SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 742 04/09/2020, 2(07 PM

G.R. No. 178512. November 26, 2014.*

ALFREDO DE GUZMAN, JR., petitioner, vs. PEOPLE

OF THE PHILIPPINES, respondent.

Criminal Law; Frustrated Homicide; Elements of.·The

elements of frustrated homicide are: (1) the accused intended to kill
his victim, as manifested by his use of a deadly weapon in his
assault; (2) the victim sustained fatal or mortal wound but did not
die because of timely medical assistance; and (3) none of the
qualifying circumstances for murder under Article 248 of the
Revised Penal Code, as amended, is present. Inasmuch as the trial
and appellate courts found none of the qualifying circumstances in
murder under Article 248 to be present, we immediately proceed to
ascertain the presence of the two other elements.
Same; Same; Intent to Kill; The essential element in frustrated
or attempted homicide is the intent of the offender to kill the victim
immediately before or simultaneously with the infliction of injuries.
·The essential element in frustrated or attempted homicide is the
intent of the offender to kill the victim immediately before or
simultaneously with the infliction of injuries. Intent to kill is a
specific intent that the State must allege in the information, and
then prove by either direct or circumstantial evidence, as
differentiated from a general criminal intent, which is presumed
from the commission of a felony by dolo. Intent to kill, being a state
of mind, is discerned by the courts only through external
manifestations, i.e., the acts and conduct of the accused at the time
of the assault and immediately thereafter. In Rivera v. People, 480
SCRA 188 (2006), we considered the following factors to determine
the presence of intent to kill, namely: (1) the means used by the
malefactors; (2) the nature, location, and number of wounds
sustained by the victim; (3) the conduct of the malefactors before,
during, or immediately after the killing of the victim; and (4) the
circumstances under which the crime was committed and the
motives of the accused. We have also considered as determinative

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factors the motive of the offender and the words he uttered at the
time of inflicting the injuries on the victim.

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* FIRST DIVISION.

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De Guzman, Jr. vs. People

Same; Penalties; Indeterminate Sentence Law; Under Section 1

of the Indeterminate Sentence Law, an indeterminate sentence is
imposed on the offender consisting of a maximum term and a
minimum term. The maximum term is the penalty properly imposed
under the Revised Penal Code (RPC) after considering any attending
modifying circumstances; while the minimum term is within the
range of the penalty next lower than that prescribed by the RPC for
the offense committed.·Under Section 1 of the Indeterminate
Sentence Law, an indeterminate sentence is imposed on the
offender consisting of a maximum term and a minimum term. The
maximum term is the penalty properly imposed under the Revised
Penal Code after considering any attending modifying
circumstances; while the minimum term is within the range of the
penalty next lower than that prescribed by the Revised Penal Code
for the offense committed. Conformably with Article 50 of the
Revised Penal Code, frustrated homicide is punished by prisión
mayor, which is next lower to reclusion temporal, the penalty for
homicide under Article 249 of the Revised Penal Code. There being
no aggravating or mitigating circumstances present, however,
prisión mayor in its medium period · from eight years and one day
to 10 years · is proper. As can be seen, the maximum of six years
and one day of prisión mayor as fixed by the RTC and affirmed by
the CA was not within the medium period of prisión mayor.
Accordingly, the correct indeterminate sentence is four years of
prisión correccional, as the minimum, to eight years and one day of
prisión mayor, as the maximum.
Same; Damages; Moral Damages; Though incapable of
pecuniary computation, moral damages may be recovered if they are
the proximate result of the defendantÊs wrongful act for omission.·

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Alexander as the victim in frustrated homicide suffered moral

injuries because the offender committed violence that nearly took
away the victimÊs life. „Moral damages include physical suffering,
mental anguish, fright, serious anxiety, besmirched reputation,
wounded feelings, moral shock, social humiliation, and similar
injury. Though incapable of pecuniary computation, moral damages
may be recovered if they are the proximate result of the defendantÊs
wrongful act for omission.‰ Indeed, Article 2219(1), of the Civil Code
expressly recognizes the right of the victim in crimes resulting in
physical injuries. Towards that end, the Court, upon its
appreciation of the records, decrees that P30,000.00 is a reasonable
award of moral damages. In addition, AAA was entitled to recover
civil indemnity of

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De Guzman, Jr. vs. People

P30,000.00. Both of these awards did not require allegation and

proof.

PETITION for review on certiorari of a decision of the

Court of Appeals.
The facts are stated in the opinion of the Court.
Public AttorneyÊs Office for petitioner.
The Solicitor General for respondent.

