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PEOPLE vs Marcelo Esuela

THE PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, plaintiff-appellee, vs. MARCELO ESUELA, accused-appellant.

G.R. Nos. 138720-21 | 2002-03-19

D E C I S I O N

KAPUNAN, J.:

Before us for automatic review is the joint decision, dated 14 April 1999, of the Regional Trial Court of Calabanga, Camarines Sur, Branch 63 in Criminal Cases No. RTC '97-168 and RTC '97-169, finding accused-appellant Marcelo Esuela guilty beyond reasonable doubt of two (2) counts of rape committed against his stepdaughter Maricel A. Hilboy and sentencing him to suffer the penalty of death for each count.

These criminal cases stemmed from two separate informations filed against accused-appellant Marcelo Esuela for the acts of rape committed sometime in 1995 and 1996 when Maricel A. Hilboy was 13 years old....