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Republic of the PhilippinesSUPREME COURTManila
EN BANC
G.R. No. 103567 December 4, 1995
PEOPLE OF TE P!L!PP!NES, plaintiff-appellee, vs.FR"NC!SCOS"LLE,
#R. $ GERC!LL" % &'" NONO$,& R!C'$ MENGOTE $CUNT"DO %
&'" R!C'$('" L!)"('" #UN,& *+ TEN #ONDOES, accused.
FR"NC!SCO S"LLE, #R., $ GERC!LL" *+ R!C'$ MENGOTE $CUNT"DO,
accused-appellants.
R E S O L ! " O N
D"-!DE, #R., J.:
#o$ $esolution is the enfo$ceabilit% of the conditional pa$don
&$anted toaccused-appellant Ric'% Men&ote du$in& the
pendenc% in this Cou$t ofhis appeal f$o( his conviction b% the
t$ial cou$t.
"n the decision 1 dated )* Nove(be$ )++) of B$anch ** of
theRe&ional !$ial Cou$t R!C of ue/on Cit% in C$i(inal Case No.
-+0-))*12, the accused-appellants 3e$e found &uilt% be%ond
$easonabledoubt as co-p$incipals of the co(pound c$i(e of (u$de$
anddest$uctive a$son and 3e$e each sentenced to suffe$ the penalt%
ofreclusion perpetua and to pa%, 4ointl% and seve$all%, an
inde(nit% inthe su( of P20,000.00 to the hei$s of the victi(.
!he appellants seasonabl% filed thei$ Notice of Appeal. On 56
Ma$ch)++1, this Cou$t accepted the appeal. On 7 8anua$% )++6,
ho3eve$,appellant #$ancisco Salle, 8$. filed an $&ent Motion to
9ithd$a3Appeal. !he Cou$t then $e:ui$ed his counsel, Att%. "da Ma%
La;o of the#$ee Le&al Assistance
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follo3in& (ost of the state constitutions, p$ovided that the
pa$donin&po3e$ can onl% be ee$cised Dafte$ convictionD.
!he $e:ui$e(ent of after conviction ope$ated as one of the
li(itationson the pa$donin& po3e$ of the P$esident. !hus
"t should be obse$ved that the$e a$e t3o li(itations upon the
ee$cise
of this constitutional p$e$o&ative b% the Chief Eecutive,
na(el% athat the po3e$ be ee$cised afte$ conviction and b that such
po3e$does not etend to cases of i(peach(ent. 11
!he )+@1 Constitution 3ent fu$the$ b% p$ovidin& that pa$don
could be&$anted onl% after final conviction. Section )6 of
A$ticle "G the$eof$eads as follo3s
!he P$i(e Ministe$ (a%, ecept in cases of i(peach(ent,
&$ant$ep$ieves, co((utations, and pa$dons, $e(it fines and
fo$feitu$es,after final conviction, and, 3ith the concu$$ence of
the National
Asse(bl%, &$ant a(nest%. e(phasis supplied
!he )+*) a(end(ents to the )+@1 Constitution, ho3eve$,
$e(ovedthe li(itation of final conviction, the$eb% b$in&in&
us bac' to theafo$e(entioned p$ovision of the 8ones La3. Section
)), A$ticle ?"" ofthe )+@1 Constitution, as thus a(ended, $eads
!he P$esident (a%, ecept in cases of i(peach(ent, &$ant
$ep$ieves,co((utations and pa$dons, $e(it fines and fo$feitu$es
and, 3ith theconcu$$ence of the Batasan& Pa(bansa, &$ant
a(nest%.
But the said li(itation 3as $esto$ed b% the p$esent
Constitution.Section )+, A$ticle ?"" the$eof $eads as follo3s
Ecept in cases of i(peach(ent, o$ as othe$3ise p$ovided in
thisConstitution, the P$esident (a% &$ant $ep$ieves,
co((utations, andpa$dons, and $e(it fines and fo$feitu$es, after
conviction by finaljudgment.
>e shall also have the po3e$ to &$ant a(nest% 3ith the
concu$$enceof a (a4o$it% of all the Me(be$s of the Con&$ess.
e(phasis supplied
9he$e the pa$donin& po3e$ is sub4ect to the li(itation of
conviction, it
(a% be ee$cised at any time after conviction even if the
4ud&(ent ison appeal. "t is, of cou$se, enti$el% diffe$ent
3he$e the $e:ui$e(ent is Dfinal conviction,D as 3as (andated in the
o$i&inal p$ovision of Section)6, A$ticle "G of the )+@1
Constitution, o$ Dconviction by finaljudgment,D as p$esentl%
p$esc$ibed in Section )+, A$ticle ?"" of the)+*@ Constitution. "n
such a case, no pa$don (a% be etended befo$ea 4ud&(ent of
conviction beco(es final.
A 4ud&(ent of conviction beco(es final a 3hen no appeal
isseasonabl% pe$fected, b 3hen the accused co((ences to se$ve
thesentence, c 3hen the $i&ht to appeal is ep$essl% 3aived in
3$itin&,ecept 3he$e the death penalt% 3as i(posed b% the t$ial
cou$t, andd 3hen the accused applies fo$ p$obation, the$eb%
3aivin& his $i&htto appeal. 19he$e the 4ud&(ent of
conviction is still pendin& appealand has not %et the$efo$e
attained finalit%, as in the instant case,eecutive cle(enc% (a% not
%et be &$anted to the appellant.
