Decision 5 G.R. No. 235662 moral damages and Thirty Thousand Pesos (Php 30,000.00) as exemplary damages. 2. In Criminal Case No. 08-0630-2013, to suffer the penalty of imprisonment of Ten (10) years and One (1) day of Prision Mayor, as minimum, to Seventeen (17) years and Four (4) months of Reclusion Temporal, as maximum. Accused is likewise ordered to pay BBB the sum of Fifteen Thousand Pesos (Php 15,000.00) as moral damages. 3. In Criminal Case No. 08-0631-2013, to suffer the penalty of Reclusion Perpetua without eligibility of parole and to pay the minor victim BBB the sum of Seventy Five Thousand Pesos (Php 75,000.00) as civil indemnity, Seventy Five Thousand Pesos (Php 75,000.00) as moral damages and Thirty Thousand Pesos (Php 30,000.00) , as exemplary damages. The period which the accused has undergone preventive imprisonment during the pendency of these cases shall be credited to him provided he agreed in writing to abide by and comply strictly with the rules and regulations imposed upon committed prisoners. The Jail Warden of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), Lipa City, Batangas, is hereby directed to immediately commit herein accused to the National Penitentiary, Muntinlupa City, for him to serve his sentence. SO ORDERED. 16 The Proceedings before the Court of Appeals On appeal, appellant faulted the trial court for rendering a verdict of conviction against him despite the following alleged circumstances: a) he was not armed when the alleged incidents happened; b) mere moral ascendancy should not prevail over his presumption of innocence; and c) the comportment of AAA and BBB in resuming their usual routines and not asking for help belies the charges against him. They did not fight back, shout, or strongly resist his supposed sexual advances. It was also remarkable that AAA and BBB did not immediately report what they had experienced to their mother MMM. 17 On the other hand, the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), through Assistant Solicitor General John Emmanuel Madamba and Associate Solicitor Dominic Victor C. De Alban, riposted that complainants' failure to immediately report the sex crimes perpetrated on them by appellant is not enough to discredit them. The truth is, they reported the same to their mother way before but the latter did not believe them. Their three (3) years of suffering in silence before they jointly mustered the courage to report 16 17 Id. at 55-56. Id. at 27-45. ' 1

Select target paragraph3