This case has been cited 3 times or more.
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2011-10-05 |
VILLARAMA, JR., J. |
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| Based on AAA's account, appellant did not undress her completely -- her blouse and bra were merely lifted up ("nililis") while her undergarments were just pulled down, which therefore explains why she still had her clothes on when she crawled to her grandfather's farm. Nonetheless, this matter raised by appellant is a minor detail which had nothing to do with the elements of the crime of rape. Discrepancies referring only to minor details and collateral matters -- not to the central fact of the crime -- do not affect the veracity or detract from the essential credibility of witnesses' declarations, as long as these are coherent and intrinsically believable on the whole.[34]For a discrepancy or inconsistency in the testimony of a witness to serve as a basis for acquittal, it must establish beyond doubt the innocence of the appellant for the crime charged.[35]It cannot be overemphasized that the credibility of a rape victim is not diminished, let alone impaired, by minor inconsistencies in her testimony.[36] | |||||