Book 1 Flashcards
The Revised Penal Code was drafted by a Committee created by Administrative Order No. 94 of the Department of Justice dated ____________.
October 18, 1927
Effectivity of the Revised Penal Code: Article I provides that, the Code (Act No.____) shall take effect on _______
3815
January 1, 1932.
The Revised Penal Code is divided into two books. Book 1 embraces articles ____, contains the general rules applicable to all felonies,
While Book 2, embraces articles ____, contains specific rules to particular crimes.
1-113
114-367
________is that branch of division of law which:
a) defines crimes;
b) treats of their nature; and
c) provides for their punishment
Criminal Law
________ is defined as an:
a) act committed; or
b) act omitted
in violation of public law commanding or forbidding it.
Crime
Sources of Philippine Criminal Law:
a) The Revised Penal Code, and its amendments; and
(b) Special Laws passed by Congress which are penal in nature.
(c) Presidential Decrees during Martial Law era.
The state has the authority under its _____ to define and punish crime in order to regulate the conduct of men in society for the purpose of attaining a peaceful community and fear to commit crimes.
police power
Characteristics of Criminal Law:
- General
- Territorial
3) Prospective
It deals about persons who are here in the Philippines even as visitors or tourists. They are all bound by our criminal law once they committed crimes here.
General
Exemption to the “General” Characteristics of Criminal Law
Law of preferential application -Heads of States -Ambassadors -Ministers plenipotentiary -Ministers Resident, and -Charge d' Affaires are not bound by our Criminal Law, and -consul under treaty stipulation.
It deals about crimes committed within the territory of the Philippines, be it land or terrestrial, sea or maritime, or aerial.
Territorial
Exemption to the “Territorial” Characteristics of Criminal Law
a) The offense was committed while on the Philippine ship or airplane;
b) Forging or counterfeiting any coin or currency notes of the Philippines or obligations and securities issued by the Government committed outside the country;
c) Importing or bringing into the Philippines any counterfeited or forged coin, currency note, or obligation or security issued by the government;
d) While being public officer or employee, should commit an offense in the exercise of his function; and
e) Should commit any of the crimes against national security and the law of nation as defined in the Title One, Book Two of the Revised Penal Code.
It deals about the effectivity of the law that punishes the act committed or omitted.
Prospective
Exemption to the “Prospective” Characteristics of Criminal Law
When a repealing law is favorable to the accused, it should be given retroactive effect, provided the accused or convicted offender is ______ and the law does not provide otherwise.
not a habitual criminal
1) _____ are constructed or interpreted strictly against a government and liberally in favor of the accused. The rule that penal statutes should be strictly construed against the government and in favor of the accused can only be invoked when the law is ________. If it is very clear, then there is no need for interpretation, it must be applied accordingly; and
2) In the construction or interpretation of the penal law or the Revised Penal Code, the ______ text must prevail as it was written accordingly in Spanish.
Instruction of Penal Laws:
- Penal Laws
- ambiguous or unclear
- Spanish
Theories of Criminal Law:
Classical Theory
Positivist Theory
a) The basis of criminal liability is human free will and the purpose of penalty is retribution;
b) That man is essentially a normal creature with an absolutely free will to choose between good and evil thereby placing more stress upon the effect or result of the felonious act upon the man, the criminal himself;
c) It has endeavored to establish a mechanical, and direct proportion between crime and penalty; and
d) There is scant regard to the human element.
Classical Theory
a) That man is subdued occasionally by a strange and morbid phenomenon which constrains him to do wrong, in spite of, or contrary to his volition;
b) That crime is essentially a social and natural phenomenon, and as such cannot be treated and checked by the application of the abstract principles of law and jurisprudence nor by the imposition of a punishment fixed and determined a priori; but rather through the enforcement of individual measures in each particular case after a thorough personal and individual investigation conducted by a competent body of psychiatrists and social scientists.
Positivist Theory
Application of our Criminal Laws:
a) Crimes committed on board foreign merchant vessel or airplane, our criminal laws have ____ jurisdiction or application;
NO
Application of our Criminal Laws:
b) Crimes or offenses committed on board foreign merchant vessel while on Philippine Waters are triable ________
before our Courts (Adopting the English Rule);
Application of our Criminal Laws:
c) Crimes or offenses not involving a breach of public order committed on board a foreign merchant vessel in transit are triable ________
NOT in our Courts
Application of our Criminal Laws:
d) Philippine Courts have no jurisdiction over offenses committed on board a foreign warship even within our territory. ______ are always regarded to be an extension of the territory of the country where they belong.
