People v. Ramilo

Summary

This Supreme Court case affirmed the rape conviction of Venancio Ramilo y Sangalang who was found guilty of raping 18-year-old Hilaria V. Sangalang on October 11, 1975. The victim positively identified the accused despite minor inconsistencies in her testimony regarding details like room measurements and sequence of events. The Court held that such inconsistencies on collateral matters do not affect witness credibility, especially from a frightened victim. The accused's alibi defense failed as it was not physically impossible for him to travel from Manila to commit the crime, and the alibi was corroborated only by a relative. The Court applied the established principle that no decent young Filipina would falsely claim rape due to natural instinct to protect honor. The conviction was affirmed with increased indemnity from P12,000 to P20,000.