This case has been cited 2 times or more.
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2004-06-03 |
YNARES-SATIAGO, J. |
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| It is culturally instinctive for young and decent Filipinas to protect their honor and obtain justice for the wicked acts committed on them. Thus, it is difficult to believe that rape victims would fabricate a tale of defloration, allow the embarrassing examination of their private parts, reveal the shame to the small rural town where they grew up and permit themselves to be subjected to a humiliating public trial if they had not in fact been really ravished. When the offended parties are young and immature girls from 12 to 16, as in this case, courts are inclined to lend credence to their version of what transpired, considering not only their relative vulnerability but also the public humiliation to which they would be exposed by court trial if their accusation were not true.[17] | |||||
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2004-03-02 |
QUISUMBING, J. |
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| We find no persuasive reason to sustain appellant's claim that the rape charge against him was fabricated by the Cantos family in order to rid themselves of an unwanted in-law. The argument that his wife's family had gripes against him, in our view, would not suffice to move them against him with a very serious accusation. It simply strains one's credulity that the private complainant's family would concoct a false charge of rape, sacrifice the honor and dignity of their family, and subject their daughter, Mary Jane, to untold humiliation and disgrace, just to separate him from their other daughter, Justina. The Cantos family might have had their reasons to resent the appellant but there is absolutely no unbiased evidence to show that they were capable of fabricating a false tale of rape. They would not deliberately put Mary Jane to shame in the barangay where she grew up, permitting her to be a subject not just of public trial, but of cruel gossip if she had not really been ravished.[33] When the offended party is a young and immature girl between the age of 12 to 16, as in this case, courts are inclined to give credence to her version of the incident, considering not only her relative vulnerability but also the public humiliation to which she would be exposed by court trial if her accusation were untrue.[34] Testimonies of youthful rape victims are, as a general rule, given full faith and credit, considering that when a girl says she has been raped, she says in effect all that is necessary to show that rape was indeed committed.[35] | |||||