G.R. No. L-1795-6. May 23, 1949.
THE PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, plaintiff-appellee, vs. PEDRO VALDEZ, defendant-appellant.

FACTS

On the night of March 5, 1946, armed intruders assaulted the house of Jose Teodoro, Sr. in Tarlac. They broke through the kitchen door and fired shots inside, instantly killing his son, Jose Teodoro, Jr., and mortally wounding Teodoro, Sr., who died the following day. The prosecution evidence established that the appellant, Pedro Valdez, was one of the assailants. Felipe de Guzman, a grandson in the household, recognized Valdez by the light of a miner’s lamp as the man holding a Thompson submachine gun aimed at Teodoro, Sr. Before his death, Teodoro, Sr. also identified Valdez as one of the attackers to his wife and his uncle, Dr. Juan Nepomuceno, stating he recognized Valdez by the same lamp light. The motive appeared to be a private grudge over crop-sharing disputes, not connected to any political movement. Valdez was convicted of two counts of murder by the trial court and sentenced to reclusion perpetua for each, with the indemnities and a provision that the total penalties not exceed forty years.

ISSUE

Whether the appellant is entitled to amnesty under Proclamation No. 76 (series of 1948) and whether the penalties imposed by the trial court are correct.

RULING

The Supreme Court denied the petition for amnesty. The murders were not covered by Proclamation No. 76, as they were motivated by private grudge and were not incidents of rebellion, sedition, or other crimes listed in the amnesty. The killings were qualified by treachery. The aggravating circumstance of dwelling was present, with no mitigating circumstances to offset it. Following the Solicitor General’s recommendation, the penalty should be death for each murder. However, for lack of the necessary votes to impose the death penalty, the Court modified the penalty to life imprisonment for each count. The decision of the trial court was affirmed with this modification.

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