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People vs Freedie Lizada

THE PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, plaintiff-appellee, vs. FREEDIE LIZADA @ FREDIE LIZADA, accused-appellant.

G.R. No. 143468-71 | 2003-01-24

D E C I S I O N

CALLEJO, SR., J.:

This is an automatic review of the Decision[1] of the Regional Trial Court of Manila, Branch 54, finding accused-appellant Freedie Lizada guilty beyond reasonable doubt of four (4) counts of qualified rape and meting on him the death penalty for each count.

I. The Charges

Accused-appellant[2] was charged with four (4) counts of qualified rape under four separate Informations. The accusatory portion of each of the four Informations reads:

"That sometime in August 1998 in the City of Manila, Philippines, the said accused, with lewd designs, did then and there willfully, unlawfully and feloniously, by means...