GR NO.

L-5803 PEOPLE vs UMALI DATE: 29 November 1954

Defendants were convicted of the complex crime of rebellion with multiple murder, f. murder,
arson and robbery and was sentenced to life imprisonment.

The complex crime of which appellants Narciso Umali, et. al were found guilty was said to have
been committed during the raid staged in the town of Tiaong, Quezon, between 8:00 and 9:00
in the evening of November 14, 1951, by armed men. The raid took place resulting in the
burning down and complete destruction of the house of Mayor Marcial Punzalan including its
FACTS
content valued at P24,023; the house of Valentin Robles valued at P10,000, and the house of
one Mortega, the death of Patrolman Domingo Pisigan and civilians Vicente Soriano and
Leocadio Untalan, and the wounding of Patrolman Pedro Lacorte and five civilians.

During and after the burning of the houses, some of the raiders engaged in looting, robbing
one house and two Chinese stores; and that the raiders were finally dispersed and driven from
the town by the Philippine Army soldiers stationed in the town led by Captain Alzate.
WHETHER OR NOT THE DEFENDANTS ARE GUILTY OF THE COMPLEXED CRIME OF
ISSUE/S REBELLION?
A: No
The court rules that the crime committed in this case was sedition and not rebellion. The
purpose of the raid and the act of the raiders in rising publicly and taking up arms was not
exactly against the Govt and for the purpose of doing things under the crime of rebellion.
Rather, the object was to attain by means of force, intimidation, etc. one object, to wit, to
HELD inflict an act of hate or revenge upon the person or property of a public official, namely,
Punzalan. Hence, such acts were sufficient to constitute Sedition.

The court finds that the crimes committed are sedition, multiple muder, arson, f. murder and
physical injuries. = GUILTY