Warships
Acts and omissions punishable by law
Felony
Example of Felony by act: A took the watch of B with intent to gain and without the knowledge and consent of B.
theft.
Example of Felony by omission: A found B inside the forest wounded and dying. Instead of helping B, A left, afraid that he might get involved and might be suspected of causing injury to B.
Abandonment of Person in Danger (Article 275, para. 1, Revised Penal Code).
Classification of Felonies:
1) Intentional Felony
2) Culpable Felony
the act or omission of the offender is malicious, with deliberate intent or with malice.
Intentional Felony
The act or omission of the offender is not malicious, nor intentional, it is merely the incident of another’s act performed without malice. The wrongful act results from imprudence, negligence, lack of skill or lack of foresight.
Culpable Felony
Elements of Felony, in _____:
1) That there must be an act or omission;
2) That the act or omission must be punishable by law; and
3) That the act is performed or the omission incurred by means of deceit of fault.
General
Elements of Felony Committed by ______:
1) You must have freedom while doing an act or omitting to do the act;
2) You must have intelligence while doing an act or omitting to do the act; and
3) You must have intent while doing the act or omitting to do the act.
Means of Deceit
Elements of Felony Committed by _________
1) You must have freedom while doing an act or omitting to do the act;
2) You must have intelligence while doing an act or omitting to do the act; and
3) You must be imprudent, negligent, lack of skill or lack of foresight while doing an act or omitting to do the act.
Means of Fault (Culpa)
While______ excuses no one from compliance therewith, _______relieves the accused from criminal liability.
Mistake of Fact as a Defense in Intentional Felony:
- ignorance of the law
- mistake of fact
_____ is misapprehension of fact on the part of the person who caused injury to another. He is not however criminally liable because he did not act with intent.
Mistake of fact
__________ destroys the presumption of criminal intent which arises upon the commission of a felonious act.
An honest mistake of fact
- That the act done would have been lawful had the facts been as the accused believed them to be;
- That the intention of the accused in performing the act should be lawful; and
- That the mistake must be without fault of carelessness on the part of the accused.
Elements of Mistake of Fact:
One who resists an arrest believing that the police who is in plain clothes is a bandit, but submits himself immediately upon being informed by the policeman that he is indeed a policeman by flashing his ID
is not guilty of Resistance to an Agent of a Person in Authority under Article 151 of the Revised Penal Code because of honest mistake of fact.
is the moving power which impels one to act for a definite result.
Motive
is the purpose to use a particular means to effect such result.
Intent
_____ is an element of a crime, while
____ is not.
Intent
motive
When Motive is Relevant or Not Relevant:
Where the identity of the perpetrator is unknown or is in dispute, the motive that may have impelled its commission is _______.
Motive need not be established if the guilt of the accused is _________________.
relevant
shown beyond reasonable doubt
How Motive is proved:
Generally, motive is established by the ____witnesses on the acts or _______ the accused before or immediately after the commission of the offense. Such deeds or words may indicate the motive. But proof of motive alone is not sufficient to support a _______.
testimony of
statements of
conviction
NOTE: When the crime is punished by special law as a rule, _______ is not necessary. It is sufficient that the offender has______the act prohibited by said special law.
intent to commit the crime
perpetrated
Classifications of Crimes According to its Nature:
- Mala in Se
2. Mala Prohibita
wrongful from its nature like rape, robbery, murder, etc.
Mala in Se
a crime because the act is prohibited by special law, like: dynamite fishing, illegal logging, etc.
Mala Prohibita
are those so serious in their effects on society as to call for the almost unanimous condemnation of the society
Mala in Se
mala prohibita are violations of mere rules of convenience designed to secure a more orderly regulation of the affairs of the society.
Mala Prohibita
Criminal Liability is incurred by any person who:
- Commits a felony although the wrongful act done be different from that which he intended to commit.
- Performs an act which would be an offense against persons or property were it not for the inherent impossibility of its accomplishment or on account of the employment of inadequate or ineffectual means (Impossible Crime).
Commits a felony although the wrongful act done be different from that which he intended to commit.
