FACTS CFI SUPREME COURT

PEOPLE OF THE
PHILIPPINES, plaintif-
appellee,
vs.
ZOSIMO CRISOLOGO,
alias
"AMANG", defendant-
appellant.
Appeal from a deision of
t!e Co"rt of First Instane of
#avao del S"r in Criminal
Case $o. %& '()* onvitin+
t!e defendant of ro,,er-
.it! !omiide, sentenin+
!im to t!e deat! penalt-,
and orderin+ !im to
indemnit- t!e !eirs of
Martin Franiso t!e s"ms of
P/0,111.11 for loss of life,
P&0,111.11 for f"neral
e2penses, P/1,111.11 for
loss of earnin+s and
P&1,111.11 for moral
dama+es.
On 0 Ma- 3%(), a riminal
omplaint .as 4led ,- t!e
Station Commander .it! t!e
M"niipal Co"rt of
Ma+sa-sa-, #avao del S"r
a+ainst t!e a"sed 5osimo
Crisolo+o alias 6Aman+6, a
deaf-m"te, for ro,,er- and
!omiide alle+ed to !ave
,een ommitted on 3 Ma-
3%() ,et.een ten to eleven
o7lo8 in t!e evenin+ in
Calama+o-, Po,laion
Ma+sa-sa-, #avao del S"r.
ARRAIGNMENT 9 #e 3&,
:((
A"sed .as informed of
t!e rime !ar+ed t!r"
Polieman M"no;, a
!ild!ood a<"aintane. Mr.
M"no; entered plea of +"ilt-
,"t .as disre+arded and
arrai+nment .as
res!ed"led "ntil s"! time
as t!e Co"rt o"ld avail of
t!e servies of an e2pert in
t!e si+n lan+"a+e from t!e
s!ool of t!e deaf and
d"m,.
ARRAIGNMENT June 2,
7
"pon insistent plea of
defense o"nsel for a si+n
lan+"a+e e2pert to assist
t!e a"sed, a+ain reset
arrai+nment as no e2pert in
si+n lan+"a+e .as availa,le.
T!e S!ool for t!e #eaf and
#"m, in Pasa- Cit- .as sent
a op- of t!e o"rt order to
ena,le it to f"rnis! t!e o"rt
.it! an e2pert in si+n
lan+"a+e. $o s"! e2pert
.as made availa,le.
$ov. %, 3%=&
no si+n lan+"a+e e2pert or
representative ever arrived
from t!e S!ool of t!e #eaf
and #"m, in >a+o ?allera,
) April 3%=/
t!e a"sed t!ro"+! a o"nsel de o4io .aived t!e
readin+ of t!e information and pleaded not +"ilt-. Trial
proeeded .it!o"t an- evidene ,ein+ presented on
!is part.
Upon ,ein+ as8ed .!o 8illed t!e deeased, t!e
a"sed alle+edl- admitted to Pat. Pinto in si+n
lan+"a+e t!at it .as !e ,- ma8in+ +est"res .!i!
Pat. Pinto interpreted to mean t!at t!e a"sed !ad
,een stoned ,- t!e deeased, t!"s impellin+ t!e
a"sed to sta, t!e latter. T!is onfession, !o.ever,
.as not inl"ded in Pat. Pinto7s a@davit as !e
alle+edl- for+ot to tell t!e investi+ator. Ae also
a8no.led+e !is fail"re to notif- t!e a"sed of !is
ri+!t to o"nsel ,efore interro+ation and investi+ation
d"e to di@"lt- in onve-in+ t!e matter ,- si+n
lan+"a+e.
!ECISION"
31 Fe,r"ar- 3%=)
.it!o"t t!e servies of an e2pert in si+n lan+"a+e
ever ,ein+ "tili;ed at an- sta+e of t!e proeedin+s,
t!e a"sed .as fo"nd +"ilt- ,e-ond reasona,le
do",t of ro,,er- .it! !omiide and sentened to die
,- eletro"tion. E2e"tive lemen- .as
reommended.
