlj.\lon.'' It. l_s ob_\'.lpus: \hat th~ i;ecC1rd ab,Q~~. "With t'.~·o_~( qt th~ CQ~splr11cy, to Wit, \J!.ro1.1_sll ihe ~es\J111.o.n~es 9t. ~agllan ~nd. ~c_l)ll.q~ '"' to the C9n.~erence IJJ. Senator l\1;QO\t1.no'a. J:e&i4ei:ie4:. &:nd t1:1r1;i~h thoae or MQPZ.9.P. Vo. Jos ~f·f,e& i\nd IJerpanfle~ as to the eJ:e~:iUon or vi~. plot to ~Ill th~ ln,t,encted. vtc:.t,l,Q\4 of the Maragondon raid. It Is trv.e i&i1Lt o,tbE:r r>ei:tons not pili:t1c_ula1:ly slngl!!d out :.c. be l:quldated In th~ plot h,~tched. at the reslCJ.erice o_f t~e petl~lonei: were am9ng the victims of that raid. It ls eQually trU.e Df\"ertf)eless, ths,t It Is not necessa1;y, th~~ _the crime for- 'rhlch the 4,etend,a~t Is on b:lal s.hould be the crime whh;h was the. Pa.1-llcular Q_bJect of t_he consph-o.cy. ·w4e_re ,:leveral persops con,splre(I to. qqmmlt a lYJ: Jp-Jful ~ct, the_ e~ecu,tton of whli;h nu\~eft ljtrOb~ble a crl~e not epeclflcallf 4~.el\ ~ut ln.cldental to the obJ.eqt of ~be O$Pl!J~~cy, an ai;ts or d.eclq.1·nt1om1 Q( co-~on8J1J.i:Jti~c.rs ma4e· ~urlng thl!; pel)~en~y qf the q9p_1J>ii:aqy at;1d In furtherapce ,thei:ei>f a.rt ;WJQ.lsslble In I\ pros!ilcutlon Qf Qfle o~ th.~ C.QJ14Pll'f tor:s for th~ crime Jni;ldenAAU:r- llQQ\D}~~ed. (16 C.J. Sec. \3.S:l: •. p. 06.8). l,~ toJlgwa VJAt t,ll.e n.IJ).Uld.ect ~1pa­ U9,1L b.f..V.J.P.S" i;.u~ lb~ 4.1U.~t ot t~ ~l\>U<I atsence of sumctent allegatlol). . r.q-~:iJJng the. a.~teippt o~. Qov~rfl~_l' Gt1.mea:ll'!.Q'.a. · bte, the petlt~op _ to sti:l.ke l,s swor,n o( Its nierlt a11d· Should, tl\.erefor.e. lie de.r\led. '1"J$.IJ. rAfW!let. . tQ t}le, JMted~.mx. af t;1e 111vl51M1:t;:. aO.O~i:4. by Ulit. ~e~qtlon, refS,,ai;.dJns. t):le, r,e.14 atr 14Af~lion. ,tl)J", ~urt ~ ~f. ~~ <l:IJ~~n, a-n4. SQ.1'014•· \hal tbe 4.1DP. i,r. admissible. It con~\Jl.'4t!ilS. Jl1;00.f ot. ,o.be exei;._uUon of t,he s.l!eg:ed COl\ZWl.f.aCJ __ OJJd Is, • ~~rot.i.orl,, J:tf:>per as ~vl4_~n~41 oi th\ Sl(.isttmcf! of the CC!J'!SPlrllc;r. It. ls_ q9t._Eaw~hy t~t the e~~.11t_ion o_( a. <'.ORBJ!lrACY b_y -~ts tic the c.o-cons,p,rators Is Qn"- o_f t)\41 ~st e1'1d_ence to es_tabll'h tbe e¥Jst~n.c:11. o( the cqnsplr_acy. It l!I tQ be [!.Ot,.ed t)\O.t IJl the evld.en~e pr~sen~ed by _the P..rO!Jf¥:1,1tJ!111. reg~~ng, t~e alleged cqnsplracY. Ip_ tJltt h..-.µ.11e oi Senator Montano on .4-:ug_ust., 31,, 1962, particular. mention was rpll-de Qf l\itaruondofi. the perSons to be t.nken, nt1.Ql~f • ..Qv\lrd Member Villanueva. oi: M(l.YOJ'. Nllo .au4. ~he date whe11; the raid wp.s to ~~:ex;ee*a., ¥._ost elfjDlftcaqt of all. the· nerS\)J"!!i nna.«n~. in that conference we~. praetlc~py 'h_e .v.ery pusons ~ho part1plpa,ted In the. kJULP~ at l\t:aragom1on. Thus It hqs been 11.~4 tQat the existence or assent of rplpd11 wl\J1N, ts Involved In COJ!.Splracy ro,o.y b~ hft4',d; f~m the sec1·ecr of tl"!e crime, \14UnlJ.f. ~u~~ be mrerrert by the Court (rorn, wpo(. of 1'~ts nnd elrcumstnces which, taken to.get,b."''· uil"Qrently Indicate thi;i.t thef are . in~r~ ~<ut bf some col!lplete whole, <Ut'!W.~IJl's... Crlmtnnl Evlrteuce, P-. 795, par. 291; People, vs. C'arbonell, 48 Phil. 69). ~68 ."The geneM-l rule In no wo.y p1·~V•'.m~s the pt-o_of_ of p~oPei' facta· aiid, c!rC1imstance11 to eor.nect the Mfendant with the cl"l,ni.e cl'lorged,, even though the eyldence te~ds to 'Show ~uch' -defenitant to lie guilty of another Crime." (State v. Campbell, IOt Iowa ill, '22' N. w.; Z!). '"l'he giMleral rule (_..... Inter IJU.. aota) •nnot )?e appHed Wbere the faots. "Illich eensMtute 4is.l.lnct ofllenaea U'a at lhe same time part of the triaaaaetlon wQalch Is the aubjeot of tho lnd&ct.llMM\~ 11:"*-nce Is 'R8cOB8arUy a4m.'8slble u to aot.s •11.lch are. so oloaoly and lneMr"leab)? mtxe4'; up with the hlsto1•y. of the a:ulhY· au llllE>olt a.s ta torm part or one ohatn. ot- Nlevant otrcun:ista,nces. and aO- could RO"l be excluded in the pOOsenhilent of- the ea.se before tbe jur.;Y w.lthout- the •~• 'f.eillg- tharebY .erideredo unlatelll&ible." war K.nnedY. J., In bx v. Bond, OI06f 2 IC. B. 389, 400.) Ji1xpresslo11s acco1npanylng or following an aet may be shown ns Indicating what was In t:he mind or th"e a.etor, on the ground Wm.t they are rH •ntae or the &ct in quest.run. Ruch state1nents of the .aecuaed to tfttri:. parties are received without refereneo !o the truth of the slaitement, behtg merdy lridlea.Hve of· a state of mtnd. ~ .state.d,. alibi W.as. the deCi;:Ds~. T..u.ke n~ttt t.l)a.t the crux o( the a,l,lbl Is thnt $enJltor Mon~~o ~as not In bis resllj,tpcl' a.r~er dusk on ..,.ugl1,st 31, 1952, or, Q.