All Topics Flashcards
(259 cards)
1
Q
Medical Jurisprudence
A
a science that deals with applying every branch of medical knowledge to the purposes of the law
2
Q
Forensic science
A
using scientific methods and techniques to administer justice
3
Q
Code of Hammurabi
A
oldest written records of legal medicine, covering medical malpractice through negligence
4
Q
Master Lu’s Spring and Autumn Anals
A
compendium of natural philosophy including examination of a corpse by a coroner
5
Q
Caroline Code
A
issued by Germanic Emperor Charles V, promoting legal medicine as an academic discipline
6
Q
De Relationes Medicorum
A
first book on legal medicine by Italian physician Fortunato Fedele
7
Q
Manual de Medicina Domestica
A
first medical legal textbook written in the Philippines by Dr. Rafael Ginard y Mas, an army physician
8
Q
Dr. Sixto de los Angeles
A
first chief of the University of the Philippines Department of Legal Medicine
9
Q
Dr. Pedro Solis
A
considered the father of legal medicine in the Philippines
10
Q
Anterior
A
front part of the body
11
Q
Posterior
A
back part of the body
12
Q
Dorsal
A
back part of the body without head
13
Q
Ventral
A
front part of the body, except the head
14
Q
Right lateral
A
view of body looking at right side
15
Q
Left lateral
A
view of body looking at left side
16
Q
Anterior midline
A
runs vertically through body from front
17
Q
Posterior midline
A
runs vertically through body from back
18
Q
Transverse plane
A
horizontal plane dividing body into upper and lower sections
19
Q
Frontal or Coronal plane
A
vertical plane dividing body into anterior and posterior
20
Q
Sagittal or Longitudinal plane
A
cuts through body vertically
Left and right
21
Q
A-P view or Anteproposterior view
A
back of the person is against the film plate and x-ray is in front of the person
22
Q
Dorsal Cavity
A
comprises cranial cavity, enclosing the blain
Cranial and Vertebral cavity
23
Q
Vertebral Cavity
A
hides the spinal cord
24
Q
Pericardial Cavity
A
encloses heart
25
Pleural Cavity
houses lungs
26
Superior Mediastinum
contains thymus, trachea, and esophagus
27
Abdominal Cavity
stomach, intestines, pancreas, liver, and gall bladder
28
Cranial Cavity
eight fused cranial bones protect the brain and contain cerebrospinal fluid
29
Brain
command center of the human nervous system, receiving signals from sensory organs and delivering to muscles
30
Cerebrum
largest and uppermost portion of the brain
31
Frontal lobe
control panel of personality; controls critical cognitive skills like planning, expression, problem-solving, memory, sexual behavior, and empathy
32
Parietal lobe
contains primary sensory area where impulses from skin such as warmth, cold, and pain are interpreted
33
Temporal lobe
processes sensory input derived into meanings (memories and language association)
34
Hippocampus
associated with forming new memories, correlated with epilepsy
35
Occipital lobe
brain’s vosal processing center for distance and depth perception
36
Cerebellum
brainstem of the brain, controlling balance, coordination, movement, and motor skills
37
Pons
upper part of the brainstem controlling facial movements
38
Medulla oblongata
bottom part of brainstem regulating breathing, blood pressure, swallowing, and heart rhythm
39
Vertebral column
33 bones called vertebrae enclosing the spinal cord
40
Spinal cord
tubular nervous tissue carrying signals between brain and rest of body
41
Central Nervous System
comprised of the brain and spinal cord
42
Complete spinal cord injury
results in loss of feeling and motion, can result in total paralysis if cervical
43
Adam’s apple
thyroid cartilage of larynx
44
Neck
supports the head’s weight and protects nerves carrying sensory/motor information
45
Chest
holds essential organs in the body
46
Ribcage
protects heart and lungs
47
Pulmonary contusion
transmission of force through chest wall, most common cause of death via chest injuries
48
Pulmonary laceration
cuts from broken ribs
49
Abdomen
between chest and pelvis, containing stomach, intestines, bladder, liver, pancreas, and kidneys
50
Gluteus maximus
buttocks (butt)
51
Pelvis
lower part of trunk between abdomen and thighs, together with embedded skeleton; most reliable indicator of sex
52
Subpubic arch
less than 90 degrees in males, greater than 90 degrees in females
53
Subpubic concavity
concave in females, straight or convex in males
54
Greater sciatic notch
a rounded arch on ilia anterior; males have narrow sciatic notch, females have wide notch
55
Femur
largest and thickest bone in the human body (in the thigh); flatter in females, longer in males
56
Patella
the knee bone joining the femur and the tibia through the joint
57
Tibia
the shin bone located near midline of the lower leg
58
Fibula
the calf bone situated on tibia’s lateral
59
Talus
ankle bone
60
Calcaneus
heel bone, largest tarsal bone
61
Phalanges
toe bones
62
Human biometrics
