- Petitioner
- People
- Respondent
- XXX254869-70
- Citation
- G.R. No. 254869
- Court
- Supreme Court
- Division
- Second Division
- Decided
- July 18, 2022
Summary
The Supreme Court denied the appeal in this criminal case involving rape charges against XXX254869-70 for three counts of rape against two 13-year-old relatives. The accused was found guilty of one count of qualified rape of his niece by affinity and two counts of simple rape of his grandniece, all occurring in 2013. The Court emphasized that moral ascendancy arising from familial relationships substitutes for force and intimidation in rape cases. All three courts consistently found the victims' testimonies credible and corroborated by medical evidence. The Supreme Court modified the monetary awards for qualified rape to P100,000.00 each for civil indemnity, moral damages, and exemplary damages, while maintaining the original awards for simple rape cases. Legal interest of 6% per annum was imposed on all monetary awards from judgment finality until full payment.