\.,re speclflc:ally, between 6:30 a1:1'1 .. 7:~0, O'clock t• m., _and S? he covld no.t have me.t. •n"ertered Into a conspiracy with the nine n~n concerned In the- Mar.agoado&' Hquldc.tJons. Howeve1• tile ev4denee pNMJem.d In IH•PPGl't of that defeRee la mad& up llt'llltly o!> the Ioese statements of. 1-nual'lo- l!leller and Ben. CUMllo, and thoee of- Mrs, ldga.:Y• N. Montano to. the ef'feet tha& l!he, btin•tor and hie Wife. were In the. Mendoza. reakloaoa. where they Jtlayed• 111ah:len1t fl om 2:0• o'oNck in the attunoon ot tha"b day w-.:tu, sometime aner 7:0& · o'eloek tn lhe •'-"enlng, when. ·they- left- In a 'lalfl· fOr tho I.J'l'lc Tha&tl'e, IU'l'IYJng there between 7': 20 and '1: 46 o'elocll:. As may be readily. "Mn, the. ldftcacy of this dele118e wou'ldo deplind l111pW upon the e>redtblllty ef Dido" wltneeeea, as. well as on the weight that. ·rotild , be l!tl•n. i:o. the i\ega111ve teetlmontes of- tl'l.ardo La Toi-re. and Godotr.do eolln"hlar (.bMD. Intimate friends of the M-tano&) to the- ellect that they we.re at the- Montano t•eshle-ace where they had their lunch and ti.at during n.H that tlm!!> that they were th~- from the moment they arrive al)· to rast; It! 00 o'clock In the evening, the:r bad r:eitber seen any of the uhle men In the 1'ouae.. nor Senatoi- and· l\lt'.S. Montano, for tho..t.- matter. • .\:rter n~ii.l)·zlng the testimonies of ~~h of the dEifense Wttnesaos, It Is the ~onat­ lleN!d-= opinion o~ the eo.urt th°'t the alibi. it1S".9'F of- overthto'ivlng 01· WeakentnC, Lh_e •l"ldence for the proseCuuon, pro!fuced t"b'I eonWnry effect· ana·m&de It an· ihe ';,1""e •IRuatble an.d· co'hvhicttl.k. · -· :-ro ·s~a~t.~l!h; Jan~a,rl~ S.oij~l' :lire"°i\la.: :o rP.can to the smo.Uest ·detaU eV.el-.Y~ ·~at happened In t,he mahjong pa.rt)· helcl at. U1a realdeQce o.f Mrs. :Uendoaa., especlapy lbe m_o\'etnents of Sena.to!;' Montl\no and i:IP. other players. Yet, his mind seemed to h'i.VS Jili.llsed Into a state of amnesia when. h ! wa.s met with .the questions as to (a) the time when he met Senator Mon~no for the ftrst time In a mahJong pme which took place In the same house In that same month of August, Ul!i2; (b) the date when he played •:'81:1Jong1, fem W... 4im. ..... UC . . ~ \II. lhe Mun or Mr. ftiadell'o ftomls. In tlh& D\f!'Olh ~ July, ltil; and (c)- t:he date wh~ he pla-yM mahjongo In Matolos, Bulacan, only ec"91'al days before his appearance a.a a witness tn Court on October 16, 1952. ~~IMIJlOl'fl, alClliovgb, Sotl9r dee._. :hni. tbe ... t 11tme. l;e Jl}ayed With. S9D&tor J1111mtun.o -.s oa A;.ui;ust 31, :ti&!, be admlned on. m.8a-exat1llna111on that the last tln:i& be p.la.yed wUh th& .eoused- was- on a Ttlur-sd"ay, ill· the middle of August, 1952, (t.s.n. 188). Jl'llld_e frem this, he reasoned out that hr. remembered August 31, 1952, as the date when he.pla.Jle& wttb. S9aate11.1floatano beoulse he ha.cl recel¥e6 bis fl8rl&n1 on the- .pree.atm.go -day. On. tunlter cross eJ1a111lnat1on, hMPtWel', be a41R1tted ha.vhliir reeelYed his .salary only on the <tta.y followtns ttaat same mahjong p:ame (t,s.n. 741--2).- The real cause for that ad-nttaeJon a& to the date when that particula.p game wa.s pra,yed was that he read ab~~ut It in the newspapers 1hat gave publlct:1 to tbe news of Senator Montano's partlclpatton In the Maragondon Incident, w:lfu.nut whlcl) he w.ould not ha\·e had o.n l.Ddep,1ndf,>nt recollection. or It. To ti.lat degree, the memory of thia u·l\,ness ll.9 to Ume la. tppst i.;nr:~ble, corislderlng Ula.t what me.de. JiiDl re1;._f4,)l thf! tlme of depart,ure of. ~Qat:or. and ?4r.s.. )i{ontano 11:.:.m, t.he. ho1i1se oC )(n. lien~ WU.. the- ~s. Uu1ti had alnad7 tU.thered around thiem· Md< the auppoae·.t ren1ark made In the course of the g&Jpfa by a l(ld)'. tha.t It was already 7.:00, o'c.ladl. The c::redlbJltty qf this wJmee.s hee&IQ,6. aore ~Q.Oiied to. doubt l,uu:a.wie of the '8.qt. \bat, ~pugb only n. CQlltiGma See.ret Se.ice "41ent ~hit. mantltlY aa14'1'y of·~Qand -~ -. 1¥1t.e ¥4' th:l>ee cbihltteR ta suppert, bll could· iiUll- lruluge In. the tuxury or. weekIU lll"b:hlbc ~mes where the stakes ra~ as b&gb &9 PJ,00· per point and the. lesees as l:!lg a.a ftOQ.. pei- point and the lo9Ses ao1 big a.s N00..00. Ot CGUMe, he claims to hav0 been the winner of o. 11weepstake prl!i:e amouatfftg to Pl!t,600.00 In the draw of October, 1951; but,- If we consider ~h,at b applied- 11'1.000.08 of- It te tht>o payment ot' & loan obta.fned· from the Philippine BISI.It of C!ommtirct" nn~ spent another 1"&;9(16:0&· In the purchase or a c8.r, ~me P!;5".00 for Income· tnx a·nd P!,000.00 Jn buying out' th"e Interests 9f hl11, brothei s In a: J;"eai" eiita,tl!; _I?tOperty ·-h:iher:tted t_roiQ.