BERSAMIN, J.:

Frustrated homicide requires intent to kill on the part of

the offender. Without proof of such intent, the felony may
only be serious physical injuries. Intent to kill may be
established through the overt and external acts and
conduct of the offender before, during and after the assault,
or by the nature, location and number of the wounds
inflicted on the victim.

The Case

Under review at the instance of the petitioner is the

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decision promulgated on September 27, 2006,1 whereby the

Court of Appeals (CA) affirmed his conviction for frustrated
homicide committed against Alexander Flojo under the
judgment rendered on September 10, 2003 by the Regional
Trial Court (RTC), Branch 213, in Mandaluyong City in
Criminal Case No. 191-MD.2

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1 Rollo, pp 74-79; penned by Associate Justice Elvi John S. Asuncion,

with the concurrence of Associate Justices Jose Catral Mendoza (now a
member of this Court) and Sesinando E. Villon.
2 Id., at pp. 29-35; penned by Presiding Judge Amalia F. Dy.

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De Guzman, Jr. vs. People

Antecedents

The CA summarized the versions of the parties as

follows:

x x x [O]n December 24, 1997, at about ten oÊclock in the evening,

Alexander Flojo (hereafter „Alexander‰) was fetching water below
his rented house at 443 Aglipay Street, Old Zaniga St.,
Mandaluyong City when suddenly Alfredo De Guzman (hereafter
„Alfredo‰), the brother of his land lady, Lucila Bautista (hereafter
„Lucila‰), hit him on the nape. Alexander informed Lucila about
what Alfredo did to him. Lucila apologized to Alexander by saying,
„Pasensya ka na Mang Alex‰ and told the latter to just go up.
Alexander obliged and went upstairs. He took a rest for about two
hours. Thereafter, at around 12:00 to 12:15 AM, Alexander went
down and continued to fetch water. While pouring water into a
container, Alfredo suddenly appeared in front of Alexander and
stabbed him on his left face and chest.
Cirilino Bantaya, a son-in-law of Alexander, saw the latter
bleeding on the left portion of his body and begging for help.
Alexander then told Cirilino that Alfredo stabbed him. Cirilino
immediately loaded Alexander into his motorcycle (backride) and
brought him to the Mandaluyong City Medical Center. Upon arrival

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at the hospital, the doctors immediately rendered medical

assistance to Alexander. Alexander stayed in the emergency room of
said hospital for about 30 to 40 minutes. Then, he was brought to
the second floor of the said hospital where he was confined for two
days. Thereafter, Alexander was transferred to the Polymedic
General Hospital where he was subjected for (sic) further medical
examination.
Alexander sustained two stabbed (sic) wounds. (sic) One of which
was on the zygoma, left side, and about one (1) cm. long. The other
is on his upper left chest which penetrated the fourth intercostal
space at the proximal clavicular line measuring about two (2) cm.
The second stabbed (sic) wound penetrated the thoracic wall and
left lung of the victim which resulted to blood air (sic) in the

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De Guzman, Jr. vs. People

thoracic cavity thus necessitating the insertion of a thoracostomy

tube to remove the blood. According to Dr. Francisco Obmerga, the
physician who treated the victim at the Mandaluyong City Medical
Center, the second wound was fatal and could have caused
AlexanderÊs death without timely medical intervention. (Tsn, July
8, 1998, p. 8.)
On the other hand, Alfredo denied having stabbed Alexander.
According to him, on December 25, 1997 at around midnight, he
passed by Alexander who was, then, fixing a motorcycle. At that
point, he accidentally hit AlexanderÊs back, causing the latter to
throw invective words against him. He felt insulted, thus, a fistfight
ensued between them. They even rolled on the ground. Alfredo hit
Alexander on the cheek causing blood to ooze from the latterÊs face.3

The RTC convicted the petitioner, decreeing thusly:

PRESCINDING (sic) FROM THE FOREGOING

CONSIDERATIONS, the court finds accused Alfredo De Guzman y
Agkis a.k.a., „JUNIOR,‰ guilty beyond reasonable doubt for (sic) the
crime of FRUSTRATED HOMICIDE defined and penalized in
Article 250 of the Revised Penal Code and in the absence of any
modifying circumstance, he is hereby sentenced to suffer the

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indeterminate penalty of Six (6) Months and One (1) day of

PRISIÓN CORR[R]ECCIONAL as MINIMUM to Six (6) Years and
One (1) day of PRISIÓN MAYOR as MAXIMUM.
The accused is further ordered to pay the private complainant
compensatory damages in the amount of P14,170.35 representing
the actual pecuniary loss suffered by him as he has duly proven.
SO ORDERED.4

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3 Id., at pp. 75-76.

