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PEOPLE vs Angel Rios

PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, plaintiff-appellee, vs. ANGEL RIOS, accused-appellant.

G.R. No. 132632 | 2000-06-19

D E C I S I O N


PUNO, J.:

If capital punishment is justified, it serves as a deterrent; if injudiciously imposed, it generates resentment.1 [People v. Godoy, 321 Phil. 279, 346 (1995)] This truism underscores the wisdom of the admonition that any decision authorizing the State to take life must be as error-free as possible.2 [People v. Esparas, 329 Phil. 339, 352 (1996)] At stake in the case at bar is life itself, hence, we shall strictly adhere to our bounden duty to exercise extreme caution in the review of the parties' evidence.

For the death of Ambrocio Benedicto due to a fatal stab wound, appellant Angel Rios was charged with the...