9e a$e not, ho3eve$, un(indful of the $ulin& of this Cou$t
in People
vs. Crisola
13
that the &$ant of eecutive cle(enc% du$in& thependenc%
of the appeal se$ves to put an end to the appeal. !hus
!he co((utation of the penalt% is i(p$essed 3ith le&al
si&nificance.!hat is an ee$cise of eecutive cle(enc% e(b$aced
in the pa$donin&po3e$. Acco$din& to the Constitution D!he
P$esident (a%, ecept incases of i(peach(ent, &$ant $ep$ieves,
co((utations and pa$dons,$e(it fines and fo$feitu$es and, 3ith the
concu$$ence of the Batasan&Pa(bansa, &$ant a(nest%.D Once
&$anted, it is bindin& and effective."t se$ves to put an
end to this appeal.
"t (ust, neve$theless, be noted that the constitutional
p$ovision :uotedis that of the )+@1 Constitution, as a(ended, 3hich
autho$i/ed theee$cise of the pa$donin& po3e$ at an%ti(e, eithe$
befo$e o$ afte$conviction. Also, in Monsanto vs.Factoran, 14this
Cou$t stated that theacceptance of a pa$don a(ounts to an
abandon(ent of an appeal,$ende$in& the conviction final
thus
!he )+*) a(end(ents had deleted the ea$lie$ $ule that
cle(enc%could be etended onl% upon final conviction, i(pl%in&
that cle(enc%could be &iven even befo$e conviction. !hus,
petitione$;s unconditionalpa$don 3as &$anted even as he$ appeal
3as pendin& in the >i&h
Cou$t. "t is 3o$th (entionin& that unde$ the )+*@
Constitution, thefo$(e$ li(itation of final conviction 3as
$esto$ed. But be that as it (a%,
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it is ou$ vie3 that in the p$esent case, it is not (ate$ial 3hen
thepa$don 3as besto3ed, 3hethe$ befo$e o$ afte$ conviction, fo$
the$esult 3ould still be the sa(e. >avin& accepted the
pa$don, petitione$is dee(ed to have abandoned he$ appeal and he$
un$eve$sedconviction b% the Sandi&anba%an assu(ed the cha$acte$
of finalit%.
!his state(ent should not be ta'en as a &uidin& $ule fo$
it is nothin&but an orbiter dictum. Mo$eove$, the pa$don
involved the$ein 3asetended on )@ =ece(be$ )+*6 o$ unde$ the
$e&i(e of Section )),A$ticle ?"" of the )+@1 Constitution, as
a(ended, 3hich allo3ed the&$ant of pa$don eithe$ befo$e o$
afte$ conviction.
!he $eason the Constitutional Co((ission adopted the Dconviction
b%final 4ud&(entD $e:ui$e(ent, $evivin& in effect the
o$i&inal p$ovision ofthe )+@1 Constitution on the pa$donin&
po3e$, 3as, as epounded b%Co((issione$ Napoleon Ra(a, to p$event
the P$esident f$o(ee$cisin& eecutive po3e$ in de$o&ation of
the 4udicial po3e$. 15
"ndeed, an appeal b$in&s the enti$e case 3ithin the
eclusive4u$isdiction of the appellate cou$t. A beco(in&
$e&a$d fo$ the doct$ineof sepa$ation of po3e$s de(ands that
such eclusive autho$it% of theappellate cou$t be full% $espected
and 'ept uni(pai$ed. #o$ t$ul%, hadnot the p$esent Constitution
adopted the Dconviction b% final 4ud&(entDli(itation, the
P$esident could, at an% ti(e, and even 3ithout the'no3led&e of
the cou$t, etend eecutive cle(enc% to an% one 3ho(he, in &ood
faith o$ othe$3ise, believes to (e$it p$esidential (e$c%. "tcannot
be denied that unde$ the 8ones La3 and the )+*)a(end(ents to the
)+@1 Constitution on the pa$donin& po3e$ 3hichdid not require
conviction, the P$esident had uni(peded po3e$ to
&$ant pa$don even befo$e the c$i(inal case could be hea$d.
And unde$the )+12 Constitution 3hich $e:ui$ed DconvictionD onl%,
the po3e$could be ee$cised at an% ti(e afte$ conviction and
$e&a$dless of thependenc% of the appeal. "n eithe$ case, the$e
could be the $is' notonl% of a failu$e of 4ustice but also of a
f$ust$ation of the s%ste( ofad(inist$ation of 4ustice in vie3 of
the de$o&ation of the 4u$isdiction ofthe t$ial o$ appellate
cou$t. 9he$e the P$esident is not so p$evented b%the Constitution,
not even Con&$ess can i(pose an% $est$iction top$event a
p$esidential foll%. 16>ence, nothin& but a chan&e in
theconstitutional p$ovision consistin& in the i(position of
Dconviction b%final 4ud&(entD $e:ui$e(ent can chan&e the
$ule. !he ne3
Constitution did it.
>ence, befo$e an appellant (a% be validl% &$anted pa$don,
he (ustfi$st as' fo$ the 3ithd$a3al of his appeal, i.e., the
appealed conviction(ust fi$st be b$ou&ht to finalit%.
Acco$din&l%, 3hile this Cou$t, in its $esolution of 5) Ma$ch
)++) inPeople vs. Pedro epada, 17dis(issed the appeal fo$
havin& beco(e(oot and acade(ic in vie3 of the pa$ole
&$anted to the appellant, iteplicitl% decla$ed the necessit% of
a final 4ud&(ent befo$e pa$ole o$pa$don could be etended.
!hus
CONS"=ER"N< !>E #ORE
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