· ei,;1r rnih#f. av.O. _iQ.1:8Jed In -~b,E;_ 11i:o'llP~e. t.btire woul~ be barely ~5,0lfo.oo. Jen rrolQ.. w!UCh tt1 dig up for the upkeep of bis house 11nd. lc.t In Quezon City, In which he "tnvesieJ PU,600.00, and for the maintenance >f bia car and the mahjong game. Witness Ben Castillo, according to h!mselt Is' a buSlnessman by occupation. H;e tejitlfled ihat; although he subsls~s merely on occasional profits real!Zed from buying jewelry In downtown restaurants an4 O""l the financial assistance extended to him b.r his mother and his sisters 1n the· proviilce, h.e could, Uke Soller, afford from '1m6 to time the, e:icti·8.:\fag9.nt Indulgence Of r.Ja'ylng mahjong games whe1•e stakes nre hlgh. His . memory appears sharpl}r ret~ntlve ab"out ·me. mahjOng party of Alignst · 31, 1952,' lri.cludlng to· him, he· Woh P!I0.00 w·hlch he Intended to use. as ·pJ.~'­ ment for his house rent. Neve1•thelcss that retentivity seemed to have been sudclcnly lost when It came to 1·ecalllng th1t pi;.rtlculal' ·day In Se'.ptembel', 1952, when h'. · supposedly ho.d made a profit of not 1e8s than· p200.oo from the· site of ·a piece of· ·1"\"·t.:ry valued at Pl,200.00, and which, acCor~·­ lng to hla :explanation. was the only big sa!e he had made so far, l;I~ "Could riot also ren1ember ·a. d'-te )n:·S~P~.embe1·, 1962;_" ~he~ be-· supposed received· ~rom· his moth~· and sisters· the sum of PS,000.00-·whl~h .he· "liJlr.11e4 to: the· purchase .of merchan~lse. worth F:1,000.00, although, according to·· him, ·tt was the only amount he ·had received and the only_ purchase he had made· -from· lhe u:;onth :o.f August~ ~96jl, UJ>. to the date· of his appearance In ·Court. In short, he p.retC'nds ·to have a good recollection of the na.me.s . and seating arrangements c,l. .the :r.<'rsons Who. played at dltrerellt tab I.es -In the hoUse of Mrs. Mendoza; of the ,~mark ot Mrs. Montano. that· It was already. 7:.oO o'clock and that they had to. l~ve. fo.r a show; ilnd or his offer to the Moiitanos or; the ·Taxi which he hailed fol- hlmsolt; but he ·could not remember that da.y in SLptember, 1952, when he was askerl. by Mrs. ;Montano to testify . in this. ease (t.s.n. 860), nor an.y of .the dates on which he ·pla7ed. the. other·· mahjong gan1es, wi•h .tt e S(!nator. The rule. ls well-settled that the CreUlblUty of a witness may be serlously impaired by a wearlnJJ J?OSltlvely .and minutely to occt rrences which were not.,qf such a 1l,uu1-e D.$ _to. li:npress ~orclbly uwn his meMory. (Lee Sing ·Far v. U. S., (S.C,A.) 94 Fed. Rep.) Surely It 1_8· ve1·y rai-e that v.;e h~nor with o. second thought the many Incidents.· I hat w"e expc1·ience during the ~r •. nor eve~ ine thoiights "we think every -~Jnut~. and .the emotions We unde1·gO each hour. · The_ testl~onY of E~~.Gov~r~~ Jgna,:lo 0111~ sc:~·ves only a mere passing benedlctlQn oon~!d".rlng tbat._~having. Iert the house .. of .l\.Ir~­ Men~oza _.at . 5: 3~ o'clQ~k. in t1.1e aflel'llt)OI), that ~,·as the_.;l~_t._I~~ ;aa,y:_.o-f-.the. l!4ont..tinPs on_ 1~1~t da,y. · .. May;qi: ~son's: .. deblara,Uon .. that. hEr.·t1a.w S!!l'lator. Montano .tmd:de ·the Izync" 'l'he:itre' .at 7~111>. o(clock ·Jn the evening ·Ot· A-ugdilt"""31, December ·31; 11152 1962, during the repeat showing of the film "Hoodlum Etnptre," does· not ellmlnat~ Pltogether the possibility. that the unholy .:or1ference had been, In· fact, beJd· shortly .ii.it er sundown tn the Montano residence; con .. lderlng .that that Ct;inference did ·not last Jon~ and th"at Pf. y Marga) ·street Is· wlt.hln ea:sy r!dlng distance froni downtown Man;!£. It lo possible ·a1so ~hat ~ayor Lacson. being engrossed in learning the operation ··lf. (be s!ot machines f~om the screen, may have ht nestly mistaken as t1:1 the .. precl!le time !when he Saw Senator Manta.no· ani his wife· .ente1•ing .the theatre, ··taking ·into a.!.count -the. :rhaYor's own. testimony th;1": he himself left his .residence on .M. Eari'l'>haW ·stl'.eet, Sampa~oc;" at 7:16 o"clock; The snrne ··thtng; may be said .of the ·teSti"llOh\' •of'. Detective Buenaventura, who claimed to .hn:ve ·seen' Senator Montano In ·the L~·­ r.c Theatr& between' 7:20 und 7:45 t>';;:lock on that same eventng of·· AUgui:it 31, 1952. I·!ls recollection of the: date. · was oased n-;alnly on· the entries on his notE:tiqok ·(ExhibJ.t ·"f");. which: ·h& a116gedly ·pa•lipar(d as a simple reminder days ahead .at ·hiS l:l~he­ duJed ·engagements. · '·Hi!