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People Of The Phils. Vs. Robert Castillo

PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, plaintiff-appellee, vs. ROBERT CASTILLO y MONES, accused-appellant.

G.R. No. 120282 | 1998-04-20

D E C I S I O N

PANGANIBAN, J:

The trial court judge is not an idle arbiter during a trial. He can propound clarificatory questions to witnesses in order to ferret out the truth. The impartiality of a judge cannot be assailed on the mere ground that he asked such questions during the trial.

The Case

This is an appeal from the Decision 1 dated December 23, 1994 of the Regional Trial Court of Quezon City, Branch 88, in Criminal Case No. Q-93-45235 convicting Robert Castillo y Mones of murder and sentencing him to reclusion perpetua. 2

On July 23, 1993, an amended Information 3 was filed by Assistant City Prosecutor Ralph S. Lee,...