HEADS UP!! RAPE CASES COMING.

(pun intended)
Katawa mo please. :D

TITLE: People vs. Lambid

CITATION: 412 SCRA 417, G.R. Nos. 133066-67 October 1, 2003
TOPIC: Compromises

FACTS:
X was criminally charged for rape. Upon his arraignment, X pleaded not guilty. A review of the
transcript of stenographic notes taken during X’s direct and cross examinations shows that he
never disowned the acts imputed against him. X merely claimed that he was drunk and he asked
for forgiveness from the victim, if he had really raped her. Is X’s plea for forgiveness considered
an admission of guilt?

ANSWER:
Yes.

Jurisprudence provides that a plea for forgiveness may be considered as analogous to an attempt
to compromise and an offer of compromise by the accused may be received in evidence as an
implied admission of guilt.

Thus, by asking for forgiveness, X has admitted his guilt.

TITLE: People vs. Godoy
CITATION: 250 SCRA 676, G.R. Nos. 115908-09 December 6, 1995
TOPIC: Compromises

FACTS:
X was charged with rape. X pleaded not guilty during arraignment. N, a Muslim leader, suggested
an offer of marriage. X declined because he was already married. Also, X’s mother paid P30,0000
for the settlement of the cases without X’s knowledge. Can the offer of marriage and settlement
be considered as evidence against X?

ANSWER:
No.

In criminal cases, an offer of compromise is generally admissible as evidence against the party
making it. However, the accused is permitted to show that the offer was not made under a
consciousness of guilt, but merely to avoid the inconvenience of imprisonment or for some other
reason.

In this case, X was not present at the time the offer for monetary consideration was made. No
implied admission can be drawn from the efforts to arrive at a settlement outside the court, where
the accused did not take part in any of the negotiations and the effort to settle the case was in
accordance with the established tribal customs, that is, Muslim practices and traditions, in an
effort to prevent further deterioration of the relations between the parties.
TITLE: People vs. Gaudia
CITATION: 423 SCRA 520, G.R. No. 146111 February 23, 2004
TOPIC: Res Inter Alios Acta

FACTS:
X was charged with rape. An offer of compromise was made by X’s parents to the victim. The
victim testified that by X also made an offer of compromise to the victim’s husband. Are the offers
of compromise admissible in evidence against X?

ANSWER:
No.

Following the principle of res inter alios acta alteri nocere non debet, the actions of X’s parents
cannot prejudice him, since he was not a party to the said conversation, nor was it shown that he
was privy to the offer of compromise. It cannot be considered as evidence against X.

Also, the offer of compromise allegedly made by X to the victim’s husband is hearsay evidence.
It was only the victim who testified as to the alleged offer, and she was not a party to the
conversation.