& · reUabillty · a" to dotes Is; even: n101·e-.o.ffe'eted by hf8"·:1ack c·: ·mem:ory. bf. -even: the ·tno1;~:i·eCeht .~iite when he ·a:JJegedly saw· Senato"!••:i\f'ontano: tOr the last time·; during. ·u1~·-He&ua- ·rild1o·: ;i·e'1',te which:.t~ lti.tter ·1md :w1t11··00,.e.'tho'1· C&merlno a.t- Ute Esaottil;,;:. · Being e"ii.gr..,s.Sell in ·.\sl\a.dovrlng "Ben~ "Kfrat,!~· Ja· 'notod-:itis gengstel', ·· by . · gotn'g ·.1n •'an<Flcb'Ut··"Of· the ·theatre for· that ·1mFpose, ·It .f1(:".e1·:Y ilk.eh· that· the df!tecth'c's 't"cc·onect!On of tfi~ ·'h:l~e l:e allegedly · giieeted Senato'1• · ';\!Ont:i · .1 lfl ti:&- theat1•e must ha-ve·· ·been: 1riaec~·1,ii-e ·1r r>of unreliable, :corislderlng thai 1t··w~s not his concern to check up on' Senato1·" Mo"tano. The C'ourt · will· not d\Vell to"ng o~ the tuotimonY of Mrs. Mo.ntah"a' Who, beC:,•.1!:1e 'rn'ina"l\.' · na:UJre · · rem~lns 1,1itd1tered, ca1mot be. · eXpected to ove1·com·e . the· · tendent:i:: to picture "the ·:Incidents 1n the way t11e lntf!rt"-~ts · of he1· husband· Would dictate. If we considered ·that :'tl1e · tfiahJorig players were stived Only a light" merleiida, · conststll'I;" of pospas, puto, sweets 3.nd ·soft drinks, at ab9ut 5: 00 o'clock In Mrs. Meii.doza's house, ',Jt Is unlikely that husband ··and :wire would have gone. directly to the LYrlc '1'1'Mitre ~-;i:d remained there; until 10:00 o'clock with· c.ut bothe1·1ng t;hemselves to· have al ·1east ia ·sn.ack ID thel1: own hotbe to :Which · th~v had ·not retul'ned slnce--they lldt ·it ··~i·lle,r that noon to attend thiit· pa1·ty. 'Being ·wE!IJ.lt bt>caase .. biased,. thtS· phase· ·of ·the defense alibi .succumbed tciO·· easllY ···to' the· -W'<!.,;ht or the testimony "In sur:reDUtta1::of 'i'Omu d•~ la Rosa, a. dlslnterest.e(i·:·:wnnasS, Who •·ffh·mcd that he..took·Senntor Mon:n1•a:~nd a. lady companion; ·pre&Jm,ah1~ .l\frs: · Mofltam:-: J'l'l.-.Jds :taxi· a. little ·afte1• six o'ClocK-crom a :.h®!illt. s~ewhe1·e. ne.ltl'·· the· ~o'rner. et:.:Femc ·Hyertas;.and Sa11::Laza1'0 liltft;elll atid :dirOY"e .u-.~m ;··directly to· .. tbelt' re'slde1'ce·:-ii't .pry Miu·gal, ·.co'raer· ·D. :Tila!'O't1; ur QUe'to'l'i; City. 'l'HE LAWYERS JOURNAL Deciaion On Montano Bail PIW The Court Was Well Impressed · witn the testimony of this witness. The sir cerlty t~at,1ierVaded his words rendered the"!:& trulrt.wo'rtliy, and his whole testimony w:os ma.de m'ore Worthy or credit by the und?~.::r<'dtted dt.cument, ·Exhibit 1'E", evidencing Ms· grods eO.rnlrigs for that, day-AugUst SI, 1952,...;....o a taxi driver, and by his vivid recollectlOn cf. the experience he had had in having for a passenger no less a prominent pE:r2onage tloan Senator Montano, who made tha.t expo·lence much more unusual and ~lngular b)' the handsome tip which he received from him. All this must have made a lasting li.•pa·esslon which ca:n not be erased from his mind so soon. His Inability to :!.C:.t.ntlfy l!l's. Montano during the hea1·lng when she ¥,as made to sit with four other women cannot matea•lally affect his credlbtll ·y. Mrs. }fontnno · Is not as wide!)· and nationally known as he1· husband, and there Is enougll n:·ason . fo1· the saying that strange fa,ces, under · ordinal')' circumstances, a1-ouse rrelthea· remark nor attentive scrutiny. 1 1.Vhlle In Cami> Murphy, where Senator Montono Is, this witness ably pointed him .ou~ from a •group of six persons selected ·b~·· the defense· and 1vhose resemblance In fPatureS ·to the· Senator., Including the haircut, was·. really vert· striking and Identified ~.Im as the .. person who 1·ode in his tll.xl on .that· ditte." (vide, Exh. "F-1" & "9"). It Is n('tewo1~h . .v that, upon · being askei why It took him.· over four minutes t.o . de~':lrmlne "ho of the se,•en persons was Scnatn1· M;ontano, he replied: "Because thnt s~nator :Mcntano who was a. pass.engc1• of mh1e re• sembl~s somebody here." (t.s.n. 11611). And when askef_l -on cross-examination why he hesitated, he answered: "Paano nga po'y mayroon .ak!lns· pinagi:lududahan ay baka a~'Y'. mag~amali pa.'' .(t.s.n. 1168) .. He wall pt:sltlve and cer.taln In his ·manner o! tdentl[ylng. S,enator Montano; and his fal1\ire to IOentlf·Y ·him readily . In the pictures pres( nted to him previously. should be a.n added credit, rather than discredit, to his ca-edibility. T,hat failure .only. sh.ows the very h~dex of the fact that this witness has not been trained or coached. Since his~ acquaintance with .Senator Montano ls based 011 the fact that he had taken swift glances of him wl'!lle . dashing along the corridors oC Congress,. where he used to go in search or a. recommendation for employment, atid not . on . his frequent assoclatlona with him nor O{t ·.s~elng his pictures on th" newepnpers, ;witness de la. Rosa was only human ~yhen_,he._._fa.lled to Identify Senator )fontar.o. C~·qm; tJ?e.