This case has been cited 1 times or more.
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2000-04-27 |
BELLOSILLO, J. |
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| Accused-appellant also cites inconsistencies in the testimony of Ernesto. A close scrutiny of the records however would reveal that there are none at all. That Ernesto testified having seen the victim stabbed on his neck instead of his collarbone was not inconsistency. Dr. Jaboneta who autopsied the body of the victim explained that the wound inflicted was just below the collarbone. For a lay-man like Ernesto who does not have any medical background at all, there is little or no material difference between a neck and a collarbone. Besides, it would be too much to expect from Ernesto to be perfectly accurate in reporting the location of the wound considering the circumstances surrounding the incident. Inconsistencies and discrepancies in the testimony of a witness on minor details only serve to strenthen the credibility of the witness.[3] What is material is that a witness positively identified the two (2) accused as the perpetrators of the crime. This Court has ruled often enough that discrepancies in minor details indicate veracity rather than prevarication. They tend to bolster the probative value of the testimony being questioned. They enhance, rather than destroy, the witness' credibility and the truthfulness of his testimony as they erase any suspicion of being a rehearsed testimony.[4] | |||||