measurements and calculations of capturable traits including anatomical parts, physiological processes, and behavior for identification and authentication purposes
63
Latent fingerprints
exposed through usagge of development tactics such as contrasting, dusting, or chemical fuming
64
Latent Print Identification
uses latent print from crime scene to identify suspect
65
Ten-print Identification
system used to confirm identity and criminal history of arrested suspects
66
Forensic Odontology
deals with proper handling and examination of dental evidence
67
Dental Records Law
obliges dental practitioners to keep and maintain an accurate record of dentition of all patients; from ten years of last entry, dental practitioners turn over records to NBI
68
Iris
gives eye color and regulates entry of light by dilation and constriction of pupil; highly variable
69
Pupil
eye’s aperture
70
Philippine Identification System
law signed in 2018, introduced the Philippine National ID and includes biometric data such as iris and fingerprint sets
71
Facial recognition
the process of identifying or verifying identity of a person using their face
72
Voice Recognition
ability of a machine or program to receive and interpret dictation or to carry out spoken commands
73
Biometric system
a system allowing recognition of a certain characteristic using mathematical algorithms and biometric data
74
Enrollment mode
a learning phase aiming to collect biometric information through a sensor, then uploading it in digital form, storing it in a database
75
Verification/Authentication Mode
a one-to-one comparison with which system validates identity of person by comparing with previously stored biometric data
76
Gene
the basic physical unit of inheritance passed from parents to offspring; arranged in chromosomes
77
Chromosome
a thread-like structure made up of DNA found in nucleus of each cell
78
DNA Profile
a list of numbers that indicate how many repeat units, called short tandem repeats, are in each selected marker regions
79
Colin Pitchfork
British double child murderer and rapist, first person convicted of rape and murder using DNA profiling (1986)
80
Tommie Lee Andrews
first American convicted of rape due to DNA evidence (1987)
81
Natural Sciences Research Institute of the University of the Philippines Diliman
one of the few DNA laboratories in the Philippines
82
Electropherogram
displays genetic material at each locus tested
83
Y-STR
the male-specific part of the human Y-chromosome, widely used in forensic analysis for crime scenes
84
DNA
deoxyribunucleic acid, chain of molecules found in every cell in the body
85
Zygote
fertilized egg
86
Cervical canal
runs along cervix and connects body cavity with lumen of vagina
87
Clitoris
equivalent to male penis
88
Vaginismus
recurrent, involuntary, and painful spasms in outer muscles of vagina, especially during intercourse
89
Scrotum
pouch of skin outside body keeping sperms a few degrees lower than 37 degrees Celsius in seminal fluid
90
Penis
external part of male reproductive system containing the urethra, through which flows urine and sperm
91
Impotence
the incapability of a party to physically consummate marriage with another, an incurable grounds for annulment of marriage
92
Erectile dysfunction
inability to achieve erection
93
Urology
branch of medicine focusing on surgical and medical diseases in male and female urinary-tract systems
94
Female Sexual Interest Arousal Disorder (FSIAD)
reduced interest in sex in women
95
Infertility
inability to become pregnant after a certain period
96
Sterility
inability to produce a biological child
97
RH Law
RA 10354 providing pro bono services to indigent women such as access to reproductive healthcare services
98
Artificial insemination
deliberate introduction of sperm into cervix to achieve pregnancy through in vivo or in vitro fertilization, such as intracervical or intrauterine insemination
99
Intracervical Insemination (ICI)
simulates ejaculation of semen by penis into vagina during intercourse through a needeless syringe
100
Intrauterine insemination (IUI)
injection of washed sperm into uterus with a catheter
101
Gamete Intrafallopian Tube transfer (GIFT)
sperm and eggs are mixed and injected into one or both fallopian tubes
102
Zygote Intrafallopian Transfer (ZIFT)
similar to GIFT, but egg is fertilized in laboratory
103
In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
process of fertilization where egg is combined with sperm in vitro, sperm fertilizes eggs in a culture medium in a laboratory
104
Surrogacy
an arrangement whereby a surrogate mother agrees to bear a child for another person or persons, latter will become parents after birth
105
RM Lab
first IVF center in the Philippines
106
International Surrogacy Arrangements (ISAs)
contracts defining the surrogacy arrangement entered across national borders
107
Conception
