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    People vs. de Ocampo Gonzaga

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    Trixie Peralta
    The accused was indicted for murder and pled guilty at arraignment after his counsel was appointed just for the arraignment. The trial court immediately set the case for trial the next day, despite counsel requesting more time to prepare, and quickly issued a conviction sentencing the accused to death. The Supreme Court found multiple due process violations, as the accused was not adequately informed of the charges and consequences, counsel did not have adequate time to prepare, and it appeared the outcome was predetermined, so it set aside the conviction and remanded for rearraignment and a new trial.

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    People vs. de Ocampo Gonzaga

    Uploaded by

    Trixie Peralta
    370 views2 pages
    The accused was indicted for murder and pled guilty at arraignment after his counsel was appointed just for the arraignment. The trial court immediately set the case for trial the next day, despite counsel requesting more time to prepare, and quickly issued a conviction sentencing the accused to death. The Supreme Court found multiple due process violations, as the accused was not adequately informed of the charges and consequences, counsel did not have adequate time to prepare, and it appeared the outcome was predetermined, so it set aside the conviction and remanded for rearraignment and a new trial.

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    People vs De Ocampo Gonzaga

    Original Title

    10. People vs. de Ocampo Gonzaga

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    The accused was indicted for murder and pled guilty at arraignment after his counsel was appointed just for the arraignment. The trial court immediately set the case for trial the next day, despite counsel requesting more time to prepare, and quickly issued a conviction sentencing the accused to death. The Supreme Court found multiple due process violations, as the accused was not adequately informed of the charges and consequences, counsel did not have adequate time to prepare, and it appeared the outcome was predetermined, so it set aside the conviction and remanded for rearraignment and a new trial.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    370 views2 pages

    People vs. de Ocampo Gonzaga

    Uploaded by

    Trixie Peralta
    The accused was indicted for murder and pled guilty at arraignment after his counsel was appointed just for the arraignment. The trial court immediately set the case for trial the next day, despite counsel requesting more time to prepare, and quickly issued a conviction sentencing the accused to death. The Supreme Court found multiple due process violations, as the accused was not adequately informed of the charges and consequences, counsel did not have adequate time to prepare, and it appeared the outcome was predetermined, so it set aside the conviction and remanded for rearraignment and a new trial.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 2

    PEOPLE VS DE OCAMPO GONZAGA

    Facts:
    Accused Eduardo De Ocampo Gonzaga was indicted for the crime of murder for
    fatally stabbing with a jungle bolo one Amparo Quilatan.
    5 days later, the accused appeared for arraignment without counsel. The TC right
    there and then issued an order appointing Atty. Crisanto Saruca as counsel de
    oficio for the purpose of arraignment only. The accused was then arraigned,
    where he pleaded guilty to the offense charged.
    Immediately after arraignment, the TC ordered the presentation of evidence, but
    the prosecution was not ready for trial. The case was then set for hearing the
    next day. Attys. Leonardo Rodriguez and Felimon Koh were then appointed as
    the accuseds counsels de oficio for trial purposes.
    The TC found the accused guilty as charged and sentenced him to suffer the
    penalty of death. The case was then brought to the SC for automatic review.
    Issue:
    WoN the judgment of guilty and penalty of death can be sustained- NO.
    o The records of the case, particularly the transcripts of stenographic notes
    of the proceedings taken during the hearing, amply show the inordinate
    haste with which accused was charged, arraigned, and convicted.
    The arraignment was conducted just 5 days after the filing of the
    information
    The counsel for accused had just been appointed during
    arraignment
    The case was immediately set for trial the next day despite the
    counsel de oficios request that he be given 2 days to prepare for
    trial
    The case was reset the following day and again 6 days later
    o This Court has always stressed its constant concern in due observance of
    the fundamental requirements of fairness and due process that the most
    meticulous care be exercised by the trial court before acceptance of an
    accused plea of guilty in a capital case.
    o In the instant case, records confirm the fact that the accused was not
    adequately informed of the nature of the crime imputed against him and
    the consequences of his plea. Nor does it appear that the averments in
    the information, including the qualifying and aggravating circumstances
    were explained to him No dialogue whatsoever transpired between
    accused and the trial judge.
    o The essence of a plea of guilty in a criminal trial is that the accused on
    arraignment admits his guilt freely, voluntarily and- with full knowledge of
    the consequences and meaning of his act. If the accused does not clearly
    and fully understand the nature of the offense charged, if he is not
    advised as to the meaning and effect of the technical language so often
    used in formal complaints and informations in qualifying the acts
    constituting the offense, or if he does not clearly understand the
    consequences by way of a heavy and even a capital penalty flowing from
    his admission of his guilt of the crime in the precise technical manner and

    form in which it is charged, his plea of guilty should not be accepted and if
    accepted it should not be held to be sufficient to sustain a conviction.
    Under See. 5, Rule 116 of the Rules of Court, whenever an attorney de oficio is
    employed or assigned by the court to defend an accused either at the
    arraignment or at the trial he should be given a reasonable time to consult with
    the accused and prepare his defense before proceeding further in the case which
    should not be less than 2 hours in case of arraignment and 2 days in case of trial.
    These requirements were not complied with in the case at bar.
    Finally, the fact that immediately after the prosecution had rested its case in the
    last hearing the TC read a "ready made" decision of conviction shows that the
    accused was meted the death penalty without due process of law. With the
    perfunctory arraignment of the accused and the undue haste with which the
    hearing was held, the Court sees that accused's fate was predetermined from the
    start.

    Ruling:
    TC decision set aside; records of the case remanded to it for rearraignment of
    the accused and further proceedings in accordance with law.

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