4 Id., at p. 35.

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On appeal, the petitioner contended that his guilt had

not been proved beyond reasonable doubt; that intent to
kill, the critical element of the crime charged, was not
established; that the injuries sustained by Alexander were
mere scuffmarks inflicted in the heat of anger during the
fistfight between them; that he did not inflict the stab
wounds, insisting that another person could have inflicted
such wounds; and that he had caused only slight physical
injuries on Alexander, for which he should be accordingly
found guilty.
Nonetheless, the CA affirmed the petitionerÊs conviction,
viz.:

WHEREFORE, premises considered, the instant appeal is

DISMISSED. The September 10, 2003 Decision of the Regional
Trial Court of Mandaluyong City, Branch 213, is hereby
AFFIRMED in toto.
SO ORDERED.5

The CA denied the petitionerÊs motion for

reconsideration on May 2, 2007.6

Issue

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Was the petitioner properly found guilty beyond

reasonable doubt of frustrated homicide?

Ruling

The appeal lacks merit.

The elements of frustrated homicide are: (1) the accused
intended to kill his victim, as manifested by his use of a
deadly weapon in his assault; (2) the victim sustained fatal
or mortal wound but did not die because of timely medical
assistance;

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5 Id., at p. 79.
6 Id., at p. 90.

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De Guzman, Jr. vs. People

and (3) none of the qualifying circumstances for murder

under Article 248 of the Revised Penal Code, as amended,
is present.7 Inasmuch as the trial and appellate courts
found none of the qualifying circumstances in murder
under Article 248 to be present, we immediately proceed to
ascertain the presence of the two other elements.
The petitioner adamantly denies that intent to kill was
present during the fistfight between him and Alexander.
He claims that the heightened emotions during the fistfight
naturally emboldened both of them, but he maintains that
he only inflicted minor abrasions on Alexander, not the
stab wounds that he appeared to have sustained. Hence, he
should be held liable only for serious physical injuries
because the intent to kill, the necessary element to
characterize the crime as homicide, was not sufficiently
established. He avers that such intent to kill is the main
element that distinguishes the crime of physical injuries
from the crime of homicide; and that the crime is homicide
only if the intent to kill is competently shown.

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The essential element in frustrated or attempted

homicide is the intent of the offender to kill the victim
immediately before or simultaneously with the infliction of
injuries. Intent to kill is a specific intent that the State
must allege in the information, and then prove by either
direct or circumstantial evidence, as differentiated from a
general criminal intent, which is presumed from the
commission of a felony by dolo.8 Intent to kill, being a state
of mind, is discerned by the courts only through external
manifestations, i.e., the acts and conduct of the accused at
the time of the assault and immediately

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7 Serrano v. People, G.R. No. 175023, July 5, 2010, 623 SCRA 322,
339.
8 Mahawan v. People, G.R. No. 176609, December 18, 2008, 574
SCRA 737; Rivera v. People, G.R. No. 166326, January 25, 2006, 480
SCRA 188, 196.

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De Guzman, Jr. vs. People

thereafter. In Rivera v. People,9 we considered the

following factors to determine the presence of intent to kill,
namely: (1) the means used by the malefactors; (2) the
nature, location, and number of wounds sustained by the
victim; (3) the conduct of the malefactors before, during, or
immediately after the killing of the victim; and (4) the
circumstances under which the crime was committed and
the motives of the accused. We have also considered as
determinative factors the motive of the offender and the
words he uttered at the time of inflicting the injuries on the
victim.10
Here, both the trial and the appellate court agreed that
intent to kill was present. We concur with them. Contrary
to the petitionerÊs submission, the wounds sustained by
Alexander were not mere scuffmarks inflicted in the heat of
anger or as the result of a fistfight between them. The
petitioner wielded and used a knife in his assault on

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Alexander. The medical records indicate, indeed, that

Alexander sustained two stab wounds, specifically, one on
his upper left chest and the other on the left side of his
face. The petitionerÊs attack was unprovoked with the knife
used therein causing such wounds, thereby belying his
submission, and firmly proving the presence of intent to
kill. There is also to be no doubt about the wound on
AlexanderÊs chest being sufficient to result into his death
were it not for the timely medical intervention.
With the State having thereby shown that the petitioner
already performed all the acts of execution that should
produce the felony of homicide as a consequence, but did
not produce it by reason of causes independent of his will,
i.e., the timely medical attention accorded to Alexander, he
was properly found guilty of frustrated homicide.

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9 Rivera v. People, id., at p. 197, citing People v. Delim, G.R. No.

