Case Title GR No.

: Date

: 160188 :

Aristotel N. Valenzuela vs CA June 21, 2007

Topic Who are liable for theft. Theft is committed $ithout the latte#(s consent. Theft is likewise committed by: 1. )n! "e#son $ho, ha&in% found lost "#o"e#t!, shall fail to deli&e# the same to the local autho#ities o# to its o$ne#* 2. )n! "e#son $ho, afte# ha&in% maliciousl! dama%ed the "#o"e#t! of anothe#, shall #emo&e o# ma'e use of the f#uits o# o +ect of the dama%e caused ! him* and ,. )n! "e#son $ho shall ente# an inclosed estate o# a field $he#e t#es"ass is fo# idden o# $hich elon%s to anothe# and $ithout the consent of its o$ne#, shall hunt o# fish u"on the same o# shall %athe# ce#eals, o# othe# fo#est o# fa#m "#oducts. Statement of Facts -hile a secu#it! %ua#d $as mannin% his "ost at the o"en "a#'in% a#ea of a su"e#ma#'et, he sa$ the accused, )#istotel .alen/uela, haulin% a "ush ca#t loaded $ith cases of dete#%ent and unloaded them $he#e his co0accused, Jo&! Calde#on, $as $aitin%. .alen/uela then #etu#ned inside the su"e#ma#'et, and late# eme#%ed $ith mo#e ca#tons of dete#%ent. The#eafte#, .alen/uela hailed a ta1i and sta#ted loadin% the ca#tons inside. )s the ta1i $as a out to lea&e, the secu#it! %ua#d as'ed .alen/uela fo# the #ecei"t of the me#chandi/e. The accused #eacted ! fleein% on foot, ut $e#e su se2uentl! a""#ehended at the scene. The t#ial cou#t con&icted oth .alen/uela and Calde#on of the c#ime of consummated theft. .alen/uela a""ealed efo#e the Cou#t of )""eals, a#%uin% that he should onl! e con&icted of f#ust#ated theft since he $as not a le to f#eel! dis"ose of the a#ticles stolen. The Cou#t of )""eals affi#med the t#ial cou#t(s decision, thus the 3etition fo# Re&ie$ $as filed efo#e the 4u"#eme Cou#t. The 4u"#eme Cou#t affi#med the decision of Re%ional T#ial Cou#t and C) and den! the "etition of .alen/uela and Calde#on. ! an! "e#son $ho, $ith intent to %ain ut $ithout

&iolence a%ainst o# intimidation of "e#sons no# fo#ce u"on thin%s, shall ta'e "e#sonal "#o"e#t! of anothe#

Disconnected Premises 5n .alen/uela &s C), it $as held that the me#e ta'in% ! the "etitione# $as com"leted in this case. -ith intent to %ain, he ac2ui#ed "h!sical "ossession of the stolen cases of dete#%ent fo# a conside#a le "e#iod of time that he $as a le to d#o" these off at a s"ot in the "a#'in% lot, and lon% enou%h to load these onto a ta1ica .

5ndeed, that unla$ful ta'in%, o# apoderamiento, is deemed com"lete f#om the moment the offende# %ains "ossession of the thin%, e&en if he has no o""o#tunit! to dis"ose of the same 5nsofa# as $e conside# the "#esent 2uestion, 6unla$ful ta'in%7 is most mate#ial in this #es"ect. 8nla$ful ta'in%, $hich is the de"#i&ation of one(s "e#sonal "#o"e#t!, is the element $hich "#oduces the felon! in its consummated sta%e. )t the same time, $ithout unla$ful ta'in% as an act of e1ecution, the offense could onl! e attem"ted theft, if at all.

In U.S. v. Adiao , a customs ins"ecto# $as cha#%ed $ith theft afte# he a st#acted a leathe# elt f#om the a%%a%e of a fo#ei%n national and sec#eted the item in his des' at the Custom 9ouse. )t no time $as the accused a le to 6%et the me#chandise out of the Custom 9ouse,7 and it a""ea#s that he 6$as unde# o se#&ation du#in% the enti#e t#ansaction.71:;<= >ased a""a#entl! on those t$o ci#cumstances, the t#ial cou#t had found him %uilt!, instead, of f#ust#ated theft. Dio $as decided ! the Cou#t of )""eals in 1?<?, some ,1 !ea#s afte# Adiao and 1; !ea#s ! the t#ial cou#t of consummated theft ut efo#e