the moment of fertilization, wherein there is union of two haploid gametes, the spermatozoa, and the oocyte resulting in cell differentiation and embryo development
108
Pregnancy Confirmation Ultrasound
look directly at development of growing baby, most accurate method of assessing fetal gestational age using transvaginal and transabdominal probe assessments
109
Gestational age
length of pregnancy after first day of last menstrual period
110
Conceptional age
fertilization age, true fetal age, length of pregnancy from time of conception
111
Embryo
developing offspring in the womb during first eight weeks following fertilization
112
Pregnancy
divided into three trimesters of 3 months each
113
Sonogram
machine used during ultrasound monitoring fetal development
114
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
technique of choice for medical imaging in pregnancy
115
Computed Tomography (CT)
also called CT-scan, uses ionizing radiation to determine fetal development
116
Fetal demise
loss of fetus at any stage
117
Spalding sign
collapse and overlapping of fetal skull bones, causing death
118
Robert sign
presence of gas shadow in heart, seen after death of fetus
119
Homologous chromosomes
through which genes are inherited from parents
120
Locus
specific location of a DNA sequence in a chromosome
121
Alleles
different forms of DNA sequence
122
Dominant traits
expressed in presence of one copy of an allele for a particular trait
123
Recessive traits
expressed only when two copies of an allele are present
124
Natural child
recognizing parent has legal capacity to marry at time of conception
125
ABO Blood Test
objective basis to prove paternity using co-dominant A and B alleles and the recessive O allele
126
Bombay Phenotype
Blood Type O, who do not have the H antigen; can donate blood to all persons, but can only receive from “O”
127
Combined DNA Index System (CODIS)
FBI’s criminal justice program database
128
Combined Paternity Index (CPI)
likelihood that a tested individual is the biological father, calculating product of all paternity indices
129
Prior Probability (PP)
usually pegged at 0.5 or 50%
130
Probability of paternity
= (100)(CPI)(PP) divided by (CPI)(PP) + (1-PP)
131
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)
circular chromosome found inside mitochondria of cells, smaller than nuclear DNA, inherited solely from mother; basis of mtDNA test used to trace matrilineal lineage
132
Shaken Baby Syndrome
a serious brain injury resulting from forcefully shaking an infant or toddler, destroying brain cells and restricting oxygen access
133
Pediatric Abuse
second most common cause of death in children
134
Metaphysical fractures
injuries on long bones, indicators of abuse and non-accidental injuries
135
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
aka “cot death,” all other causes of death excluded, no pathognomic markers, rarely encountered
136
Breastmilk
produced in alveoli, stimulated by prolactin, small sacs in the breast, suckled at the nipple; the best food for infants since it contains essential nutrients except Vitamin D; nature’s first immunization, using immunoglobulin
137
Oxytocin Reflex
aka Letdown Reflex, makes myoepithelial cells around alveoli contract, making milk flow and fill ducts
138
RA 1700
law making it mandatory to place infants at mother’s breast within 30 minutes after birth, Sec. 9 establishes the Right to Breastfeed
139
Breastfeeding Awareness Month
August, established by RA 10028
140
Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
disruption in normal function of brain caused by bump or bow
141
Domestic violence
also called intimate partner violence, implies physical or sexual violence
142
Battered Woman Syndrome (BWS)
pattern of signs and symptoms displayed by a woman who has suffered persistent intimate partner violence; a subcategory of PTSD and used as a defense (self-defense)
143
Phases (DV)
Tension-building phase (verbal abuse, woman tries to pacify); Acute battering incident; Tranquil, loving phase
144
Helplessness Theory
explains why abused spouses stay in destructive relationships
145
Rape
carnal knowledge of a man with a woman through force, threat, or intimidation or when offended party is deprived of consciousness
146
Hymen
a thin mucosal tissue surrounding vaginal opening; not a reliable indicator of virginity
147
Physical injuries
include mutilation, wounding, beating, and assault; may lead to incapacity for work
148
Mutilation
deprives a person, either totally or partially, of essential organ of reproduction; must be permanent
149
Vasectomy
not considered mutilation, since reversible through vasovasostomy
150
Female circumcision
religious rite of pre-pubertal females in some indigenous communities, consists of scraping the labia majora, considered mutilation (amputation of the clitoris)
151
Serious Physical Injuries
penalty of prison mayor, injured person becomes insane, imbecillic, impotent, or blind