Aberratio Actus or mistake in blow
Praeter intentionem or the injurious result is greater than what was intended
Error in the personae or mistake in identity
One who fired his gun at B but missed and hit instead C is liable for the injury caused to C although the one who fired the gun had no intention to injure C.
Aberratio Actus or mistake in blow
One who gave a first blow on the head of B causing the latter to fall with his head first against the pavement resulting in his death by hemorrhage is liable for the death of B even though he had no intention to kill B but just to hit him in the head.
Praeter intentionem or the injurious result is greater than what was intended
One who stabbed another in the dark believing that the latter was E when in fact he was G is liable for the injury caused to E although he had no intention to injure E.
Error in the personae or mistake in identity
a) That the act performed would be an offense against person or property;
b) That the act was done with evil intent; and
c) That its accomplishment is inherently impossible or that the means employed is either inadequate or ineffectual.
Elements of Impossible Crime:
Mr. A determined to poison B uses a small amount of arsenic by mixing it with the food served to B believing that the quantity is sufficient. But since the quantity is not sufficient, B did not die but only suffered LBM.
Employment of inadequate means (Impossible Crime)
Mr. A tried to kill B by putting in his food a substance which he thought was arsenic when in fact it was sugar. B could not have been killed because sugar cannot kill a person.
Employment of ineffectual means (Impossible Crime)
A saw his perennial enemy B came home after 10 years of escaping in the Mountain. On nighttime, A was able to get inside the house of B. A proceeded to the room of B whom he saw was sleeping. Without much ado, A stabbed B several times. When he switched on the light, he found out that no blood came out of the wounds of B, as B had been dead a few hours ago due to heart attack. It is impossible to kill an already dead person.
Inherent Impossibility (Impossible Crime)
Purpose of the Law in Punishing Impossible Crimes:
To suppress criminal propensity on criminal tendencies. Objectively, the offender has ______ a crime but subjectively, he is a criminal.
NOT committed
Stages of Execution:
1) Consummated Felony
2) Frustrated Felony
3) Attempted Felony
A felony is _____ when all the elements necessary for its execution and accomplishment are present;
consummated
It is ______ when the offender performs all the acts of execution which would produce the felony as a consequence but which nevertheless do not produce it by reason or causes independent of the will of the perpetrator; and
frustrated
There is an ____ when the offender commences the commission of the felony directly by overt acts and felony by reason of some cause or accident other than his own spontaneous desistance.
attempt
The accused lay on top of a girl nine years of age for over fifteen minutes. The girl testified that there was partial penetration of the male organ in her private part and that she felt intense pain.
a) Consummated rape
Frustrated rape?
There is no such Frustrated rape.
The accused placed himself on top of woman and raising her skirt in effort to get his knees between her legs while his hands held her arms firmly, endeavoring to have sexual intercourse with her, but not succeeding because the offended party was able to extricate herself and run away.
c) Attempted rape
A stabbed B with intent to kill hitting the left chest of B penetrating the heart of B resulting in his instantaneous death.
Consummated
Manuel Pasuquin was stabbed several times by Lazarte but the former did not die because of the timely medical attendance.
Frustrated
Remolete intended to kill Rayray by Shooting the latter hitting him on his arms and legs not affecting the vital organs.
Attempted
Development of the Crime:
From the moment the culprit conceives the idea of committing a crime up to the realization of the same, his act passes through certain stages. These stages are:
- Internal act
2. External Acts
Such as mere ideas is in the mind of a person, are not punishable even if his intention is criminal.
Internal act
Mere intention producing no effect is no more a crime than a mere effect without the intention is a crime. In other words
intention and the effect must concur
Pedro lustfully desires to have sexual intercourse with Mia but fears to do it as he knows that Mia may not like him.
It is not a crime as it is only in the mind of Pedro.
Internal Act
cover the a) preparatory act, and b) act of execution.
External Acts
Preparatory act normally is not punishable, like for example buying poison to kill Carlo. It is _____. But once there is an act of execution, like when he puts the poison into the food of Carlo, then it may become a crime as it may be attempted, frustrated or consummated, as the case may be.
not yet a crime
Note: In _____ felony, the offense is commenced by overt act.
attempted
is some physical activity or deed indicating the intention to commit a particular crime more than a mere planning or preparation which if carried to its complete termination following its natural course without having frustrated by external obstacles nor by voluntary dessistance of the perpetrator will logically ripen into a concrete offense.
