People vs.

delos Santos
GR No. 135919
May 9, 2003

Facts:

While Rod Flores was drinking gin with Narciso Salvador, Marvin Tablate and Jayvee Rainer
at Rainers house, Marcelino de Leon approached them to borrow Flores cart. While Flores was
talking to his drinking buddies, Danny delos Santos suddenly emerged from Flores back and
stabbed him with a knife. Flores ran after he was stabbed twice, but he was pursued by delos
Santos and was stabbed until Flores intestines bulged out from his stomach. Delos Santos then
turned his ire towards Rainer and chased him. During Flores autopsy, it was found that he had
suffered 21 stab wounds in the frontal, posterior and lateral side of his body, 11 of which were
fatal.

For his defense, delos Santos denied the accusations against him and interposed an alibi. He
stated that during the incident, he was in his Aunties house which was 40 meters away from the
scene of the crime.

The lower court convinced delos Santos for murder with the qualifying circumstances of
treachery and aggravated by cruelty, taking into account the brutality of the manner by which
Flores life was taken. He was sentenced to death by lethal injection.

Issue:
Whether or not proof of motive to kill was indispensable in this case.

Held:
No. Proof of motive is not indispensable for a conviction, particularly where the accused is
positively identified by an eyewitness and his participation is adequately established. In this case,
two witnesses positively identified delos Santos.