152
Less Serious Physical Injuries
incapacitates another for ten days or more, not more than 30 days, penalty of arresto mayor
153
Slight Physical Injuries
penalty of arresto menor, 1-9 days of being incapacitated
154
Injury
damage inflicted on body by an external force
155
Mechanical Injuries
abrasions, contusions, lacerations, stabs, and gunshot wounds
156
Thermal injuries
burns, frostbite, electric burns, and chemical burns
157
Abrasions or Grazes
superficial wounds where topmost layer of skin is scraped off
158
Incisions
cuts caused by sharp-edged objects
159
Lacerations
tear-liked wounds caused by blunt instrument
160
Puncture
deep wounds caused by pointy objects
161
Penetration
pierce through skin deep
162
Hematoma
collection of blood outside blood vessel
163
Petechia
hematoma that are small spots from broken capillaries
164
Ecchymosis
hematoma larger than 1 centimeter and flat
165
Concussion
traumatic brain injury caused by a bump, blow, or jolt
166
Gunshot wound (GSW)
physical trauma caused by a projectile from a firearm
167
Cavitation
degree of tissue disruption caused by a projectile
168
Fatal wound
mortal wound ultimately leading to a person’s death
169
Incentive-Sensitization Theory
posits that drugs sensitize a part of the brain motivating a drug user due to physiological state induced by drug, it is a reward
170
Neuroadaptations
makes brain circuits hypersensitive in a way that pathological levels of incentive motivation for a drug last for years
171
Dopamine
the happy hormone, a neurotransmitter that spikes in anticipation of pleasure
172
Methamphetamine
causes dopamine rush, but permanently damages brain cognitive centers
173
Opioids
like cocaine, release dopamine, repeated exposure causes brain imbalances, leading to substance use disorder with withdrawal effects
174
Marijuana
an organic drug that causes impaired verbal learning and psychomotor functions
175
Drug-defined
crimes as a result of use, distribution, or manufacture
176
Use-related
includes violent behavior resulting from drug effects
177
Benzodiazepines
depressants used as a sedative, hypnotic, muscle relaxants
178
Temazepam and midazolam
used for date rape
179
Flunitrazepam
strong amnesia-producing effects
180
Limbic System
the emotional brain, containing thalamus, hypothalamus, amygdala, and hippocampus
181
Thalamus
responsible for sensory and motor integration
182
Hypothalamus
pea-sized and located at base of brain, controls body temperature, hunger, thirst, appetite
183
Amygdala
critical processor for rage and fear
184
Insanity
an exemptor from criminal liability
185
Mental Disorders
clinically recognizable sets of symptoms or behaviors associated with mental distress
186
Competency to Stand Trial
incompetency is not a defense, it merely postpones the trial until competency comes around
187
Schizophrenia
a chronic mental disorder affecting 20 million people worldwide in which people interpret reality abnormally through hallucinations, delusions, and disordered thinking
188
Delusions
characterized by unshakeable beliefs such as persecution, surveillance, suspicion, obsessive or false love, guilt, nihilism, and delusions of grandeur
189
Hallucinations
sensory experiences that appear real but created by mind, can be visual or olfactory or auditory
190
Catatonia
psychomotor syndrome characterized by unusual behavioral and movement disturbances
191
Intelligence
general mental capacity involving reasoning, planning, problem-solving, abstract thinking, and comprehension
192
Intellectual disability
significant cognitive deficits established by standardized measures of intelligence, usually IQ score below 70; comprise 2-3% of population
193
Supports Intensity Scale (SIS)
framework that focuses on intensity of supports needed to help an individual live a normal life
194
Down Syndrome
Trisomy 21, the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability occuring once every 700 live births; a person born with an extra copy of chromosome 21 (47 chromosomes instead of 46)
195
Organic Mental Disorder
dysfunction of the brain that is neuroocognitive, not psychiatric in nature
196
Stroke
a compilation of a cerebrovascular disease, third leading cause of death in the Philippines
197
Personality disorders
pervasive thinking patterns caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors
198
Paranoia
when people always suspect others are planning to exploit, deceive, or harm them without evidence
199
Schizoid Personality Disorder
no desire for close relationships
200
Schizotypal Personality Disoder
florid departure from reality, no relationships, superstitious
201
Antisocial Personality Disorder
exploitative, reckless, victimize, impulsive, reckless
202
Borderline Personality Disorder
intolerance of being alone, frantic abandonment issues
203
Histronic Personality Disorder
