JESUS, ACCUSED-APPELLANTS. DECISION PERLAS-BERNABE, J.: Before the Court is an ordinary appeal[1] filed by accused-appellants Alberto Alejandro y Rigor (Alejandro) and Joel Angeles y de Jesus (Angeles; collectively, accused-appellants) assailing the Decision[2] dated June 3, 2015 of the Court of Appeals (CA) in CA-G.R. CR-HC No. 06495, which affirmed with modification the Joint Decision[3] dated August 20, 2013 of the Regional Trial Court of Baloc, Sto. Domingo, Nueva Ecija, Branch 88 (RTC) in Crim. Case Nos. 72-SD(96), 73-SD(96), and 74-SD(96) convicting accused-appellants of the crimes of Simple Rape and Homicide, defined and penalized under Articles 335[4] and 249 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC), respectively. The Facts On March 28, 1996, a total of three (3) separate Informations were filed before the RTC, each charging accused-appellants of one (1) count of Simple Rape and one (1) count of Homicide, viz.:[5] Crim. Case No. 72-SD(96) That on or about the 5th day of January 1996, at around 2:30 o'clock [sic] in the morning, at Brgy. [Collado], Municipality of [Talavera], Province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines, and within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, the above-named accused [Alejandro], with lewd design, by means of force, violence and intimidation, did then and there willfully, unlawfully and feloniously had carnal knowledge of one [AAA[6]] against her will and consent, to the damage and prejudice of the said offended party. Contrary to law. Crim. Case No. 73-SD(96) That on or about the 5th day of January 1996, at around 2:30 o'clock [sic] in the morning, at Brgy. [Collado], Municipality of [Talavera], Province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines, and within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, the above-named accused [Angeles], with lewd design, by means of force, violence and intimidation, did then and there willfully, unlawfully and feloniously had carnal knowledge of one AAA against her will and consent, to the damage and prejudice of the said offended party.