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Decision
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G.R. No. 227363
Therefore, if the victim of the lascivious acts or conduct is over 12
years of age and under eighteen (18) years of age, the accused shall be
liable for:
1. Other acts of lasciviousness under Art. 339 of the
RPC, where the victim is a virgin and consents to the
lascivious acts through abuse of confidence or when the
victim is single or a widow of good reputation and
consents to the lascivious acts through deceit, or;
2. Acts of lasciviousness under Art. 336 if the act of
lasciviousness is not covered by lascivious conduct as
defined in R.A. No. 7610. In case the acts of lasciviousness
[are] covered by lascivious conduct under R.A. No. 7610
and it is done through coercion or influence, which
establishes absence or lack of consent, then Art. 336 of the
RPC is no longer applicable
3. Section S(b), Article III of R.A. No. 7610, where there
was no consent on the part of the victim to the lascivious
conduct, which was done through the employment of
coercion or influence. The offender may likewise be liable
for sexual abuse under R.A. No. 7610 if the victim is at
least eighteen (18) years and she is unable to fully take care
of herself or protect herself from abuse, neglect, cruelty,
exploitation or discrimination because of a physical or
mental disability or condition. 26
In People v. Caoili, 27 We prescribed the following guidelines in
designating or charging the proper offense in case lascivious conduct is
committed under Section 5(b) of R.A. No. 7610, and in determining the
imposable penalty:.
1.
The age of the victim is taken into consideration in designating or
charging the offense, and in determining the imposable penalty.
2. If the victim is under twelve (12) years of age, the nomenclature of
the crime should be "Acts of Lasciviousness under Article 336 of the
Revised Penal Code in relation to Section S(b) of R.A. No. 7610."
Pursuant to the second proviso in Section S(b) of R.A. No. 7610, the
imposable penalty is reclusion temporal in its medium period.
3. If the victim is exactly twelve (12) years of age, or more than twelve
(12) but below eighteen (18) years of age, or is eighteen (18) years old or
older but is unable to fully take care of herself/himself or protect
herself/himself from abuse, neglect, cruelty, exploitation or discrimination
because of a physical or mental disability or condition, the crime should
be designated as "Lascivious Conduct under Section 5(b) of R.A. No.
26
27
Tijam.
Id. at 668-669. (Emphasis, underscoring; italics added in the original)
G.R. No. 196848, August 8, 2017, 835 SCRA 107; penned by Associate Justice Noel Gimenez
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