RELATED TOPIC: Conspiracy
FACTS: Caraang was convicted by the RTC, together with his cohorts, of the complex crime of abduction with rape, two counts of rape, and one count of acts of lasciviousness. Caraang claims that the RTC erred in finding conspiracy since the prosecution failed to prove that there was prior agreement among the accused.
ISSUE: Whether or not the trial court erred in finding that there was a conspiracy.
DECISION: No. There is no doubt that Caraang and his co-accused acted in conspiracy, as seen through their concerted actions in abducting the victims with lewd designs and later on raping them. Direct proof is not essential to establish conspiracy; which may be inferred from the acts of the assailants before, during, and after the commission of the crime.
Conspiracy arises when two or more persons come to an agreement concerning the commission of a felony and decide to commit it. It comes to life at the very instant the plotters agree, expressly or impliedly, to commit the felony and forthwith to pursue it actually.
As in this case, conspiracy is proved by concerted acts or other forms of evidence indicative of actual cooperation — a common purpose or design, as well as a concurrence of sentiments to commit the felony and to pursue it actually. Thus, the act of one becomes the act of all, and each of them will thereby be deemed equally guilty of all the crimes committed.
Read the full case here.
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