·newsl'aper · 1>lctu1·es. ·, Ii :will ti~ recalled that right after ·1! was de.;:ldEid · durlng the hearing In Cavlte" City th!tt" th"e Court should "Constitute :iself at ca.m1) 1\lurJlhy ·for the purpose of haVing him ideilury ·''Senato1· Montnn0" whO · Was "' pussen.ie"1; '1ii· "·his ·Cab;. thl!! wltnN~ Wae thenCefcirth segregatE'd ·an'd :Jllaced Pra"Cttt'8.l~ l~·lnbOrDinUniCacto, uTlcTer' gd.!i.rd by tb.> Ctetli: M :-c<t.Rflt ·a.n~F by;re·prel!Eiitat'tWs"" of'! ';n~4e­ fc-il~8"Mid 'tli.?: :pl'o'iiceUtlon~:; ·ln ·J}ofnt. of.fact, D.cl1lon On -Mont.no lall PJ .. he waa brought to Comp Murph"! in the a1:tomoblle of AttJ'. Antonio Barre:to. with :A.tty. Barredo hltDHlt In charp of t~e croup. He remained Incommunicado until he was tlnally aummoned to the roon1 wb~ tbe Senator wu.a u.Irea.dY seated. with the olhera who were purpoely hlllldplcked b)" the defenae tor that demonstration. ·The negallve testimonies of La T~..u-e and Colmenar, close t:1·lenda or the Montano children, lo U1e eCfect tbu.t they did ••ot see tt.e nine persona who contei·red w'th tile Senq..tor In the lattei•"s .realdence In the atteJ. noon or evenlnc In question, are bf no mea.na conclusive evidence that thllH nine 11ersona were not there. These two wttneaes, bf their own .i.dmlaslons. ar8 Intimate friends and are In clQ.8e tcucll with the ta.mil)' life of the Montano.s. often passing the nlcht and taking their r.1eala there; "their testimonies, tt.('retore, must be weighed and evaluated wmi utmost caution. For, as r.lghttull7 obael'ved. "men are grateful In the aame degree that they are reaenttul. The clalma of .friendship be· tween a wttneas and a pal"t.y are treQuentb' ju1t aa powerful an 1Qfluenoe In i..haplns hie teatlmon7 u any merC911aey ir.uttve could be.'' (II Moore on Fa"cts, lHli). On the teatlmony of Gerar4o Ja Tor.:e, the Court can onl)I' s&l" that the weJsht of probabtlltlea that It beara, maku It tou weak to carT)" out lta mission. Take, tor Instance, his bold assertion that he left his hou8a to puu the night with the M:ontanoa and to spend the whole of> tlie da)" and the night that followed without even a hint 'Jf Jt to his parente with whom he la llvl11i.;. Hts story became more unllkel1 when tt.e reb1ittal wltneas, Petronila de la Cru1t. testified that he aaw Ia TolTtl at the latter'• house on Lico Street In Tonclo with hie futher, Catalino la T01•re, first at eleven o"clock In the moinlng and then at five o'clock In the afternoon of Aurruat :n, 1851. In ·an eifort to deatro)I' the teatln:.0•~7 of Petronllo de la Cl'us, the defense attempted to prove through C&tallno la Torre that the latter eould not have been In Manila at any time on Aucuat 11, 1162, bscauae he left ·for Palawan on the MjS Oen. Ma.Ivar "on AuSliSt 28, 18112, returning to Manila on the anme boat onl)I' on September I. 1DG2 from Coron. But It ts Interesting that r.owhere tn the p&aaenger manlfeet tar that 1:eturn trip does his name api)ear either as a paying PIUl•enger or a& a recipient of a compHmentacy ticket. (Exhibits "0-1"' to ''C-4''. Annezes to prosecution's manifestation of November 3, 11&1). This glvH rise to the poaalbJllty that Catalino I& Torre might bave bought a ticket for Coron but bid not uae It, 01· havlnir actually mAde ihe trip, he might have returned to Manila on or before Auguet 11, 195!, b)" plane or aome • o.• aome other means of tranaporta.t.'t-n. Guided b)I' theae obaervatlOllll, tht'! Court :~eves that tho testimony In Chief or G~· n.rllD· la. • Tarro·, was· aucieeaetully r<ebuttei .b¥", the FO•ecutton. · On -the ot&er hand, th .. testimony or Tomaa de la Rolla. the tazl driver, rema111a unlmpalntd: effectlvelJ" alao, I' hu uaalled the dramatic. ]Jl'etenr.ons of th• dele1111e wttne.._ that Senator and )(ta. Uontano left lira. Mendosa'• reatd;n•ce at paat seven o'clock In the evenlns, dll-ect tor the L)'rlc Theatre and that they retu~ home only after ten o'clock. The proeecutlon appears auccesaful In unveUIDg thla 'alibi and In expoalng before the Court the correct . hue of all the aa.aerttona. Faced t"1ua with an overwhelming evldenre for tbe prosecution, t11e Court le lnqulastnt to lwnor teatlmonlea proceedlq trom the Jlpa o'! witnesses who related the tacts a.B they •·anted them to. be and not ae theY were. The alibi of Irusuln, which purpl.'rte4 to show his abaence from that unbol.J· con• fc.