820 Phil. 1219
LEONARDO-DE CASTRO, J.:
WHEREFORE, in the light of the foregoing evidence, the court finds the accused guilty beyond reasonable doubt of (Qualified) Incestuous Rape in Crim. Case No. 1317 and Statutory Incestuous Rape in Crim. Case No. 1318.Accused-appellant's appeal before the Court of Appeals was docketed as CA-G.R. CEB-CR-HC No. 02040. In its Decision dated August 26, 2016, the appellate court upheld accused-appellant's conviction, but modified the award of damages to AAA. The Court of Appeals decreed:
Accordingly, in both cases, the court has no recourse but to impose on the accused the penalties mandated by law. Although the crimes of Qualified Incestuous Rape and Statutory Incestuous Rape would have been punishable by death, in view of the passage of R.A. [No.] 9346 (which prohibits the imposition of the death penalty), the penalty iinposable for each of the two offenses is only reclusion perpetua.
Because of the qualifying or aggravating circumstance of relationship, the victim is entitled to civil indemnity in each case of P75,000 ex delicto, P75,000 in moral damages (People v. Lauga, G.R. No. 186228, Mar. 15, 2010), and P30,000 in exemplary damages (ibid.).[3]
WHEREFORE, in view of the foregoing, We find no error committed by the Trial Court and, hence, DENY the appeal. The Decision dated 11 March 2015 rendered by the Regional Trial Court of Loay, Bohol 7th Judicial Region, Branch 50, in Criminal Case Nos. 1317 and 1318, is AFFIRMED with MODIFICATION.On September 21, 2016, accused-appellant filed his Notice of Appeal expressing his intention to appeal the foregoing Decision before this Court.
As modified, [accused-]appellant Ruben Calomia is ordered to pay the victim AAA the amounts of P100,000.00 as civil indemnity, P100,000.00, as moral damages, and P100,000.00 as exemplary damages. Interest is imposed on all damages awarded at the rate of 6% per annum from date of finality of this Decision until fully paid.[4]
Please be informed that the said appellant [has] died while in the confinement of Bohol District Jail last Sept. 29, 2015 due to Asphyxia due to Strangulation, Self Inflicted, Hanging and declared dead by Dr. Calvelo, Medical Officer III, City Health Office, Tagbilaran City, Bohol per Certificate of Death from Local Civil Registrar.Attached to J/CINSP Montejo's letter is a copy of accused-appellant's Death Certificate issued by the Office of the Civil Registrar General indicating that accused-appellant died on September 29, 2015 in Cabawan District, Tagbilaran City, Bohol, of "Asphyxia due to Strangulation, Self Inflicted, Hanging."
Accused Ruben Calomia was due for transfer at BUCOR Muntinlupa City at that time pending the approval of budget but unfortunately he died with the aforementioned cause of death before the scheduled date and time to transfer.[5]
Art. 89. How criminal liability is totally extinguished. - Criminal liability is totally extinguished:In People v. Bayotas,[6] the Court construed the above provision and pronounced these guidelines:
1. By the death of the convict, as to the personal penalties; and as to pecuniary penalties, liability therefore is extinguished only when the death of the offender occurs before final judgment[.]
1. Death of the accused pending appeal of his conviction extinguishes his criminal liability as well as the civil liability based solely thereon. As opined by Justice Regalado, in this regard, "the death of the accused prior to final judgment terminates his criminal liability and only the civil liability directly arising from and based solely on the offense committed, i.e., civil liability ex delicto in senso strictiore."The death of an accused pending the appeal of his conviction extinguishes the criminal action, as there is no longer a defendant to stand as the accused; and the civil action instituted therein for the recovery of civil liability ex delicto is likewise ipso facto extinguished, as it is grounded on the criminal action.[7]
2. Corollarily, the claim for civil liability survives notwithstanding the death of accused, if the same may also be predicated on a source of obligation other than delict. Article 1157 of the Civil Code enumerates these other sources of obligation from which the civil liability may arise as a result of the same act or omission:
a) Law
b) Contracts
c) Quasi-contracts
d) x x x
e) Quasi-delicts
3. Where the civil liability survives, as explained in Number 2 above, an action for recovery therefor may be pursued but only by way of filing a separate civil action and subject to Section 1, Rule 111 of the 1985 Rules on Criminal Procedure as amended. This separate civil action may be enforced either against the executor/administrator or the estate of the accused, depending on the source of obligation upon which the same is based as explained above.
4. Finally, the private offended party need not fear a forfeiture of his right to file this separate civil action by prescription, in cases where during the prosecution of the criminal action and prior to its extinction, the private-offended party instituted together therewith the civil action. In such case, the statute of limitations on the civil liability is deemed interrupted during the pendency of the criminal case, conformably with provisions of Article 1155 of the Civil Code, that should thereby avoid any apprehension on a possible privation of right by prescription. (Emphases supplied.)