Back

PEOPLE vs Renante Mendez And Baby Cabagtong

THE PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, plaintiff-appellee, vs. RENANTE MENDEZ and BABY CABAGTONG, accused-appellant.

G.R. No. 147671 | 2002-11-21

D E C I S I O N

MENDOZA, J.:

This is an appeal from the decision[1] of the Regional Trial Court, Branch 22, Laoang, Northern Samar, finding accused-appellants Renante Mendez and Rene "Baby" Cabagtong guilty of the crime of rape with homicide and sentencing each of them to death and to indemnify the heirs of victim Candy Dolim in the amount of P100,000.00 as damages. Because the record of this case is replete with numerous instances of procedural and evidentiary lapses, we are constrained to reverse the judgment of the trial court and acquit accused-appellants on the basis of reasonable doubt.

The prosecution in this case began with the...