-rence, cannot prevail over the pmdUve avowals of credible _wltneaaes who attuted. to the contrary and agalnat whom no Improper motive hod ·been ascribed for teeU· t:rtng In the mann.,. the)I' did. The credlbJllty of Dr. .Al'ca. an.4 Dr. Sa.· n:1onte, Who clalm·ed tb&t Iragutn wae at the bJrthda.y partJ' of Ex-Governor Banionte tr. C&v1te· Cltl", between ebc o'clock and 1:00 o"ola;ck P.M:. of Ausullt 11, 1862, save W8)I' &nd crv.mbled too eaallJ' under the- tutlMOllJ' of Juan cl• Gusman, an old rnldent, who aftlnnad that Irusuln l1eve1" attuded tJlat PILrtJ' and that right In that btrtb4ay party the orsanl.atlon of Cab&llll'Oll L.ibrea held a meeUns. Th.e aueruon of .o,, Guaman ·on Iruptn'a poettlq abeence fU•lft exGc:vernor Bamonte'a P8l'b' conoluetvely and directly corroborates the previous te&Umon~ea of Magltan and Ma.callan that 1111autn was with them and was the one who took them. and their other compan.I01111 t.o the realdence of Senator Montano laat Aoguet ''· lt Is tJ.•ue that De Guzman ta ·on)}- one proaecuUon wltneea against the defenr.e wltneaaea Dre. Arca and Be.monte who had teatlfled that Irupln wH at the party of the former Cavlte governor. Dr. 9amonte, hgwever, la an aestatant Phl"lllclan ot Dr. Arca and hi• testimony, th•·etore. must be neturall.7 patterned after that of hla chief 'Wl"l10 .comes fl·om Tansa, the hometc.wn of Senator Montano. There can be no credlblllty a.lao to the statement of Dr. Arca that he had no personal llktng tor Senator :Montano and yet had to teeUf)" freely In favor of the latter. It la coins- acu.Jnat the grain of human natu1'8 If a pei:aon wbo dlallkes JJ.nother, ahould curb his dtallke and teatlf)" fc:.r the latter. lt ta more lotrlcal and eonat11tent tt such person keeps hhnaelf aWQ" and refrains from taklnc active atand In favor of the one h• dtallkea. .Again, It must be ccnaldered tl"-at the b1rth'1&J' parqr glvtn b)I' ex-goverrior San1onte, one of the founders of the Caballe-· roa Llbna. was apparently lntendE.d for m&ll'lbera Of this tioatern.lty ao that th8)" ec uld dt1cuea and actuallJ' turn over then the amount Of lndlYldual contrtbutton• tor THE LAWYERS JOU:aNAL tht: construction of the propoaed l1ullcllft8' o.' the tn.ternlty. lr11&1n., who wa:is rot a member, certalnl)I' would seem to :1• YVJ' much out of place there. If Dra. Bamonte nnd A1-c11. were preaeat, although admltted1,i. not rmternltJ" membere. It waa becauae llr. Samonte, a nephew of the eZ-governor, took upon hlmse1t to Invite Illa chief, D:-. Area, and other co-docton to hl:s uncle'• blrthda.)· po.rt)·. Viewing the rslde of the defenae that lruguln waa at lhe party, It would anm nevertheleaa that nobod)I' bad Invited Iruptn to tilat part)I' because he was not a mo?mbar of the Cabe.lleroa Ltbrea nor wa• Jt made to appear that either ex-governor Sanu"Jnte or hi• nepliew Dr. Samonte had Invited. ttm to come. Moreover, De Gusman. It was brousht out, knew Irll&'Uln very well and,· aU.hough he was In that house from 8:10 to I: 1i o'clock, he was poaltlve 1ru,;•ln was not there durllll' that time, .i:nucb lu11 drink with Dre. Arca, Sam.on.le an4 Jd:edir.a and ~ne Ellglo Giron. He aaw all the .. ,-entlemen. but certalnly not :u.Po Irll&'U'n. With reepect to the a.Ubl Of Iruslrln for September 2, 1162, the. atatemenh flf Patrolman Baalllo 4e 108 S&nto• and Ani!res Baplrltu cannot be trueted becauee their reaIJMUVe' atatemente are all replete with naG.rkel! lncOMlstencles not only In themlienre8 but alao with each other. To that extent, In one porUon of his teatt ..:ony, de kl• Santo• -.p that be doee not re.i:nember wben Irugutn came and aat beside him 1nLde the stadium: but In another portion, h ata.tea that Iruguln aat beside him at ntout nine o'clock. Still. In his statement preaentec1 as Exhibit "Ii", he ata•.ea that Irupln a.rrl"Ved when ~he game betweeti the Harlem Globe Trottfrs and the N·-w York Celtics waa alreadl" In Pl'0"'8a•. Pa ·rolman Jill·plrltu glvea a stlll different version. He atated tha.t Irugutn cam- tn darlns the k.st quarter of the Ateneo va. Sto. Tomas game, which preceded that of the Harlem . Globe 'I'rottera. There ta, therefore, ab81.