Back

PEOPLE vs Roberto Bernas Y Nacario

PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, appellee, vs. ROBERTO BERNAS y NACARIO, appellant.

G.R. Nos. 133583-85 | 2002-02-20

D E C I S I O N

PANGANIBAN, J.:

When the accused pleads guilty to the charge, both the trial judge and the defense counsel must observe the stringent requirements of the Rules of Court and applicable jurisprudence in order to safeguard the constitutional rights of the accused. In the present case, the defense counsel not only failed to protect the rights of his client; worse, he even advised him to plead guilty to the Information that had failed to allege the essential elements of qualified rape. As a consequence, appellant was wrongly sentenced to death.

The Case

For automatic review by this Court are two related Decisions,[1] both...