Limpangog vs. CA

[G.R. No. 134229.
November 26, 1999]

LITO LIMPANGOG and JERRY LIMPANGOG, petitioners, vs. COURT OF APPEALS
and PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, respondents.
FACTS:
Herein petitioners LitoLimpangog and Jerry Limpangogwere adjudged by the RTC
of Ormoc City guilty beyond reasonable doubt of Murder and two Frustrated
Murderimposing upon them the sentence of imprisonment for an indeterminate period of
TEN (10) years of prision mayor, as minimum, to SEVENTEEN (17) YEARS of reclusion
temporal, as maximum and TEN (10) years of prision mayor, as minimum, to
SEVENTEEN (17) years of reclusion temporal, as maximum in the two cases of
Frustrated Murder and RECLUSION PERPETUA in the Murder case.
Petitioners then elevated the decision to the Court of Appeals.
The CA declared itself to have no jurisdiction over petitioners appeal of their murder
conviction, where the sentence imposed is reclusion perpetua, the appeal falls within
the exclusive jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. Citing SC Circular 2-90, the CA refused
to forward the appeal to the Supreme Court; instead, it dismissed the case.The
appellate court, however, gave due course to the appeal insofar as it related to the
convictions for frustrated murder.The CA rendered the assailed Decision acquitting
petitioners of frustrated murder, but dismissing the appeal in the murder indictment
Thus, this Petition for Review under Rule 45 assailing the Decision of CA.
ISSUE:
WHETHER OR NOT THE DISMISSAL OF THE APPEAL IN THE CRIMINAL CASE FOR
MURDER [WAS] PROPER/VALID UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCE
RULING:
As a rule, this Court reviews only the specific issues or errors raised by the parties.
However, questions involving jurisdiction may be taken up moto proprio by the
Courteven when not specifically assigned as errors by the parties, inasmuch as they
delve into the very essence of decision-making. In view of the peculiar facts of this case,
we believe that the issue to be resolved is whether the Court of Appeals had jurisdiction
over petitioners' appeal.
The Court of Appeals did not have jurisdiction over petitioners appeal; hence, the
challenged Decision is null and void.
The three crimes for which herein petitioners were convicted of were committed on
the same occasion and arose from the same facts. In this light, the CA did not have
jurisdiction over the appeals filed by herein petitioners. Section 9 (3) of the judiciary
Reorganization Act of 1980 (BP Blg. 129) states that the CA has exclusive appellate
jurisdiction over all final judgments, decisions, resolutions, orders, or awards of regional
trial courts except those falling within the appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court in
accordance with the Constitution, the provisions of BP Blg. 129, and of the judiciary Act
of 1948.
Leaving no doubt that the CA had no jurisdiction over the two cases for frustrated
murder, Section 17 (1) of the judiciary Act of 1948 provides as follows:
Section 17. Jurisdiction of the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court shall have exclusive jurisdiction to review, revise, reverse, modify or affirm
on appeal, as the law or rules of court may provide, final judgments and decrees of inferior
courts as herein provided, in (1) All criminal cases involving offenses for which the penalty imposed is life imprisonment; and
those involving offenses which, although not so punished, arose out of the same occurrence or
which may have been committed by the accused on the same occasion as that giving rise to the
more serious offense, regardless of whether the accused are charged as principals,
accomplices or accessories, or whether they have been tried jointly or separately; xxx (Italics
supplied.) (Italics supplied)
The foregoing is also echoed by Section 3 (c), Rule 122 of the Rules of Court.
In view of the above provisions, it is clear that the Court of Appeals has no
jurisdiction over an appeal of a trial court judgment imposing an indeterminate sentence,
if the same ruling also imposes reclusion perpetua, life imprisonment or death for crimes
arising out of the same facts. The Supreme Court has exclusive jurisdiction over such
appeals. The splitting of appeals is not conducive to the orderly administration of justice
and invites possible conflict of dispositions between the reviewing courts.
In all, the Court of Appeals acted without jurisdiction in resolving the appeal of the
conviction for frustrated murder and dismissing the murder case. Hence, the CAs
acquittal of the petitioners on charges of frustrated murder is void. We hasten to add
that, with the voiding of the CA Decision and the review by this Court of the RTC
judgment, petitioners cannot claim double jeopardy, because they were never legally in
danger of conviction by the Court of Appeals.
True, Circular No. 2-90 issued by this Court authorized the dismissal of appeals
erroneously filed before the wrong court. However, in numerous similarly circumstantial
criminal cases,]we have sanctioned the transfer of the records from the Court of Appeals
to this Court, in the greater interest of substantial justice. This we likewise do in the
instant case.
WHEREFORE, the petition is PARTIALLY GRANTED. The challenged Decision of
the Court of Appeals is hereby declared NULL and VOID.

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[G.R. No. 134229.

November 26, 1999]

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