Decision
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G.R. No. 228223
amended by R.A. No. 8353. Nevertheless, the imposable penalty is still
reclusion temporal in its medium period, and not prision mayor.
Whereas if the victim is 12 years old and under 18 years old, or 18
years old and above under special circumstances, the nomenclature of the
crime should be "Lascivious Conduct under Section 5(b) of R.A. No. 7610"
with the imposable penalty of reclusion temporal in its medium period to
reclusion perpetua, but it should not make any reference to the provisions
of the RPC. It is only when the victim of the sexual assault is 18 years old
and above, and not demented, that the crime should be called as "Sexual
Assault under paragraph 2, Article 266-A of the RPC" with the imposable
penalty of prision mayor. (Italic ours)
In line with the foregoing pronouncement, the June 24, 2016 Decision
of the CA should be modified by convicting Pendoy of the crime of
Lascivious Conduct under Section 5(b) of R.A. No. 7610, instead of rape by
sexual assault. Applying the Indeterminate Sentence Law, the minimum term
of the indeterminate penalty shall be taken from the penalty next lower in
degree, i.e., prision mayor in its medium period to reclusion temporal in its
minimum period, or anywhere from eight (8) years and one (1) day to fourteen
(14) years and eight (8) months, while the maximum term shall be that which
could be properly imposed under the law, which is seventeen (17) years and
one (1) day to twenty (20) years of reclusion temporal maximum. This Court
deems it proper to impose on petitioner Pendoy the indeterminate penalty of
fourteen (14) years and eight (8) months of reclusion temporal, as minimum,
to seventeen (17) years, four (4) months and one (1) day of reclusion
temporal, as maximum.
The Court affirms that Pendoy should suffer the penalty of reclusion
perpetua for Rape in accordance with paragraph l(a) of Article 266-A in
relation to Article 266-B of the RPC, as amended by R.A. No. 8353.
Coming now to the pecuniary liabilities, the Court finds that the award
of civil indemnity and moral damages for the crime of Rape should be
increased to P75,000.00 each in line with the ruling in People v. Jugueta. 27 In
addition, the Court awards the victim AAA with exemplary damages of
P75,000.00 as deterrent to elders who abuse and corrupt the youth, and to
protect the latter from sexual abuse. 28 For the crime of Lascivious Conduct
under Section 5(b) of R.A. No. 7610, the Court, likewise, finds it apt to the
award exemplary damages in addition to civil indemnity and moral damages,
the amount of which should all be fixed at P50,000.00 each in line with
existing jurisprudence. 29 Further, six percent (6%) interest per annum shall
be imposed on all damages awarded to be reckoned from the date of the
finality of this judgment until fully paid. 30
I
27
28
29
30
783 Phil. 806 (2016).
People v. Layco, Sr., 605 Phil. 877, 882 (2009).
People v. Tulagan, supra note 26.
People v. Romobio, G.R. No. 227705, October 11, 2017.