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PEOPLE vs Jose Casitas Jr.

PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, appellee, vs. JOSE CASITAS JR., appellant.

G.R. No. 137404 | 2003-02-14

D E C I S I O N

PANGANIBAN, J.:

Qualifying and aggravating circumstances must be proven as clearly as the crime itself. In any event, even if they are established beyond reasonable doubt, they cannot be appreciated unless they are alleged in the information, pursuant to the current Rules on Criminal Procedure. This is a requirement of due process.

The Case

For automatic review before this Court is the January 15, 1999 Decision[1] of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Tabaco, Albay (Branch 15) in Criminal Case No. T-2970, finding Jose Casitas Jr. y Cea guilty of murder and sentencing him to death. The dispositive portion of the Decision...