Republic of the Philippines - Campaign
Republic of the Philippines - Campaign
Republic of the Philippines - Campaign
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APPELLANTS’ BRIEF<br />
People <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Philippines</strong> vs. Fortuna, et. al.<br />
S. C. G. R. No. 141660-64<br />
be eliminated as an imposable penalty, if any <strong>the</strong>re is to be, in <strong>the</strong> case at bar. We want to<br />
get this sword <strong>of</strong> Damocles, as it were, out <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> way first before proceeding to show <strong>the</strong><br />
innocence <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> accused-appellants.<br />
In a way, this reverses <strong>the</strong> order or sequence <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> two-step process <strong>of</strong> decision-<br />
making or voting by <strong>the</strong> High Tribunal in capital cases: first <strong>the</strong> issue <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> guilt <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
accused, <strong>the</strong>n <strong>the</strong> question on <strong>the</strong> imposition <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> death sentence itself (People vs.<br />
Purazo, G.R. No. 133189, May 5, 2003).<br />
We now proceed to argue <strong>the</strong> unconstitutionality <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> death penalty not only in<br />
murder cases but in all cases, at least in <strong>the</strong> operative framework <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> present death<br />
penalty law, RA 7659. As <strong>the</strong> separate (dissenting) opinion in Echegaray I already noted:<br />
“RA 7659 did not change <strong>the</strong> nature or <strong>the</strong> elements <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> crimes stated in <strong>the</strong> Penal<br />
Code and in <strong>the</strong> special laws. It merely made <strong>the</strong> penalty more severe… RA 7659 itself<br />
merely selected some existing crimes for which it prescribed death as an applicable<br />
penalty… By merely reimposing capital punishment on <strong>the</strong> very same crimes which were<br />
already penalized with death prior to <strong>the</strong> charter’s effectivity, Congress I submit has not<br />
fulfilled its specific and positive constitutional duty. If <strong>the</strong> Constitutional Commission<br />
intended merely to allow Congress to prescribe death for <strong>the</strong>se same crimes, it would not<br />
have written Sec. 19 <strong>of</strong> Article III into <strong>the</strong> fundamental law. But <strong>the</strong> stubborn fact is it<br />
did.”<br />
The 1987 Constitution, Art. III, Sec. 19(1) reads: “Excessive fines shall not be<br />
imposed, nor cruel, degrading or inhuman punishment inflicted. Nei<strong>the</strong>r shall death<br />
penalty be imposed, unless, for compelling reasons involving heinous crimes, <strong>the</strong><br />
Congress hereafter provides for it. Any death penalty already imposed shall be reduced to<br />
reclusion perpetua.” Based on this provision, <strong>the</strong> Supreme Court itself recognized “<strong>the</strong><br />
abolition <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> death penalty” in People vs. Masangkay (155 SCRA 113), People<br />
Page 21 <strong>of</strong> 127<br />
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