use physical appearance provocatively to gain attention of others, always need to be center of attention
204
Narcissistic Personality Disorder
self-esteem issues, chasing praise, extreme self-importance
205
Avoidant Personality Disorder
intense feelings of inadequacy and conflict avoidance
206
Dependent Personality Disorder
loss of autonomy, extreme anxiety
207
Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder
need to always be in conrol, perfectionists
208
Phenotype
observable physical or biochemical characteristics such as height, skin color, body habitus, and biological sex
209
Marriage
a special contract of permanent union between a man and a womn
210
Genotypic sex
a person’s two sex chromosomes, the last pair in the karyotype
211
XY
male chromosomes
212
XX
female chromosomes
213
Gametogenesis
process by which normal somatic cells contain a diploid number of chromosomes are converted to specialized reproductive cells called gametes
214
Sexually dimorphic characteristics
exclusive to a specific sex
215
Intersex
about 1 in 20,000 phenotypic males have no Y chromosome (0.02%-0.05% of births); refers to a person born with male and female biological traits
216
4 categories of a intersex
46 XX, 46 XY, True gonadal, Complex
217
46 XX Intersex
female genotype with uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries but clitoris enlarged and resembles penis
218
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH)
most common type of 46 XX intersex condition, decreases production of cortisol
219
46 XY Intersex
have external genitals completely female
220
Androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS)
genetically male but failure to develop external male genitalia resulting in female phenotype
221
5-alpha-reductase deficiency
children have Y-chromosome and male organs at birth, externally they look female and are thus raised as girls; around puberty, male hormones kick in
222
True Gonadal Intersex
both ovarian and testicular tissues; both organs
223
Complex or Undetermined Intersex
many chromosome configurations may result in Turner’s Syndrome, Klinefelter’s Syndrome, or chromosomal mosaicism
224
Turner’s Syndrome
absence of X chromosome cause sshort stature, female phenotype, undeveloped ovaries, webbed neck
225
Klinefelter’s Syndrome
most common, male hypogonadism, infertility, breast enlargement in men
226
Gender
social construct of characteristics in men and women
227
Gender identity
a person’s deeply felt internal and individual experience of gender
228
Gender incongruence
one’s gender identity does not match with sex assigned at birth
229
Transwoman
person whose biological sex at birth is male, but female gender identity
230
Gender dysphoria
a strong desire to be another gender
231
Transexual
people with gender identity inconsistent with assigned sex, seeking to permanently transition through medical assistance (subset of transgender)
232
Hormone Therapy
treatment used for gender realignment, either through estrogen (feminization)
233
Phalloplasty
artificially constructed penis
234
Sexual orientation
an enduring pattern of romantic or sexual attraction
235
Fraternal Birth Order (FBO) Effect
a prenatal bioogical mechanism suggesting that later order of birth increases probability to be gay
236
Maternal Immunization Hypothesis
Y-proteins during pregnancy cause gayness
237
Christiane Volling
successfully sued for damages due to non-consensual surgical intervention
238
People v. Batulan:
Nicolas Gonzales and his sons were socializing when gunshots were heard, hitting Adolfo. Accused Virgilio Batulan was seen pointing a rifle at them. Despite the defense's claim of impossibility for Nicolas to see them, the Supreme Court (SC) held that slight discrepancies between the affidavit and eyewitness report will not discredit the testimony. The Batulans were found guilty.
239
People v. Reforma:
Zenaida Damian and brothers had stalls in Balintawak Market. Virgilio Reforma, an in-law, stabbed Nazario Damian during a fight. SC found Reforma guilty of homicide based on the evidence of the bolo, commotion, and positive testimonies of witnesses regarding the stabbing.
240
People v. Espinosa:
Complainant Andy Merto shouted threats at petitioner Espinosa's house. When Merto hurled a stone, Espinosa retaliated with a bolo scabbard, continuously mauling Merto. Convicted of serious physical injuries, Espinosa's complete self-defense claim was denied by the SC, as the force used was considered unjustified.
241
People v. Mayingque:
Appellants were found guilty of murdering Edgardo during a drinking session. Despite their plea of self-defense, SC did not give credence, pointing to Edgardo's 12 wounds as strong evidence of intent to kill.
242
People v. Medina (1933):
Medina broke into the Rockwells' residence, stealing watches. Fingerprint comparison led to his guilt, with SC affirming that fingerprint evidence is admissible for proving identity.
