THE PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, plaintiff-appellee,

Vs.

LUIS MISION y SALIPOT

G.R. No. L-63480, February 26, 1991

Facts:

On October 24, 1978, 7:30pm in the evening, Lelith Mercy Dagohoy was about to close down their shop
for the night when the accused pushed the door open and when he got inside, he immediately stabbed
Lelith on her left shoulder and fell down on the ground. Accused then approached Luciana, who was
sitting some 3 meters away, and likewise stabbed her, hitting her on the right breast. When Lelith saw
what has transpired, she feinted. The accused fled.

Lelith then gained consciousness and heard Luciana shouting for help. Some neighbors then responded
and later on Policeman Becamon of the Esperanza integrated National Police came. The victims were
brought to the hospital where Lelith would later on survive and Luciana, on the other hand, would die
due to blood poisoning.

In view of the testimony of Lelith, which albeit reeked with some inconsistencies due to the fact that she
was traumatized and extremely exhausted when she recounted what had transpired, and her positively
identifying the accused during cross examination in open court, the accused was found guilty of the
complex crime of murder with frustrated murder. The trial court held that the assault was executed
under on single impulse, resulting in the wounding of two victims, which clearly constitutes a complex
crime.

The Solicitor General, on the other hand, contends that the two offenses imputed to the accused-
appellant cannot be treated as a single offense because the manner in which he committed them
prevented them from constituting a complex crime.

Issue:

Whether or not accused-appellant is guilty of the complex crime of murder with frustrated murder or
should the acts be treated as 2 distinct offenses directed at 2 distinct victims?

Held:

The Court held that the trial court erred in relying on the single impulse principle constituting the
complex crime of murder and frustrated murder, thus finding the accused rather guilty of the separate
offenses of frustrated murder and murder, punishable by 6 years and one day as minimum to 14 years
and 8 months as maximum; and reclusion perpetua, respectively and successively.