•lutely no credlbtllty that can be r.ttached 'o ·the teaUmonlu of Patrolmen de loa Santos and Espiritu. lt ta obvious that wltr.e&aH of thla kind cannot succeaefull7 auppc.rt an alibi, especially when, .1,a before •t.t.i, such allbl baa been deatro)'ed bl" ro:buttlnc" wltnesaea. It ts well-settled that tile defenae of alibi 06.nnot prevail over 11oaltlve Identification (People 1·. Jl'altado, et al., G. R. Nos L-1804, L· 1711, & L-1711, June 37, 1848); It la eaall)· manufactured and la U8U8.llY unreliable auch that It can rarely be elven creden.:!e (Peoplt v. Padilla, 41 Phll. 711). Indeed, alibi must be clu.rl)I' and aatlafactorlly proved and ahown: otherwlae, It must be conaldered a:s lnetrectusJ (People v. Limbo, 41 Pbll • fD). In at Just two casea, the defense of aHbl Ht up b)I' the _accuael1 baa bf.en beld 11ar. not sufftclelit to overlbrow tbe mdence of· th•· proaecqUon Where' tt aPpeans that tfle place where tlie ·offeDae has bHn ·Com111Jtted. la not too distant from th• place December 31, 19fi2 ' aet up in the alibi (People v. Reaabal, 60 Phil. iBO; People v. M:anlego. et al. G. R. No. L-2253, Kay, 1149). Tbe wltnessea tor the prosecut!On teetlfled that Senator Montano left the reeldence of Mrs. M~dom sometime before 8:10 o'clock while thou of the defenae claimed that be left the said reelchnce aflei- '1:00. The Cl.la· Lsnce between the realdence of Mra. Men• doza and that of Senator Montano could be negotiated by car ordinarily from. 6 to 10 mioutea.. 1n an enalogoua ):!aae, ~t· !WU held: "'Both appellants were that ~lght In placee about three or four kilometers distant and It wae not l~po .. lble for them to bEr ID the scene of the felony e'ven If their w1tn...e. had not' deliberately lle~l, oonslderlng that a difference of one hour Is n •t uucommon amond" people who had no part1cul&1.· Interest to bo accurate. Anyway, ~ur experience and 0111" 1·ullnp hold that s• ch defense ls easy to manufact1:.re and Id neceaarlly weak In the face of poalUve lU\verse teatlmony.'" (People v. Manlego, et. al., supra). A81de and apart tro:O. all lbe forecolng cnnalderatlona, this Court .ts, In conaclence, c natralned to make the observa.Uoll that h the reception of the e'illdence, It. has cc.refully sc1·utlnlzed the demea.nor and. il'le rr.anner In Which the dltre1-ent wltneueil testified. While It Is true that the . wlt1.e-saes tor the prosecution, ns oompared. to those of the defen8e, belong mostly to the r.~nk and rllo of cltb:enl"y, the Court Is comPf!"11ed, bemuse of theh• sincerity, to gtve c1edencc nnd weight to thell· statements and decla~-atl_ons ovei· thoso of the defense. The•e per11ona are slmple·mtnded. and are re. equipped with the lmaglmUon to pre- · Rent fla.wleu decl11.rat1cma before this Court. On the other hand, the teatlmonle<1 of the wltneases to1· the defense had the familiar l"'ng. which puts a. Court on lta Cl\8rd. To <RP It an, they rnlled to give any •cmvlnolng tn81s to support their depa1;ture from ,the llome of Mrs. Mendoza. From all appear~' cea. thG)I' testified D\Clt°ely to pi•o:J.uce the ll<alred result. B"t the s•ant qr ball·ln· tboae_.coaea bu bnen predicated uPon· humanitarian oonelderattons. Wltbal such ca.aes cannot ba Invoked aa autbOr'~l>': Jn support of this petition because no •v14.ence waa lni.roduced by the defense In the bearing with res:pect to any: special olrcumstance, let alone tllat wldeb was bald u appropriate baal'I ror the grant of ball In the foregoing casea. Insofar as the resolution of the Instant petition la concemed aueb matter& are aHunde, becauae tha resolution must neceaSlll'Uy be baaed solely upon the evidence that have ·been adduced durtnc the h.qrlna- of this petition. The . only epeclll.I conaldeJ' .. tlon advanced, vis., that petltlo;,_er will not abacend or thwart the couree of justice If ·Mlea~ on ball. does not provide sufficient Huon In law·to grant hall. Thia J!I a. conclualon, no~ supported by the· evidence lntroO.uced during· the hearing of the peUtlon, upon wllleh this Court may premise Its flndtq on ·that acore. Wblle this court ma:r ta~e juCUcla!- notice that petitioner 18 a Sena.tor, that position of the accused •landing alone, cannot give blm special eonal6eratlon: . It la 'n~t ,a. guarantee that be wlll not abscond. or thwart tint courae · of JUlltlee. Jf he ·ao duJree. The othc1· con•ldetaUon aprln&dng fl'om hl:a· position (which was raJaed: du11ng the ea.rly part 'r•! the hearing, -by way of mnnltc .. tatlon) tiJ the effect that the public lnte1·eat wlll avU.r from .his ·cOnunued detention, alM tnJla ahol'I: o.f. tbe .atandant. required In order tu JusUty the aantlng: ot ba.IJ for a ·•P8Clnl eonal4eratlon, attei' 'l'I. llndlng tha.t Uie pres1.mptlon of BUI.It Is strong. The constitutional and atRtutol'l". provlsloM lhllke no dl•UncUon betwr·en hl&"blY placed P"-bllc ott:clala and the ordinary cttlaens. Jn fact, l"I rupect or oonstttutlonn.I rights, It la the \"(TY euenee or ou1· Gove1-nment. that all person stand on equa:l footing bef'or' the lnw. The cases of Qovernor Rafael La;.