APPEAL"
Co"nsel for t!e a"sed and t!e Soliitor-?eneral no.
as8 for t!e reversal of t!e B"d+ment of onvition d"e
to t!e fail"re of t!e trial o"rt to safe+"ard t!e
a"sed7s ri+!t to d"e proess of la. and t!e
ins"@ien- of t!e p"rel- ir"mstantial evidene
presented to overome t!e onstit"tional
pres"mption of innoene in favor of t!e a"sed.
Circumstantial evidence
-proves the existence of a particular fact without any inferenc
e orpresumption required.
!ECISION
t!e appealed deision is
Aere,- reversed. T!e a"sed
is acquitted, on t!e +ro"nd t!at !is +"ilt
!as not ,een proved ,e-ond reasona,le
do",t.
REASONS"
3* Patrolman Pinto, t!e interro+ator to
.!om t!e a"sed alle+edl- onfessed
t!e details .!i! led to a pres"mption
t!at lie 8illed t!e deeased, e2pressl-
admitted t!at !e o"ld !ave
misinterpreted t!e +est"res made ,- t!e
a"sed as !e !ad onl- a sli+!t
8no.led+e of si+n lan+"a+e.
T!e trial o"rt7s appreiation of t!e plea
of +"ilt- earlier entered for t!e a"sed
,- Speial Polieman AleBandro M"no;,
.!i! t!e 4rst presidin+ B"d+e earlier
disarded, is re+retta,le, to sa- t!e least,
espeiall- .!en onsidered .it! t!e
admittedl- limited 8no.led+e in si+n
lan+"a+e on t!e part of Pat. M"no; and
in relation to t!e investi+ator7s o.n
admission t!at t!e a"sed .as never
informed of !is ri+!t to o"nsel.

&* T!e a,sene of an interpreter in si+n
lan+"a+e .!o o"ld !ave onve-ed to
t!e a"sed, a deaf-m"te, t!e f"ll fats
of t!e ofense .it! .!i! !e .as !ar+ed
and .!o o"ld also !ave omm"niated
t!e a"sed7s o.n version of t!e
ir"mstanes .!i! led to !is
impliation in t!e rime, deprived t!e
a"sed of a f"ll and fair trial and a
reasona,le opport"nit- to defend
!imself. $ot even t!e a"sed7s 4nal plea
of not +"ilt- an e2"se t!ese in!erentl-
"nB"st ir"mstanes.
/* T!e a,sene of a <"ali4ed interpreter
in si+n lan+"a+e and of an- ot!er means,
.!et!er in .ritin+ or ot!er.ise, to inform
t!e a"sed of t!e !ar+es a+ainst !im
denied t!e a"sed !is f"ndamental ri+!t
to d"e proess of la.. T!e a"ra- and
fairness of t!e fat"al proess ,- .!i!
t!e +"ilt or innoene of t!e a"sed .as
determined .as not safe+"arded. T!e
a"sed o"ld not ,e said to !ave
enBo-ed t!e ri+!t to ,e !eard ,- !imself
and o"nsel, and to ,e informed of t!e
nat"re and a"se of t!e a"sation
a+ainst !im in t!e proeedin+s .!ere !is
life and li,ert- .ere at sta8e.
REFERENCE"
Const. '3%(/*, Art. IC, Se. &1, 6$o
person s!a+ ,e ompelled to ,e a
.itness a+ainst !imself. An- person
"nder investi+ation for t!e ommission of
an ofense s!all !ave t!e ri+!t to remain
silent and to o"nsel, and to ,e informed
of s"! ri+!t. $o fore, violene, t!reat,
intimidation or an- ot!er means .!i!
vitiates t!e free .in s!all ,e "sed a+ainst
!im. An- onfession o,tained in violation
of t!is setion s!all ,e inadmissi,le in
evidene.6 Cf. Art. III, Se. 3& of t!e 3%=(
Constit"tion.
Talomo #istrit, #avao Cit-