142773, January 28, 2003, 396 SCRA 386, 400.
10 Supra note 7 at pp. 335-336.

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De Guzman, Jr. vs. People

We have no cogent reason to deviate from or to disregard

the findings of the trial and appellate courts on the
credibility of AlexanderÊs testimony. It is not disputed that
the testimony of a single but credible and trustworthy
witness sufficed to support the conviction of the petitioner.
This guideline finds more compelling application when the
lone witness is the victim himself whose direct and positive
identification of his assailant is almost always regarded
with indubitable credibility, owing to the natural tendency
of the victim to seek justice for himself, and thus strive to
remember the face of his assailant and to recall the manner
in which the latter committed the crime.11 Moreover, it is
significant that the petitionerÊs mere denial of the deadly
manner of his attack was contradicted by the credible
physical evidence corroborating AlexanderÊs statements.

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Under the circumstances, we can only affirm the

petitionerÊs conviction for frustrated homicide.
The affirmance of the conviction notwithstanding, we
find the indeterminate penalty of „Six (6) Months and One
(1) day of PRISIÓN CORR[R]ECCIONAL as MINIMUM to
Six (6) Years and One (1) day of PRISIÓN MAYOR as
MAXIMUM‰12 fixed by the RTC erroneous despite the CA
concurring with the trial court thereon. Under Section 1 of
the Indeterminate Sentence Law, an indeterminate
sentence is imposed on the offender consisting of a
maximum term and a minimum term.13 The maximum
term is the penalty properly imposed

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11 Cabildo v. People, G.R. No. 189971, August 23, 2010, 628 SCRA
602, 609.
12 Supra note 3.
13 Section 1. Hereafter, in imposing a prison sentence for an offense
punished by the Revised Penal Code, or its amendments, the court shall
sentence the accused to an indeterminate sentence the maximum term of
which shall be that which, in view of the attending circumstances, could
be properly imposed under the rules of the said Code, and the minimum
which shall be within the range of the penalty next lower to that
prescribed by the Code for the offense; and if the offense is punished by
any other law, the court shall sentence the accused to an indeterminate
sentence, the maximum term of which

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De Guzman, Jr. vs. People

under the Revised Penal Code after considering any

attending modifying circumstances; while the minimum
term is within the range of the penalty next lower than
that prescribed by the Revised Penal Code for the offense
committed. Conformably with Article 50 of the Revised
Penal Code,14 frustrated homicide is punished by prisión
mayor, which is next lower to reclusion temporal, the
penalty for homicide under Article 249 of the Revised Penal
Code. There being no aggravating or mitigating

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circumstances present, however, prisión mayor in its

medium period · from eight years and one day to 10 years
· is proper. As can be seen, the maximum of six years and
one day of prisión mayor as fixed by the RTC and affirmed
by the CA was not within the medium period of prisión
mayor. Accordingly, the correct indeterminate sentence is
four years of prisión correccional, as the minimum, to eight
years and one day of prisión mayor, as the maximum.
The RTC and the CA also agreed on limiting the civil
liability to the sum of P14,170.35 as compensatory
damages „representing the actual pecuniary loss suffered
by [Alexander] as he has duly proven.‰15 We need to revise
such civil liability in order to conform to the law, the Rules
of Court and relevant jurisprudence. In Bacolod v. People,16
we emphatically declared to be „imperative that the courts
prescribe the proper penalties when convicting the accused,
and determine the civil liability to be imposed on the
accused, unless there has been a reservation of the action
to recover civil liability or a waiver of its recovery.‰ We
explained why in the following manner:

_______________

shall not exceed the maximum fixed by said law and the minimum
shall not be less than the minimum term prescribed by the same.
14 Article 50. Penalty to be imposed upon principals of a frustrated
crime.·The penalty next lower in degree than that prescribed by law for
the consummated felony shall be imposed upon the principal in a
frustrated felony.
15 Supra note 3.
16 G.R. No. 206236, July 15, 2013, 701 SCRA 229.