Flores. The accused the#ein, con&icted

ut the Cou#t of

)""eals modified the con&iction, holdin% instead that onl! f#ust#ated theft had een committed. )cco#din% to the Cou#t of )""eals "#onounced that the fact determinative of consummation is the ability of the thief to dispose freely of the articles stolen, even if it were more or less momentary.2:61= 4u""o#t fo# this "#o"osition $as d#a$n f#om a decision of the 4u"#eme Cou#t of 4"ain dated 2< Janua#! 1888 @1888 decisionA, $hich $as 2uoted as follo$s: This court is of the opinion that in the case at bar, in order to make the boot sub!ect to the control and disposal of the culprits, the articles stolen must first be passed throu"h the #.$. check point, but since the offense %as opportunel discovered and the articles sei&ed after all the acts of e'ecution had been performed, but before the loot came under the final control and disposal of the looters, the offense can not be said to have been full consummated, as it %as frustrated b the timel intervention of the "uard. The offense committed, therefore, is that of frustrated theft. ()*(+

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inds of Fallacies The )#%ument f#om 5%no#ance0 That is the mista'e that is committed $hene&e# it is a#%ued that a "#o"osition is t#ue sim"l! on the asis that it has not een "#o&ed false, o# that it is false ecause it has not een "#o&ed t#ue. The 4u"#eme Cou#t stated that it has ta'en lon% !ea#s to #eco%ni/e that the#e can e no f#ust#ated theft unde# the Re&ised 3enal Code. )lthou%h the "etitione#s has latched the success of citin% )diao and Dino Cases $ith #e%a#ds to the B#ust#ated Theft the 4u"#eme Cou#t cannot ado"t the #ulin% fo# it is clea# in )#ticle ,08 that the#e can e no f#ust#ated theft sta%e.

!onclusion )#ticle ,08 "#o&ides fo# a %ene#al definition of theft, and th#ee alte#nati&e and hi%hl! idios!nc#atic means ! $hich theft ma! e committed.<:<1= 5n the "#esent discussion, $e need to conce#n ou#sel&es onl! $ith the %ene#al definition since it $as unde# it that the "#osecution of the accused $as unde#ta'en and sustained. Cn the face of the definition, the#e is onl! one o"e#ati&e act of e1ecution ! the acto# in&ol&ed in theft D the ta'in% of "e#sonal "#o"e#t! of anothe#. 5t is also clea# f#om the "#o&ision that in o#de# that such ta'in% ma! e 2ualified as theft, the#e must fu#the# e "#esent the desc#i"ti&e ci#cumstances that the ta'in% $as $ith intent to %ain* $ithout fo#ce u"on thin%s o# &iolence a%ainst o# intimidation of "e#sons* and it $as $ithout the consent of the o$ne# of the "#o"e#t!.

5ndeed, $e ha&e lon% #eco%ni/ed the follo$in% elements of theft as "#o&ided fo# in )#ticle ,08 of the Re&ised 3enal Code, namel!: @1A that the#e e ta'in% of "e#sonal "#o"e#t!* @2A that said "#o"e#t! elon%s to anothe#* @,A that the ta'in% e done $ith intent to %ain* @<A that the ta'in% e done $ithout the consent of the o$ne#* and @;A that the ta'in% e accom"lished $ithout the use of &iolence a%ainst o# intimidation of "e#sons o# fo#ce u"on thin%s. ;:<2=

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)#ticle 6 of the Re&ised 3enal Code "#o&ides that a felon! is consummated $hen all the elements necessa#! fo# its e1ecution and accom"lishment a#e "#esent. 5n the c#ime of theft, the follo$in% elements should e "#esent: @1A that the#e e ta'in% of "e#sonal "#o"e#t!* @2A that said "#o"e#t! elon%s to anothe#* @,A that the ta'in% e done $ith intent to %ain* @<A that the ta'in% e done $ithout the consent of the o$ne#* and @;A that the ta'in% e accom"lished $ithout the use of &iolence a%ainst o# intimidation of "e#sons o# fo#ce u"on thin%s. The Cou#t held that theft is "#oduced $hen the#e is de"#i&ation of "e#sonal "#o"e#t! ! one $ith intent to %ain. Thus, it is immate#ial that the offende# is a le o# una le to f#eel! dis"ose the "#o"e#t! stolen since he has al#ead! committed all the acts of e1ecution and the de"#i&ation f#om the o$ne# has al#ead! ensued f#om such acts. The#efo#e, theft cannot ha&e a f#ust#ated sta%e, and can onl! e attem"ted o# consummated. )cco#din% to the 4C, unla$ful ta'in% is deemed com"lete f#om the moment the offende# %ains "ossession of the thin%, e&en if he has no o""o#tunit! to dis"ose of the same. 8nla$ful ta'in%, $hich is the de"#i&ation of oneEFGs "e#sonal "#o"e#t!, is the element $hich "#oduces the felon! in its consummated sta%e. )t the same time, $ithout unla$ful ta'in% as an act of e1ecution, the offense could onl! e attem"ted theft, if at all. Thus, unde# )#ticle ,08 of the Re&ised 3enal Code, theft cannot ha&e a f#ust#ated sta%e. Theft can onl! e attem"ted o# consummated.