8epubllc of Lhe hlllpplnes

SUkLML CCUk1
Manlla
ll8S1 ulvlSlCn

G.k. No. 72994 Ianuary 23, 1991
ILLICISIMC kCCA8Lk1L, peLlLloner,
vs.
LCLL CI 1nL nILIINLS and nCN. ANDkLS S. SAN1CS, Iudge, k1C, 1agb||aran,
8oho|,respondenLs.

NAkVASA, !"#$
1he case aL bar LreaLs of Lhe sufflclency of Lhe avermenL ln Lhe lnformaLlon of Lhe Llme
of Lhe commlsslon of Lhe felony of LhefL ascrlbed Lo peLlLloner lellclslmo 8ocaberLe and
Lwo (2) oLhers. 1he lnformaLlon, flled ln Lhe 8eglonal 1rlal CourL of 8ohol, ClLy of
1agbllaran,
1
!udge Andres S. SanLos, presldlng, reads as follows:
2

1he underslgned AsslsLanL rovlnclal llscal hereby accused lellclslmo
8ocaberLe, llorenclo 8anarlo and llavlana 8anarlo of Lhe crlme of 1hefL,
commlLLed as follows:
1haL on or abouL Lhe erlod "#$% &'(( )$ *+,+%-+# ./0 &'/1 aL Lhe off
offshore of WesL Canayaon, munlclpal of Carcla-Pernandez, provlnce of
8ohol, hlllpplnes . . ., Lhe above-named accused, consplrlng,
confederaLlng and helplng each oLher, wlLh lnLenL Lo galn and wlLhouL
Lhe consenL of Lhe owner, dld Lhen and Lhere, wlllfully, unlawfully and
felonlously Lake, sLeal and carry away Lhe followlng properLles, Lo wlL:
Cne (1) pc. sledge hammer, valued aL 136.00
Cne (1) pc. P beam, valued aL 400.00
1wo (2) cuL abraslve sLeel plaLes for cargo
berLh cover proLecLor 138.00
nlneLy-nlne (99) blocks of alumlnum, alloy
anodes aL 3,730.00 each block 371,230.00
1C1AL 371,944.00
ln Lhe LoLal amounL of 1P8LL Punu8Lu SLvLn1?-CnL 1PCuSAnu nlnL
Punu8Lu lC81?-lCu8 LSCS (371,944.00), hlllpplne Currency,
belonglng Lo and owned by Lhe hlllpplne SlnLer CorporaLlon, Lo Lhe
damage and pre[udlce of Lhe laLLer ln Lhe aforesLaLed amounL.
AcLs commlLLed conLrary Lo Lhe provlslons of ArLlcles 308, 309 of Lhe
8evlsed enal Code.
1he accused, Lhru counsel 2+ $""3,3$, ALLy. Llllo L. Amora, moved Lo quash Lhe
lnformaLlon,
3
alleglng LhaL Lhe sLaLemenL of Lhe Llme of commlsslon of Lhe felony
charged, "from 1977 Lo uecember 1983, . . . a perlod of seven years," or "abouL 2,331
days," was faLally defecLlve: Lhere was "so greaL a gap as Lo defy approxlmaLlon ln Lhe
commlsslon of one and Lhe same offense" (,3)345 eo. v. 8eyes, 108 SC8A 203), "Lhe
varlance ls cerLalnly unfalr Lo Lhe accused for lL vlolaLes Lhelr consLlLuLlonal rlghL Lo be
lnformed before Lhe Lrlal of Lhe speclflc charge agalnsL Lhem and deprlves Lhem of Lhe
opporLunlLy Lo defend Lhemselves . . ." (lnvoklng eo. v. Cpenla, 98 hll. 698).
1he moLlon was denled
4
as was, Loo, Lhe defendanLs' moLlon for reconslderaLlon.
S
ln
Lhe moLlon for reconslderaLlon, Lhe accused drew aLLenLlon Lo SecLlon 4, 8ule 117 "of
Lhe 1983 8ules on Crlmlnal rocedure," as a remedy LhaL could be alLernaLlvely
granLed, 637.:
Sec. 4. 8%+42%+4) $" ,$%9:;34) $# 34"$#%;)3$4. - lf Lhe moLlon Lo quash
ls based on an alleged defecL ln Lhe complalnL or lnformaLlon whlch can
be cured by amendmenL, Lhe courL shall order Lhe amendmenL Lo be
made. (2a)
lellclslmo 8ocaberLe Lhen lnsLlLuLed ln Lhls CourL, Lhru hls aforenamed counsel 2+
$"3,3$0 Lhe speclal clvll acLlon of,+#)3$#;#3 aL bar, lmpugnlng Lhe denlal by respondenL
!udge SanLos of hls moLlon Lo quash, or hls refusal, aL Lhe very leasL, Lo dlrecL Lhe
amendmenL of Lhe lnformaLlon pursuanL Lo SecLlon 4, 8ule 117 of Lhe 1983 8ules of
CourL, <=9#;. Pe ls correcL, and wlll be granLed approprlaLe rellef.
1he rules of crlmlnal procedure declare
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LhaL -
. . . A complalnL or lnformaLlon ls sufflclenL lf lL sLaLes Lhe name of Lhe
defendanL, Lhe deslgnaLlon of Lhe offense by Lhe sLaLuLe, Lhe acLs or
omlsslons complalned of as consLlLuLlng Lhe offense, Lhe name of Lhe
offended parLy, )>+ ;99#$?3%;)+ )3%+ $" )>+ ,$%%3<<3$4 $" )>+
$""+4<+0 and Lhe place whereln Lhe offense was commlLLed.
and - as regards Lhe Llme of Lhe commlsslon of Lhe offense, parLlcularly -
LhaL:
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. . . lL ls noL necessary Lo sLaLe ln Lhe complalnL or lnformaLlon Lhe preclse
Llme aL whlch Lhe offense was commlLLed excepL when Llme ls a maLerlal
lngredlenL of Lhe offense, buL Lhe acL may be alleged Lo have been
commlLLed aL any Llme as near Lo Lhe acLual daLe aL whlch Lhe offense
was commlLLed as Lhe lnformaLlon or complalnL wlll permlL.
ln llne wlLh Lhls lasL menLloned rule, a varlance of a few monLhs beLween Lhe Llme seL
ouL ln Lhe lndlcLmenL and LhaL esLabllshed by Lhe evldence durlng Lhe Lrlal has been held
noL Lo consLlLuLe an error so serlous as Lo warranL reversal of a convlcLlon solely on LhaL
score. Pence, where Lhe lnformaLlon seLs Lhe daLe of commlsslon of a robbery aL March
23, 1900, evldence was allowed Lo show LhaL Lhe offense was acLually perpeLraLed on
Lhe 3Lh or 6Lh of March, and an amendmenL of an lnformaLlon so as Lo change Lhe year
Lhereln sLaLed Lo LhaL followlng lL, was allowed lL appearlng LhaL Lhe alLeraLlon lmpalred
none of Lhe defendanL's rlghLs.
8

