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People vs. Molina [DECISION]

[1/2] PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, plaintiff-appellee, vs. VERIATO MOLINA, RUBEN MOLINA, GREGORIO GAJAS, CASIMIRO (a.k.a. "QUINTIN") CASTILLO, JESUS ARIOLA, "JOHN DOE," "RICHARD DOE," MICHAEL DOE" AND "MARK DOE," accused, VERIATO MOLINA and RUBEN MOLINA, accused-appellants.

G.R. Nos. 115835-36 | 1998-07-22

D E C I S I O N
 
PANGANIBAN, J.:
 
While affirming the conviction of accused-appellants for the murder of the late Mayor Bonifacio Uy, the Court applies in their favor Republic Act No. 8294,[1] which amended PD No. 1866. Under the new law, the use of an unlicensed weapon in the commission of homicide or murder is considered simply as an aggravating circumstance and no longer a separate offense. Thus, said law effectively modified our ruling in People vs. Quijada,[2] in which we held that the use of an unlicensed firearm in a killing results in two separate crimes -- one, for the aggravated form of illegal possession of...