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De Guzman, Jr. vs. People

It is not amiss to stress that both the RTC and the CA

disregarded their express mandate under Section 2, Rule 120 of the
Rules of Court to have the judgment, if it was of conviction, state:
„(1) the legal qualification of the offense constituted by the acts
committed by the accused and the aggravating or mitigating

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circumstances which attended its commission; (2) the participation

of the accused in the offense, whether as principal, accomplice, or
accessory after the fact; (3) the penalty imposed upon the
accused; and (4) the civil liability or damages caused by his
wrongful act or omission to be recovered from the accused
by the offended party, if there is any, unless the enforcement
of the civil liability by a separate civil action has been
reserved or waived.‰ Their disregard compels us to act as we now
do lest the Court be unreasonably seen as tolerant of their omission.
That the Spouses Cogtas did not themselves seek the correction of
the omission by an appeal is no hindrance to this action because the
Court, as the final reviewing tribunal, has not only the authority
but also the duty to correct at any time a matter of law and justice.
We also pointedly remind all trial and appellate courts to avoid
omitting reliefs that the parties are properly entitled to by law or in
equity under the established facts. Their judgments will not be
worthy of the name unless they thereby fully determine the rights
and obligations of the litigants. It cannot be otherwise, for only by a
full determination of such rights and obligations would they be true
to the judicial office of administering justice and equity for all.
Courts should then be alert and cautious in their rendition of
judgments of conviction in criminal cases. They should prescribe the
legal penalties, which is what the Constitution and the law require
and expect them to do. Their prescription of the wrong penalties
will be invalid and ineffectual for being done without jurisdiction or
in manifest grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack of
jurisdiction. They should also determine and set the civil liability ex
delicto of the accused, in order to do justice to the complaining
victims who are always entitled to them. The Rules of Court
mandates them

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to do so unless the enforcement of the civil liability by separate

actions has been reserved or waived.17

Alexander as the victim in frustrated homicide suffered

moral injuries because the offender committed violence

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that nearly took away the victimÊs life. „Moral damages

include physical suffering, mental anguish, fright, serious
anxiety, besmirched reputation, wounded feelings, moral
shock, social humiliation, and similar injury. Though
incapable of pecuniary computation, moral damages may
be recovered if they are the proximate result of the
defendantÊs wrongful act for omission.‰18 Indeed, Article
2219(1), of the Civil Code expressly recognizes the right of
the victim in crimes resulting in physical injuries.19
Towards that end, the Court, upon its appreciation of the
records, decrees that P30,000.00 is a reasonable award of
moral damages.20 In addition, AAA was entitled to recover
civil indemnity of P30,000.00.21 Both of these awards did
not require allegation and proof.
In addition, the amounts awarded as civil liability of the
petitioner shall earn interest of 6% per annum reckoned
from the finality of this decision until full payment by the
accused.
WHEREFORE, the Court AFFIRMS the decision
promulgated on September 27, 2006 finding petitioner
Alfredo De

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17 Id., at pp. 239-240 (the bold underscoring is part of the original

text).
18 Article 2217, Civil Code.
19 Article 2219. Moral damages may be recovered in the following
and analogous cases:
xxxx
(1) A criminal offense resulting in physical injuries;
xxxx
20 Nacario v. People, G.R. No. 173106, September 30, 2008, 567 SCRA
262, 268; Angeles v. People, G.R. No. 172744, September 29, 2008, 567
SCRA 20, 30; Adame v. Court of Appeals, G.R. No. 139830, November 21,
2002, 392 SCRA 305, 316.
21 Flores v. People, G.R. No. 181625, October 2, 2009, 602 SCRA 611,
626.

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De Guzman, Jr. vs. People

Guzman, Jr. GUILTY beyond reasonable doubt of

FRUSTRATED HOMICIDE, and SENTENCES him to
suffer the indeterminate penalty of four years of prisión
correccional, as the minimum, to eight years and one day of
prisión mayor, as the maximum; ORDERS the petitioner
to pay to Alexander Flojo civil indemnity of P30,000.00;
moral damages of P30,000.00; and compensatory damages
of P14,170.35, plus interest of 6% per annum on all such
awards from the finality of this decision until full payment;
and DIRECTS the petitioner to pay the costs of suit.
SO ORDERED.

Sereno (CJ., Chairperson), Leonardo-De Castro,

Villarama, Jr.** and Perez, JJ., concur.

Judgment affirmed, petitioner Alfredo De Guzman, Jr.

guilty of frustrated homicide.

Notes.·The intent to kill is often inferred from, among

other things, the means the offender used and the nature,
location and number of wounds he inflicted on his victims.
(Colinares vs. People, 662 SCRA 266 [2011])
Evidence to prove intent to kill in crimes against
persons may consist, among other things, of the means
used by the malefactors; the conduct of the malefactors
before, at the time of, or immediately after the killing of the
victim; and the nature, location and number of wounds
sustained by the victim. (Guevarra vs. People, 715 SCRA
384 [2014])
··o0o··

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* * Designated acting member, vice Associate Justice Estela M. Perlas-

Bernabe, per Special Order No. 1885 dated November 24, 2014.

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