Where, however, Lhere was a varlance of several years beLween Lhe Llme sLaLed ln Lhe
lnformaLlon, 1947, and Lhe proof of lLs acLual commlsslon adduced aL Lhe Lrlal, 1932, Lhe
dlsmlssal of Lhe case by Lhe 1rlal CourL was susLalned by Lhls CourL, slnce Lo allow
amendmenL of Lhe lndlcLmenL Lo conform Lo Lhe evldence would be vlolaLlve of
defendanL's consLlLuLlonal rlghL Lo be lnformed of Lhe naLure and cause of Lhe
accusaLlon agalnsL hlm.
9

Agaln, Lhe sLaLemenL of Lhe Llme of Lhe commlsslon of Lhe offense whlch ls so general as
Lo span a number of years, 3@+@, "beLween CcLober, 1910 Lo AugusL, 1912," has been
held Lo be faLally defecLlve because lL deprlves Lhe accused an opporLunlLy Lo prepare
hls defense.
10

A defecL ln Lhe avermenL as Lo Lhe Llme of Lhe commlsslon of Lhe crlme charged ls noL,
however, a ground for a moLlon Lo quash under 8ule 116 of Lhe 8ules of CourL. Lven lf lL
were, a moLlon for quashal on LhaL accounL wlll be denled slnce Lhe defecL ls one LhaL
can be cured by amendmenL, lnsLead, Lhe courL shall order Lhe amendmenL Lo be made
by sLaLlng Lhe Llme wlLh parLlcularlLy.
11

1he remedy agalnsL an lndlcLmenL LhaL falls Lo allege Lhe Llme of Lhe commlsslon of Lhe
offense wlLh sufflclenL deflnlLeness ls a moLlon for a blll of parLlculars, provlded for ln
SecLlon 6, 8ule 116 of Lhe 8ules of CourL of 1964.
12

A3:: $" 9;#)3,=:;#<. - uefendanL may, aL Lhe Llme of or before
arralgnmenL, move for or demand a more deflnlLe sLaLemenL or a blll of
parLlculars of any maLLer whlch ls noL averred wlLh sufflclenL deflnlLeness
or parLlcularlLy Lo enable hlm properly Lo plead or prepare for Lrlal. 1he
moLlon shall polnL ouL Lhe defecLs complalned of and Lhe deLalls deslred.
lrom all LhaL has been sald, Lhe concluslon should be clear. 1he lnformaLlon agalnsL
peLlLloner 8ocaberLe ls lndeed serlously defecLlve. lL places on hlm and hls co-accused
Lhe unfalr and unreasonable burden of havlng Lo recall Lhelr acLlvlLles over a span of
more Lhan 2,300 days. lL ls a burden nobody should be made Lo bear. 1he publlc
prosecuLor musL make more deflnlLe and parLlcular Lhe Llme of Lhe commlsslon of Lhe
crlme of LhefL aLLrlbuLed Lo 8ocaberLe and hls co-defendanLs. lf he cannoL, Lhe
prosecuLlon cannoL be malnLalned, Lhe case musL be dlsmlssed.
WnLkLICkL, the pet|t|on |s GkAN1LD, and the wr|t of %&'()*'+') prayed for |s ISSULD,
ANNULLING AND SL11ING ASIDL the cha||enged Crders of respondent Iudge dated
August 12, 198S and September 10, 198S |n Cr|m|na| Case No. 38S1, and DIkLC1ING
the amendment of the |nformat|on |n sa|d case by the prosecut|on w|th|n such t|me as
the respondent Iudge may deem proper, fa|||ng wh|ch the cr|m|na| prosecut|on aga|nst
the pet|t|oner and h|s co-defendants sha|| be d|sm|ssed.