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PEOPLE vs. Mercy E. Santos

PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, plaintiff-appellee vs. MERCY SANTOS y ENTIENZA, accused-appellant.

G.R. No. 117873 | 1997-12-22

D E C I S I O N


PANGANIBAN, J.:

Even though the extrajudicial confession is excluded for having been extracted in violation of the Constitution, the Court holds that appellant may nonetheless be convicted on the basis of the remaining evidence clearly showing her liability for kidnapping. The Court also reiterates these rules: (1) the assessment of the credibility of witnesses and their testimonies is best left to the discretion of the trial court; and (2) bare denials cannot overturn the positive and straightforward testimonies of witnesses who are not shown to have any ill motive in testifying against the accused.

The Case

The...