CA reverses double homicide conviction of senior cop
A senior-ranking police officer earlier convicted of double homicide charges got his early Christmas present in a reversal ruling from the Court of Appeals (CA).
As such, Senior Police Officer (SPO)1 Rene Hermano of the Banate Police Office is a "free man" anew courtesy of the CA decision made by Associate Justice Agustin Dizon and concurred to by Associate Justices Pampio Abarintos and Priscilla Baltazar-Padilla.
Docketed as CA-GR CEB-CR. No. 00206, The News Today (TNT) got confirmation of the Entry of Judgment issued validating SPO1 Hermano's acquittal alongside the Notice of Decision from the CA's Twentieth Division.
SPO1 Hermano's double homicide cases stemmed from a December 1996 incident that led to the deaths of pals Bonifacio Arante Jr. and Dante Aguacito in Banate, Iloilo. Said senior cop then responded to a call for help which later led to Arante and Aguacito's arrest yet along the way to the police station, another commotion ensued.
Hermano was charged with double homicide amidst his insistence of innocence and self-defense. He was eventually found guilty in both cases however the CA in reviewing the conviction, took note of local Court proceedings that established the facts including the cop's own serious injuries.
It was all self-defense and 'justifiable' killings, the CA finally averred while adding that SPO1 Hermano managed to present "convincing evidence" that has complied with all elements of self defense.
"Verily, we find that accused-appellant was able to present convincing evidence that in killing Dante Aguacito and Bonifacio Arante Jr., he has complied with all the elements of self-defense: (a) unlawful aggression on the part of Dante Aguacito and Bonifacio Arante Jr.; (b) reasonable necessity of the means employed by accused-appellant in repelling the aggression and (c) no sufficient provocation on the part of the accussed-appellant who was defending himself," excerpts of the CA decision went.
SPO1 Hermano in his CA appeal was aided by counsel, lawyer Cornelio Panes.