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People vs. Gregorio Perfecto 43 Phil 887

THE PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, plaintiff-appellee, vs. GREGORIO PERFECTO, defendant-appellant.

G.R. No. 18463 | 1922-10-04

D E C I S I O N 
 
MALCOLM, J.: 
 
The important question is here squarely presented of whether article 256 of the Spanish Penal Code, punishing "Any person who by . . . writing, shall defame, abuse, or insult any Minister of the Crown or other person in authority . . ., " is still in force. 
 
About August 20, 1920, the Secretary of the Philippine Senate, Fernando M. Guerrero, discovered that certain documents which constituted the records of testimony given by witnesses in the investigation of oil companies, had disappeared from his office. Shortly thereafter, the Philippine Senate, having been called...