August 1906 - Philippine Supreme Court Decisions/Resolutions

Philippine Supreme Court Jurisprudence

Philippine Supreme Court Jurisprudence > Year 1906 > August 1906 Decisions > G.R. No. 2853 August 30, 1906 - UNITED STATES v. MELECIO FLORES

006 Phil 420:

FIRST DIVISION

[G.R. No. 2853. August 30, 1906. ]

THE UNITED STATES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. MELECIO FLORES, Defendant-Appellant.

Maximino Mina, for Appellant.

Solicitor-General Araneta, for Appellee.

SYLLABUS

1. CRIMINAL LAW; RAPE; EVIDENCE. — A conviction for rape can not be had upon the uncorroborated and contradicted testimony of the complainant alone.

D E C I S I O N

TRACEY, J. :

The conviction of the defendant for rape is based upon the testimony of the complainant alone, inasmuch as the two other witnesses for the prosecution corroborate her testimony on unimportant points only, not in dispute. Her story is contradicted by the accused and is inconsistent in detail. In cases of this kind the evidence of the complainant to justify the conviction of the defendant must be clear and must be corroborated (U.S. v. Mamintud, 1 August 16, 1906), otherwise it fails to satisfy beyond a reasonable doubt, as required by U. S. v. Dacotan (1 Phil., Rep., 669).

The complaint in this case should be dismissed and the defendant discharged with costs de oficio. So ordered.

Arellano, C.J., Torres, Mapa, Carson, and Willard, JJ., concur.

Endnotes:

1. Page 374, supra.

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