- Petitioner
- Narcisa Tul-id
- Respondent
- People
- Citation
- G.R. No. L-46186
- Court
- Supreme Court
- Division
- First Division
- Ponente
- Teehankee, J.
- Decided
- July 21, 1977
Proper penalty for slight oral defamation - whether imprisonment or fine should be imposed
Summary
The Supreme Court modified the penalty in a slight oral defamation case involving a real estate broker who uttered insulting words against a lawyer during a heated confrontation over money. The Court of Appeals had already reduced the charge from grave to slight oral defamation, recognizing provocation and the heat of anger circumstances. The Supreme Court, upon the Solicitor General's recommendation, showed leniency by replacing the 11-day imprisonment with a P200 fine, considering the petitioner's advanced age (over 65), gender, and widowed status. The case demonstrates judicial discretion in penalty modification and the court's consideration of personal circumstances in sentencing, while maintaining the P500 damages award for the offended party.