•&0n and Ccncnssma.n. Ramcm Durano cannot b• Inv• ked In aupJ.)Ol1; of thla petlUon. In these Cl:'sn, tllere was no opposition to the grant Fino.Uy, a. word about the first ground · :u~!.::· :h== 0~~h~~leaae under Invoked b:y the defenae In the preaent ap· p:loaUon ror ball, namely. that ''Without n~d or determining whether the ~vldence ot gullt aplnst Mo~tGno Is strong or not, the Court can and should grant him hall bcca.uae his preaent standing, his back· ground and hla conduct In ~Onnectlon with the present co.se are all aufftclen~ auarantees that he will face trial and wlll ne\-e1• attempt to escape tf relea8ed, on ha.II.'' Jt la true U..nt there bQ.ve been some Cll888, vis. People vs. Sison (L-398, Rea. of Sept. 19, 1841), Di; la Rama vs. People"s Court (43 O.G. 4.11)7), People vs. Berc (G. R.~. No. L·157&), whe1:e ball. baa been &ranted. b11_cauae of cu-taln ·special considerations lnvol\lllJI" rl1oka to the Uvea or tho pei.·sons concerned, like orltlca.1 tllneaa. December 31, 1952 Ovea· and above, In the determination of tile rlcht to ban In capital ottenae, when It la clear from the 0 eVJdence that. the pre'llunn>tlon of gul!t la strong, the Constltuuon and the Rules or Court are mute and affords nu discretion which the Cou1·t may exercise :n a.d11111ttlng the· accused to b&n under thoae er ndltlons. Although In aome cnaea, dlacaetlon la presumed by the ver:v nature of the t'unctlona of the courts, stlll that dlac1etlon mus~ be exerclsed with extreme cr.uUon. For, aa Clark 111.)-""S, "where the off-u.ae waa a felony p~nlabable .by death, -II was scarcely ever all~ed, for It Wll8 not thought that a.n:v peounlary conatdernUon Could weight against the deal~ to live." ·c.::.n1·k's Crim. Procedure, p. 16). THE LAWYERS JOURNAL Detiision On Mont.no li•il Plea lVHBREFORB. In the light ot the tore· S"Olns" consld.eratloua and. on the baal• of tl.c· 0eTidenee presented, tbe Court t.aa found tho evidence of cullt of tbe bereln petlth ner to be atrons. and conaequently the r1 tltton "for bnll, la hereby denied. In closing, this Court makes It cf8elally publle that as a friend and an aoqualnt&nc& ol!' the aacuaed Senator Justiniano 9. Montano, be baa found. It extremely dlfllcult, e1?1barraaaln1r1 and awkward to sit and Judge the petition ror ball or a. natlona.1 figure 'Who holds one of the hlchest poaltlona It ts wltbln tbe right nnd prlvllega of tho l'Jllpl~ people to bestow, u ~ friend and 0.11 acquaintance of the accused, the penon who ha.• the 'hQnor to alt and Prea.lde over· tbls Cou1·t could have closed bis e1ea perlu>.pa."nnd sranted ball. But In tbl11. country ~ hold lnvtolnto and sacred our Institution of justice cm whose wlae prlnclples we hove confidently erected the foundation• a.nd· plllara of our young Repgblc. Painful a~ bitter as It has been for tb1~· Judge, Irr h&4 to sl:lck to the norm of all Impartial court.a riogo.rdlng the tncorruptlblHtY, bOnet.tJ', and probity of :flldlclal de<:lslon8 for hr.th rich· 11.nd poor, and for the wealt and h nuentlal alike. Thia Court ma.de this de- · clalon guided slncerely &nd solr!h· by "the p~ ovlslona of the Con8tltutlon, · the Rules cpf Ci.ourt, and the judicial preeed6ft.ta. aa.fe and . secure In the lepl and moral convlctloQ that he has done full Juat1ee to· the petltloq, - nnd t~ t~e parties that dlaputed for ·It~ . 1eaolutlon. Finally, ns a commentary on the bel)JLYior o: the parties be!ore It, let It al•~ remain ro1· the 1~cord ·that, this Court render• .a glowing tribute to the blgh. sanae of JusUce o~ the defenae panel, ao. abl:y hee.dtil'l by the lion. Lorenso Sumulong, and of th i Special Froaeoutors. The hearing had been conducted on a lofty plane and as dlapaaalonatel)I' as the explosive poaa'bllltlea-due to the high poaltton of the accused and the p•Jlltlcal situation In the province of Cavtte - permitted. Guldea by their ethical aenae l"!&t the f>roceec!lncs be conducted In a Ju· d1c!oua atmoaphere free trom the ar.Jmoaltle11 •isend.ered by personal preferences and polltlcal partlsanahlps, both prosecution and defense eooper&ted fully with the Court In • nOble manner that speaks hlchl:v Of their . ct mpetence, Interest, aild strict •dberence tc the prlnclplea of Justice, rectitude, and lrr.partlallty which underlie our Judicial. &latem. IT 19 BO ORDERED. Cavlte City, December I,, 1112. (Sp!.) FELJCIBW.0 ~qAJi.Po .Judge 671