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People vs Ordono y Negranza and Medina y Nosuelo

PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, plaintiff-appellee, vs. PACITO ORDONO Y NEGRANZA alias ASING and APOLONIO MEDINA Y NOSUELO alias POLING, accused-appellants.

G.R. No. 132154 | 2000-06-29

D E C I S I O N 
 
PER CURIAM: 
 
COURTS are confronted, repeatedly, with the difficult task of scrutinizing the sufficiency of extrajudicial confessions as basis for convicting the accused. The drive to apprehend the culprits at any cost, particularly in crimes characterized by brutality and savagery, not too infrequently tempts law enforcement agencies to take unwarranted shortcuts and disregard constitutional and legal constraints that are intended to ensure that only the guilty are punished. In the delicate process of establishing guilt beyond reasonable doubt, courts play a crucial role in assuring that the evidence...