G.R. No. L-9915 - OCTOBER 1914 - PHILIPPINE JURISPRUDENCE CASE NUMBERCASE TITLE G.R. No. L-9915October 30, 1914 United States vs. Chien Suey G.R. No. L-9268October 30, 1914 United States vs. Fred C. Bruhez, et al. G.R. No. L-8746October 30, 1914 United States, et al. vs. Steamship "Islas Filipinas" G.R. No. L-9537October 29, 1914 United States vs. Florentino Cassion, et al. G.R. No. L-9444October 29, 1914 United States vs. Sofronio dela Cruz, et al. G.R. No. L-9737October 28, 1914 Ho Nina, et al. vs. Insular Collector of Customs G.R. No. L-9183October 28, 1914 Evarista Sinapilo vs. Peter Garcia G.R. No. L-8147October 26, 1914 G. Urrutia and Company vs. Amalia Moreno, et al. G.R. No. L-8938October 24, 1914 Petrona Villoria vs. Esperanza Aquino G.R. No. L-8715October 24, 1914 Mariano Velsoso vs. Lucia Martinez G.R. No. L-9197October 22, 1914 Hermogena Santos vs. Miguel Robledo, et al. G.R. No. L-9784October 21, 1914 United States vs. Ong Shiu G.R. No. L-9459October 19, 1914 United States vs. Severino Camara, et al. G.R. No. L-9305October 17, 1914 United States vs. Victor Vitug G.R. No. L-9772October 16, 1914 United States vs. Agapito Serrano, et al. G.R. No. L-9030October 16, 1914 United States vs. Pedro Rosales, et al. G.R. No. L-9247October 15, 1914 United States vs. Genaro Pasca G.R. No. L-9716October 13, 1914 United States vs. Juan V. Ramos G.R. No. L-9415October 13, 1914 United States vs. Ong To, et al. G.R. No. L-9387October 13, 1914 Tiburcia de Liza vs. Director of Lands G.R. No. L-8611October 13, 1914 United States vs. Bonifacio Garing G.R. No. L-8727October 13, 1914 Serafin Uy Piaoco vs. J. McMicking, et al. G.R. No. L-7944October 9, 1914 United States vs. Master of the S. S. "Tean" G.R. No. L-7690October 9, 1914 Chua Doc De vs. Artadi and Company G.R. No. L-9855October 6, 1914 Chua Shun vs. Insular Collector of Customs G.R. No. L-9679October 6, 1914 Mateo Labiano vs. W. E. McMahon G.R. No. L-9475October 6, 1914 Jose Calderon vs. La Provicia del Santisimo Rosario G.R. No. L-9378October 6, 1914 Benito Rabajante vs. P. M. Moir, et al. G.R. No. L-9791October 3, 1914 United States vs. Vicente F. Sotelo G.R. No. L-8231October 3, 1914 Prospero K. Alafriz vs. Pia Mina G.R. No. L-9609, 9610 and 9611October 2, 1914 United States vs. Anastacio Avillar, et al. G.R. No. L-9600October 1, 1914 United States vs. Eugenio Gacutan G.R. No. L-7760October 1, 1914 E. M. Wright vs. Manila Electric Railroad and Light Company The Lawphil Project - Arellano Law Foundation, Inc. United States vs. Chien Suey United States vs. Fred C. Bruhez, et al. United States, et al. vs. Steamship "Islas Filipinas" United States vs. Florentino Cassion, et al. United States vs. Sofronio dela Cruz, et al. Ho Nina, et al. vs. Insular Collector of Customs Evarista Sinapilo vs. Peter Garcia G. Urrutia and Company vs. Amalia Moreno, et al. Petrona Villoria vs. Esperanza Aquino Mariano Velsoso vs. Lucia Martinez Hermogena Santos vs. Miguel Robledo, et al. United States vs. Ong Shiu United States vs. Severino Camara, et al. United States vs. Victor Vitug United States vs. Agapito Serrano, et al. United States vs. Pedro Rosales, et al. United States vs. Genaro Pasca United States vs. Juan V. Ramos United States vs. Ong To, et al. Tiburcia de Liza vs. Director of Lands United States vs. Bonifacio Garing Serafin Uy Piaoco vs. J. McMicking, et al. United States vs. Master of the S. S. "Tean" Chua Doc De vs. Artadi and Company Chua Shun vs. Insular Collector of Customs Mateo Labiano vs. W. E. McMahon Jose Calderon vs. La Provicia del Santisimo Rosario Benito Rabajante vs. P. M. Moir, et al. United States vs. Vicente F. Sotelo Prospero K. Alafriz vs. Pia Mina United States vs. Anastacio Avillar, et al. United States vs. Eugenio Gacutan E. M. Wright vs. Manila Electric Railroad and Light Company The Lawphil Project - Arellano Law Foundation, Inc.
Republic of the Philippines
SUPREME COURT
Manila
EN BANC
G.R. No. L-9915 October 30, 1914
THE UNITED STATES,plaintiff-appellee,
vs.
CHIEN SUEY,defendant-appellant.
C.W. O'Brien for appellant.
Office of the Solicitor General Corpus for appellee.
MORELAND,J.:
This is an appeal from a judgment of the Court of First Instance of the Department of Mindanao and Sulu convicting the accused of a violation of section 31 of the Opium Law and sentencing him to pay a fine of P1,000, with subsidiary imprisonment in case of insolvency, and to pay the costs of the trial.
The information alleges: "On or about the 17th day of October, 1913, in the municipality of Jolo, district of Sulu, Department of Mindanao and Sulu, P. I., the aforesaid accused Chinaman, Chien Suey, did then and these willfully, knowingly, criminally, and illegally have in his possession and under his control 10 cans of opium, without being duly authorized to have the same in his possession."lawphil.net
The opium alleged to have been found in the possession of the defendant was not produced in court and no one testified to the fact it was opium except an ignorant Moro woman, who apparently knew nothing about opium.
It further appears in the case that the witnesses for the prosecution were enemies of the accused, and that fact, taken in connection with the further fact that their testimony is not altogether reasonable and, in part, contradictory, makes it impossible for us to concur in the finding of the learned trial court that the accused was proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
It not having been shown beyond a reasonable question that the substance alleged to be opium was such, and the only other evidence tending to incriminate the accused being given by persons who entertained strong feelings against him and whose testimony was, to say the least, in part unreasonable, we are constrained to reverse the judgment and to acquit the accused.
The judgment of conviction is reversed and the accused acquitted. Costsde officio.
Arellano, C.J., Torres, Johnson, Carson, Trent and Araullo, JJ., concur.