In the recent case of Quimvel v. People, the Court ruled that the term "coercion and influence" as appearing in the law is broad enough to cover "force and intimidation." Black's Law Dictionary defines coercion as compulsion; force; duress, while undue influence is defined as persuasion carried to the point of overpowering the will. On the other hand, force refers to constraining power, compulsion; strength directed to an end; while jurisprudence defines intimidation as unlawful coercion; extortion; duress; putting in fear. As can be gleaned, the terms are used almost synonymously. Thus, it is not improbable that an act of committing carnal knowledge against a child, twelve (12) years old or older, constitutes both rape under Section 266-A of the RPC and child abuse under Section 5 (b) of R.A. No. 7610. In People v. Abay, the Court was faced with the same predicament. In that case, both the elements of Section 266-A of the RPC and Section 5 (b) of R.A. No. 7610 were alleged in the information. Nevertheless, these provisions were harmonized, to wit: Under Section 5 (b), Article III of RA 7610 in relation to RA 8353, if the victim of sexual abuse is below 12 years of age, the offender should not be prosecuted for sexual abuse but for statutory rape under Article 266-A (1) (d) of the Revised Penal Code and penalized with reclusion perpetua. On the other hand, if the victim is 12 years or older, the offender should be charged with either sexual abuse under Section 5 (b) of RA 7610 or rape under At1icle 266-A (except paragraph 1 [d]) of the Revised Penal Code. However, the offender cannot be accused of both crimes for the same act because his right against double jeopardy will be prejudiced. A person cannot be subjected twice to criminal liability for a single criminal act. Likewise, rape cannot be complexed with a violation of Section 5 (b) of RA 7610. Under Section 48 of the Revised Penal Code (on complex crimes), a felony under the Revised Penal Code (such as rape) cannot be complexed with an offense penalized by a special law. (Emphasis supplied) In Abay, the offended party was thirteen (13) years old at the time of the rape incident. Again, the information therein contained all the elements of Article 266-A (1) of the RPC and Section 5 (b) of R.A. No. 7610. Nevertheless, the Court observed that the prosecution's evidence only focused on the specific fact that accused therein sexually violated the offended party through force and intimidation by threatening her with a bladed instrument and forcing her to submit to his bestial designs. Thus, accused therein was convicted of the crime of rape under Article 266-A (1) of the RPC. Notably, the prosecution did not tackle the broader scope of "influence or coercion" under Section 5 (b) of R.A. No. 7610. Similarly, in People v. Pangilinan, the Court was faced with the same dilemma because all the elements of Article 266-A (1) of the RPC and Section 5 (b) of R.A.

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