This case has been cited 7 times or more.
|
2011-10-05 |
VILLARAMA, JR., J. |
||||
| It must be underscored that the foremost consideration in the prosecution of rape is the victim's testimony and not the findings of the medico-legal officer. In fact, a medical examination of the victim is not indispensable in a prosecution for rape; the victim's testimony alone, if credible, is sufficient to convict.[37] Thus we have ruled that a medical examination of the victim, as well as the medical certificate, is merely corroborative in character and is not an indispensable element for conviction in rape. What is important is that the testimony of private complainant about the incident is clear, unequivocal and credible,[38]as what we find in this case. | |||||
|
2011-06-08 |
PEREZ, J. |
||||
| Owing to the manner of the commission of rape, the sole testimony of the victim may be sufficient to convict the accused so long as the court finds the testimony "credible, natural, convincing and consistent with human nature and the normal course of things." [39] More so, when the testimony is supported by the medico-legal findings of the examining physician. [40] | |||||
|
2011-03-23 |
BRION, J. |
||||
| We see no reason to disturb the findings of the RTC, as affirmed by the CA. Where the victim is a child, the absence of medical evidence of penetration does not negate the commission of rape. The presence of hymenal lacerations is not a required element in the crime of rape.[14] What is essential is evidence of penetration, however slight, of the labia minora, which circumstance was proven beyond doubt by the testimony of AAA.[15] Besides, the prime consideration in the prosecution of rape is the victim's testimony, not necessarily the medical findings; a medical examination of the victim is not indispensable in a prosecution for rape. The victim's testimony alone, if credible, is sufficient to convict.[16] AAA was categorical and straightforward in narrating the sordid details of how the appellant ravished her. | |||||
|
2011-03-16 |
PEREZ, J. |
||||
| Necessarily, the credible, natural, and convincing testimony of the victim may be sufficient to convict the accused.[98] More so, when the testimony is supported by the medico-legal findings of the examining physician.[99] | |||||
|
2010-12-08 |
PEREZ, J. |
||||
| This Court also finds it proper to award exemplary damages in the amount of P30,000.00 as a measure to deter other individuals with aberrant sexual tendencies.[67] | |||||
|
2010-09-22 |
PEREZ, J. |
||||
| Due to the nature of the commission of the crime of rape, the testimony of the victim may be sufficient to convict the accused, provided that such testimony is "credible, natural, convincing and consistent with human nature and the normal course of things."[78] Thus, in People v. Leonardo,[79] we stated the evidentiary value of the testimony of the rape victim: Credible witness and credible testimony are the two essential elements for the determination of the weight of a particular testimony. This principle could not ring any truer where the prosecution relies mainly on the testimony of the complainant, corroborated by the medico-legal findings of a physician. Be that as it may, the accused may be convicted on the basis of the lone, uncorroborated testimony of the rape victim, provided that her testimony is clear, convincing and otherwise consistent with human nature.[80] | |||||
|
2010-08-25 |
PEREZ, J. |
||||
| Worthy of reiteration is the doctrine that "when the offended party is of tender age and immature, courts are inclined to give credit to her account of what transpired, considering not only her relative vulnerability but also the shame to which she would be exposed if the matter to which she testified is not true. When a girl, especially a minor, says that she has been defiled, she says in effect all that is necessary to show that rape was inflicted on her."[33] | |||||