An overt act
A threw an upper cut to B but failed to hit B. The act of boxing is an overt act of _____.
physical injury
A shot B with his firearm but did not hit B who jumped into the grassy portion of the road. The shooting is an overt act of _____.
homicide or murder as the case may be
A fired his lighter and about to throw it into the roof of the house of B which is made of nipa but was caught by the police. The act of throwing a lighted lighter to the house is an overt act of _____
arson.
A undressed himself while Miss B was lying on the bed unconscious and also naked but was caught by the woman’s parents was an overt act of ____
rape
Conspiracy and Proposal to Commit Felonies:
As a general rule, conspiracy and proposal to commit a felony are ______.
Exception: they are punishable only in cases in which the law provides for their punishment.
not punishable
Conspiracy and Proposal to Commit Felonies are Punishable under:
Art. 115-Conspiracy and Proposal to Commit Treason
Art. 136-Conspiracy and Proposal to Commit Coup d’ Etat, Rebellion or Insurrection
Art. 141-Conspiracy to Commit Sedition
exists when two or more persons come to an agreement concerning the commission of a felony and decide to commit it.
Conspiracy
when the person or persons who decided to commit a felony propose its execution to some other person or persons.
Proposal
Classification of Felonies According to their Gravity:
- Grave Felonies
- Less Grave Felonies
- Light Felonies
Are those where the law attaches the capital punishment or penalties which in any of their periods are afflictive.
Grave Felonies
Are those where the law attaches punishments which in their maximum period are correctional; and
Less Grave Felonies
Are those infractions of law for the commission of which, the penalty of arresto menor or a fine of not exceeding P 200.00 or both is imposed.
Light Felonies
Notes: Capital Punishment
Death
Afflictive Penalties
Reclusion Perpetua
Reclusion Temporal
Perpetual or Temporary Absolute Disqualification,
Perpetual or Temporary Special Disqualification, and
Prision Mayor.
Correctional Penalties
Prision Correccional,
Arresto Mayor,
Suspension, and
Destierro.
Light Penalty
Arresto Menor
It is where the purpose of the offender in performing an act is not certain. Its nature in relation to its objective is ambiguous and unclear.
Indeterminate Offense:
At early dawn, A was surprised by a policeman while in the act of making an opening with an iron bar on the wall of a store of cheap goods. At that time the owner was sleeping in the second floor. A had only succeeded in breaking one board and in unfastening another from the wall.
The case is not attempted robbery for he had not yet shown his intent to commit the offense by taking possession for the purpose of gain of some personal property. But the crime committed was Attempted Trespass to Dwelling because the intention of the accused was obviously disclosed by his acts.
Light felonies are punishable only when they are _____.
However, ______ are punishable even if attempted or frustrated.
consummated
crimes against persons and property
- Art. 309, No. 1. Theft by hunting or fishing or gathering fruits, cereals or other forest or farm products upon an enclosed estate or field or where trespass is forbidden and the value of the thing stolen does not exceed P 5.00.
- Art. 309, No. 8. Theft where the value of the stolen property does not exceed P 5.00 and the offender was prompted by hunger, poverty or the like.
- Art. 313 alteration of boundary marks.
- Art. 328, No. 3 Malicious mischief where the damage is not more than P 200.00 nor cannot be estimated.
Examples of Felonies Against Property:
Example of Felony Against Person:
- Slight physical injuries/maltreatment.
Circumstances Affecting Criminal Liabilities:
- Justifying Circumstances (Art. 11)
- Exempting Circumstances (Art. 12)
- Mitigating Circumstances (Art. 13)
- Aggravating Circumstances (Art. 14)
- Alternative Circumstances (Art. 15)
is an element of responsibility, for a man cannot be made to answer for the consequence of the crime unless he is guilty.
Guilt
are those where the act of a person is said to be in accordance with law, so that such person is deemed not to have transgressed the law and is free from both civil and criminal liability.
Justifying circumstances
In Justifying Circumstance, There is no civil liability except in ________, where the civil liability is borne by the person/s benefited by the act.
paragraph 4 of Article 11
The following are Justifying Circumstances:
- Self-Defense
- Defense of Relatives
- Defense of Stranger
- Avoidance of Greater Evil or Injury
- Fulfillment of Duty or Lawful Exercise of Right or Office.
