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EPIFANIO LALICAN, petitioner, vs. HON. FILOMENO A. VERGARA,

Presiding Judge, RTC r!n"# $%, Puerto Prin"es! Cit& !nd PEOPLE

OF THE PHILIPPINE', respondents.

F!"ts o( t#e "!se)T#is "!se is ! petition (or "ertior!ri. T#e petitioner, Epi(!nio

L!*i"!n, toget#er +it# ot#ers +ere "#!rged +it# ! vio*!tion o(

'e"tion - o( Presidenti!* e"ree /0$ or t#e Forestr& Re(or1 Code

o( t#e P#i*ippines 2e"!use t#e& #!ve in possession o( 3,-00 2o!rd

(eet o( !ssorted spe"ies !nd di1ensions o( *u12er on 2o!rd t+o

p!ssenger 4eeps, +it# ! v!*ue o( 35,000.00 to t#e d!1!ge !nd

pre4udi"e o( t#e P#i*ippine govern1ent.

On August %6, 3773, t#e petitioner 8*ed ! 1otion to 9u!s#

t#e in(or1!tion 8*ed !g!inst #i1 s!&ing t#!t t#ere +!s no o:ense

"o11itted 2e"!use P /0$ re(ers not to *u12er 2ut ;ti12er !nd

ot#er (orest produ"ts.< He s!id t#!t ti12er 2e"o1es *u12er !(ter

it is s!+ed into 2e!1s, p*!n=s or 2o!rds. He !*so "ontended t#!t

t#e in(or1!tion 2e 9u!s#ed !s it vio*!ted #is "onstitution!* rig#ts

on due pro"ess !nd e9u!* prote"tion o( *!+s.

T#e prose"ution 1oved to oppose t#e 1otion to 9u!s#s!&ing t#!t to interpret t#e *!+ !s #o+ t#e petitioner interprets it

+ou*d 2e ! 2!d pre"edent (or it +i** give ! +!& (or ot#ers to

"ir"u1vent t#e *!+.

T#e *o+er "ourt ru*ed in (!vor o( t#e petitioner +#ere t#e

"!se +!s 8rst tried, 9u!s#ing t#e in(or1!tion 2ut t#e prose"ution

soug#t (or ! di:erent de"ision t#us 8*ing ! 1otion (or

re"onsider!tion. T#e "!se eventu!**& +!s #e*d in ! di:erent

2r!n"# !nd t#e presiding 4udge ru*ed in (!vor o( t#e prose"ution

setting !side t#e 9u!s#!* o( t#e in(or1!tion (ro1 t#e previous

4udge. T#e petitioner 8*ed (or ! 1otion (or re"onsider!tion !rguing

t#!t t#e *!tter "ourt gr!ve*& !2used its dis"retion !1ounting to

*!"= or e>"ess o( 4urisdi"tion (or setting !side t#e 9u!s#!* o(

in(or1!tion.

Issue)

T#e issue in t#is "!se +#et#er or not ! "#!rge o( i**eg!*possession o( ?*u12er? is e>"*uded (ro1 t#e "ri1e o( i**eg!*

possession o( ?ti12er? !s de8ned in 'e". - o( Presidenti!* e"ree

No. /0$ @T#e Forestr& Re(or1 Code o( t#e P#i*ippines, !s

!1ended.

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Ru*ing o( t#e "ourt)

T#e "ourt dis1issed t#e petition (or "ertior!ri 2!sed on t#e

(o**o+ing)

@3 Ubi lex non distinguit nec nos distingueredebemus+#i"# 1e!ns i( t#e *!+ does not distinguis#,

+e s#ou*d !*so not distinguis#. A*t#oug# ti12er or

*u12er +!s not de8ned in P/0$, it is used in its

"o11on !nd ordin!r& sense, i.e *u12er is ! pro"essed

+ood "onsidered under t#e ter1 ;(orest produ"ts.i1u1. T!n=i=o !nd t#e petitioner !ppe!*ed !t t#e Court o(

Appe!*s !nd T!n=i=o +!s !"9uitted.

Issue)

T#e issues !re +#et#er or not t#e "erti8"!te o( ti12er origin

+!s not t#e proper do"u1ent to 4usti(& t#e petitioners possession

o( t#e s9u!red ti12ered o( it"#es !nd t#!t t#e presen"e o(

er!sures in t#e "erti8"!te o( ti12er origin renders t#e1 v!*ue*ess

!s eviden"e.