243
Lee v. People:
Lee, an Allied Bank employee, was accused of forging signatures in manager's checks. SC disregarded Lee's suspicions of PNP Crime Lab examiners, citing insufficient evidence.
244
People v. Vallejo:
Gerrico Vallejo was convicted for the rape-slay of Daisy Diolola, with blood and DNA evidence confirming his guilt.
245
Menciano v. San Jose:
In the settlement of Faustino's estate, Menciano claimed to be the widow with legitimate children. SC ruled that Faustino Jr. is conclusively presumed to be the legitimate son, rejecting the impotency claim.
246
Jimenez v. Canizares:
Joel Jimenez sought annulment, claiming Remedios Canizares' genital condition made copulation impossible. SC reversed the annulment, emphasizing the need for indubitable evidence.
247
Chi Ming Tsoi v. CA:
An annulment was granted due to the senseless refusal to fulfill marital obligations, equating it to psychological incapacity.
248
Buccat v. Buccat:
Plaintiff sought annulment, claiming fraud about defendant's virginity. The court rejected the implausible claim, considering the evidence of advanced pregnancy during the marriage.
249
Aquino v. Delizo
Aquino filed for annulment, alleging his wife concealed pregnancy by his brother. Trial court dismissed it, but SC allowed the annulment, noting the early-stage pregnancy and the wife's naturally plump stature as factors supporting the claim.
250
People v. Adalia
Giralyn Adalia faced infanticide charges after her baby was found in a creek. The SC affirmed her conviction, emphasizing the elements of infanticide: a killed child less than three days old, where the accused killed the child.
251
Tijing v. CA
Bienvenida sought habeas corpus to recover her son Edgardo Jr. SC upheld the habeas corpus, emphasizing the proper remedy and facial similarity findings, supporting the mother's claim.
252
Jao v. CA (1987)
Janice Marie Jao filed for recognition and support against Perico Jao. Despite blood grouping test results, indicating Janice couldn't be Perico's child, SC upheld the admissibility of blood grouping tests, denying the petition.
253
Herrera v. Alba
Rosendo Alba filed for recognition, support, and damages against Rosendo Herrera. The SC affirmed the motion for DNA paternity testing, emphasizing no legal obstacle to DNA analysis's admissibility.
254
Agustin v. CA
Respondents sued Arnel Agustin for support, compelling him to take a paternity test. SC ruled in favor, citing the right to privacy not hindering scientific advancements and recognizing DNA testing as an equalizer for ostracized progeny.
255
Lucas v. Lucas
Jesse Lucas filed petition to establish illegitimate filiation
No name in Jesse’s certificate of live birth, but Jesus Lucas gave support for first 2 years
SC found petition for filiation sufficient in substance and granted petition to submit to DNA testing
256
People v. Morales
Petitioner Morales raped his daughter Maria. Maria gave birth to a baby girl. An hour after birth, petitioner took the baby away, buried her alive, and lit a fire over the grave to camouflage it. The Court, upon automatic review, affirmed the RTC ruling. It held that though the RTC erred in appreciating evident premeditation, the penalty should still be death because there were two other aggravating circumstances (superior strength and nighttime), and only the plea of guilty as a mitigating circumstance
257
People v. Amarela
AAA said that she was raped two times five hours apart by two different persons.
After a careful review of the records and a closer scrutiny of AAA's testimony, reasonable doubt lingers as the Court is not fully convinced that AAA was telling the truth.
The following circumstances, particularly, would cast doubt as to the credibility of her testimony:
(1) the version of AAA's story appearing in her affidavit-complaint differs materially from her testimony in court;
(2) AAA could not have easily identified Amarela because the crime scene was dark and she only saw him for the first time;
(3) her testimony lacks material details on how she was brought under the two feet high stage against her will; and
(4) the medical findings do not corroborate physical injuries and are inconclusive of any signs of forced entry.
Lacerations indicate there could have been consensual intercourse
258
People v. Rupal
AAA alleged that she was raped by the accused on 15th December 2005. AAA submitted herself into medical examination and the doctor who examined her remarked that the laceration at the vaginal opening could have been caused by the forcible entry of a hard object, possibly, a male genitalia. The Supreme Court held that the findings of the doctor support the testimony of AAA that she was raped.
259
Bangayan v. People
In this case, SC affirmed statutory rape of a 12-year old but said it was outweighed by importande of nuclear family (she consented)
