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People vs. Marivic Genosa

PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, appellee, vs. MARIVIC GENOSA, appellant.

G.R. No. 135981 | 2000-09-29

R E S O L U T I O N


PANGANIBAN, J.:

It is a hornbook rule that an appeal in criminal cases opens the entire records to review. The Court may pass upon all relevant issues, including those factual in nature and those that may not have been brought before the trial court. This is true especially in cases involving the imposition of the death penalty, in which the accused must be allowed to avail themselves of all possible avenues for their defense. Even novel theories such as the "battered woman syndrome," which is alleged to be equivalent to self-defense, should be heard, given due consideration and ruled upon on the merits, not...