Ru*ing o( t#e "ourt)

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T#e "ourt !r1ed t#e de"ision o( t#e Court o( Appe!*s 2ut

1odi8ed t#e punis#1ent (or t#e petitioner. T#e tri!* "ourt !"ted

"orre"t*& in not giving "reden"e to t#e Certi8"!tes o( Ti12er

Origin presented 2& petitioner sin"e t#e *u12er #e*d 2& t#e

"o1p!n& s#ou*d 2e "overed 2& Certi8"!tes o( Lu12er Origin. Inter1s o( t#e ;1ist!=es< or ;errors< in t#e do"u1ents t#e

petitioner presented, t#e "ourt ru*ed t#!t #e !s t#e gener!*

1!n!ger +#o #!s dire"t supervision o( t#e s!*e o( t#e s!id *u12er

s#ou*d #!ve t!=en steps to "*e!r or "orre"t !n& 1ist!=es in t#ose

do"u1ents.

Peop*e o( t#e P#i*ippines, p*!inti:!ppe**ee, vs. A*(onso !tor !nd

enito Geno*, !""used @!"9uitted

P!stor Te*en, !""used!ppe**!nt.

F!"ts o( t#e "!se)

T#is "!se is !n !ppe!* 1!de 2& t#e !ppe**!nt on t#e de"ision

1!de !t t#e Region!* Tri!* Court o( M!!sin, 'out#ern Le&tereg!rding ! vio*!tion o( 'e"tion - o( P /0$. T#e !""used,

A*(onso !tor, enito Geno* !nd P!stor Te*en, +ere (ound to #!ve

in possession o( 3,$0.3 2o!rd (eet o( !ssorted *u12er it"#es

v!*ued !t %6,$00.00 +it#out !n& *eg!* do"u1ent !s re9uired

under e>isting (orest *!+s !nd regu*!tions (ro1 proper

govern1ent !ut#orities, to t#e d!1!ge !nd pre4udi"e o( t#e

govern1ent.

uring t#e !rr!ign1ent, t#e !ppe**!nt toget#er +it# ot#er

!""used p*e!ded not gui*t&. Tri!* "!1e !nd t#e !ppe**!nt +!s t#e

on*& one (ound gui*t& o( t#e o:ense.

Issue)

T#e issue in t#is "!se is +#et#er or not t#e re!* v!*ue o( t#e

"on8s"!ted *u12er (ro1 t#e !ppe**!nt "orrespond to t#e 8rst

4udg1ent i1posed !g!inst #i1 !nd t#e "ontention o( t#e

!ppe**!nt t#!t #e +!s !ssured t#!t t#ere need not 2e ! o"i!*

per1ission +#en #e !*re!d& !s=ed ver2!**& to "ut trees,

"on(or1ing !*so to t#e *!+ t#!t #e needs to rep*!"e t#ose trees.

Ru*ing o( t#e "ourt)

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T#e "ourt !r1ed t#e de"ision o( t#e Region!* Tri!* Court

2ut +it# 1odi8"!tions !s to t#e punis#1ent. Fro1 t#e origin!*

senten"e o( reclusion perpetuato ! *o+er degree o( 1ont#s !nd

3 d!& o( prision "orre""ion!*, !s 1ini1u1, to &e!rs !nd 3 d!& o(

prision 1!&or, !s 1!>i1u1. A*t#oug# t#e !ppe**!nt undou2ted*&vio*!ted P /0$, t#e !ppe**!nt !s s!id in t#e 'upre1e Court

de"ision +!s ! 4!nitor +#o did not use t#e *u12er (or "o11er"i!*

purposes 2ut (or t#e 2ui*ding o( #is #ouse. T#e "ourt *oo=ed into

t#e "ir"u1st!n"es o( t#e !ppe**!nt.

it# reg!rd to t#e ot#er issue posed 2& t#e !ppe**!nt, t#e

'upre1e Court s!id t#!t sin"e P /0$, ! spe"i!* st!tutor& *!+,

!nd +#i"# "ri1e is "onsidered 1!*! pro#i2it!, in t#e prose"ution

(or "ri1es t#!t !re "onsidered 1!*! pro#i2it!, t#e on*& in9uir& is

+#et#er or not t#e *!+ #!s 2een vio*!ted. T#e 1otive or intention

under*&ing t#e !"t o( t#e !ppe**!nt is i11!teri!*.