- Obedience to an Order Issued for Some Lawful Purpose
First-Unlawful aggression (by the victim)
Second-Reasonable necessity of the means employed to prevent or repel the aggression (attack)
Third-Lack of sufficient provocation on the part of the person defending himself
Self-Defense
is an indispensable requisite. There can be no self-defense until there has been ______ that must come from the victim.
Unlawful aggression
Anyone who acts in defense of the person or rights of his/her SPOUSE, ASCENDANTS, DESCENDANTS, or LEGITIMATE, NATURAL or ADOPTED BROTHERS or SISTERS, or of his/her relatives by affinity in the same degrees and those by consanguinity within the fourth civil degree (first cousin)
Defense of Relatives
First-Unlawful aggression (by the victim)
Second-Reasonable necessity of the means employed to prevent or repel the aggression (attack)
Third-In case the provocation was given by the relative attack, the relative making the defense had no part therein.
Defense of Relatives
Anyone who acts in defense of the person or rights of the stranger, provided the following requisites concur:
First-Unlawful aggression (by the victim)
Second-Reasonable necessity of the means employed to prevent or repel the aggression (attack)
Third-The person defending the stranger be not induced by revenge, resentment or other evil motive against the victim.
Defense of Stranger
Any person who in order to avoid an evil or injury against him does an act which causes damage to another, provided the following requisites concur:
First—That the evil sought to be avoided actually exists
Second–That the injury feared be greater than that done to avoid it
Third–That there be no other practical and less harmful means of preventing it.
Avoidance of Greater Evil or Injury
means injury to person and damage to property.
Damage to another
A person was driving a car on a narrow road with due diligence and care when suddenly he saw a truck in front of him. If he would swerve his car to the left, he would fall into the deep ravine, if to the right, he would kill a passerby. He was made to choose between losing his life or killing a passerby. He chose his life and ran over a passerby.
He did not commit a crime as one’s life is more important than the passerby. (Avoidance of Greater Evil or Injury)-Justifying Circumstance
Civil liability - the driver shall pay the heir of the victim
Fire breaks out in a cluster of nipa houses, and in order to prevent the spread of fire to adjacent houses, he pulled down the surrounding houses. The pulling down of adjacent houses even made of strong materials in order to prevent further damage is justified.
(Avoidance of Greater Evil or Injury)-Justifying Circumstance
the civil liability shall be borne by the owners of the houses which were saved by the fire.
The executioner of the New Bilibid Prison cannot be held liable in doing the lethal injection to the condemned convict.
Fulfillment of Duty or Lawful Exercise of Right or Office-Justifying Circumstance
First-That an order has been issued by a superior
Second-That such order must be for some lawful purpose
Third-that the means used by the subordinate to carry out said order is lawful.
Note: Both the persons who gave the order and who executed it must be within the limitations prescribed by law.
Obedience to an Order Issued for Some Lawful Purpose
are those grounds for exemption from punishment because there is wanting in the agent of the crime any condition which makes the act voluntary.
Exempting circumstances (non imputability)
Basis: The exemption from punishment is based from the complete absence of _______,______,_____, and ______ on the part of the accused.
intelligence
freedom of action, or intent, or
in the absence of negligence
Under the Revised Penal Code, a person must act with _____ or ______ to be criminally liable.
malice or negligence
One who acts without intelligence, freedom of action or intent does not act with _____. On the other hand, one who acts without intelligence, freedom of action or fault does not act with ______.
malice
negligence
The following are Exempting Circumstances:
- An imbecile or an insane person
- A person under 9 years of age
- Minor over 9 years of age and under 15 who acted without discernment
- Accident
- Irresistible force
- Uncontrollable fear
- Prevented by insuperable cause
An imbecile or an insane person who committed a crime is exempted from criminal liability. Note: If an insane person committed crime during ____, then he is criminally liable.
lucid interval
is one who while advance in age has a mental development as that of child two or seven years of age.
An imbecile
is a mental defect which makes one in capable to know what is right or wrong.
insanity
When an insane or imbecile committed a crime, the court may order the ______of same to a mental hospital or asylum and shall not be permitted to leave without order of the same court.
confinement
This must be construed nine years or less. Note that there is _______ in the case of a minor 9 years of age or less.
absolute irresponsibility
which is said to be the second childhood is not exempting, it is only mitigating. The reason of exempting one from criminal responsibility is absence of intelligence.
Senility
means the mental capacity of a minor between 9 and 15 years of age to fully appreciate the consequence of his act.
DISCERNMENT