- Petitioner
- People
- Respondent
- Borromeo
- Citation
- G.R. No. 130843
- Court
- Supreme Court
- Division
- En Banc
- Ponente
- Per Curiam
- Decided
- January 27, 2000
Summary
The Supreme Court En Banc affirmed the death sentence imposed on Zoilo Borromeo for kidnapping 1-year-old Kenneth Hernandez for ransom. Borromeo, a former bakery employee, took the child under false pretenses on January 3, 1996, hid him in Cavite, and demanded P300,000 ransom from the parents. He was caught in a police entrapment operation while receiving bogus ransom money. The Court found all elements of kidnapping for ransom established beyond reasonable doubt, with death penalty mandatory under Article 267 of the Revised Penal Code since the victim was a minor and ransom was demanded. The decision reduced moral damages from P250,000 to P100,000, demonstrating the Court's strict application of criminal law in protecting children from kidnapping and the ultimate penalty for such heinous crimes against minors.