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    TAOPA Vs People

    Uploaded by

    Jhoel Villafuerte
    1) The Community Environment and Natural Resources Office seized a truck carrying illegally cut lumber that was owned by Amado Taopa and Rufino Ogalesco. 2) The driver, Placido Cuison, identified Taopa and Ogalesco as the owners of the lumber. All three were charged with violating forest protection laws. 3) While Cuison was acquitted on appeal, Taopa's conviction was upheld based on evidence that he participated in loading the lumber and accompanied the truck, demonstrating his ownership of the illegal cargo.

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    TAOPA Vs People

    Uploaded by

    Jhoel Villafuerte
    35 views1 page
    1) The Community Environment and Natural Resources Office seized a truck carrying illegally cut lumber that was owned by Amado Taopa and Rufino Ogalesco. 2) The driver, Placido Cuison, identified Taopa and Ogalesco as the owners of the lumber. All three were charged with violating forest protection laws. 3) While Cuison was acquitted on appeal, Taopa's conviction was upheld based on evidence that he participated in loading the lumber and accompanied the truck, demonstrating his ownership of the illegal cargo.

    Original Description:

    P.D. 705

    Original Title

    TAOPA vs People

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    1) The Community Environment and Natural Resources Office seized a truck carrying illegally cut lumber that was owned by Amado Taopa and Rufino Ogalesco. 2) The driver, Placido Cuison, identified Taopa and Ogalesco as the owners of the lumber. All three were charged with violating forest protection laws. 3) While Cuison was acquitted on appeal, Taopa's conviction was upheld based on evidence that he participated in loading the lumber and accompanied the truck, demonstrating his ownership of the illegal cargo.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    35 views1 page

    TAOPA Vs People

    Uploaded by

    Jhoel Villafuerte
    1) The Community Environment and Natural Resources Office seized a truck carrying illegally cut lumber that was owned by Amado Taopa and Rufino Ogalesco. 2) The driver, Placido Cuison, identified Taopa and Ogalesco as the owners of the lumber. All three were charged with violating forest protection laws. 3) While Cuison was acquitted on appeal, Taopa's conviction was upheld based on evidence that he participated in loading the lumber and accompanied the truck, demonstrating his ownership of the illegal cargo.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    TAOPA vs.

    People

    FACTS: The Community Environment and Natural Resources Office of Virac, Catanduanes seized a truck loaded
    with illegally-cut lumber (113 pieces of lumber of Philippine Mahogany Group and Apitong species) without any
    authority and/or legal documents as required under existing forest laws and regulations, prejudicial to the public
    interest and arrested its driver, Placido Cuison. The lumber was covered with bundles of abaca fiber to prevent
    detection. On investigation, Cuison pointed to petitioner Amado Taopa and a certain Rufino Ogalesco as the owners
    of the seized lumber.

    Taopa, Ogalesco and Cuison were charged with violating Section 68 of Presidential Decree (PD) No. 705 as
    amended, in the RTC Virac, Catanduanes. Taopa, Ogalesco and Cuison pleaded not guilty on arraignment. After trial
    on the merits, RTC found them guilty as charged beyond reasonable doubt.

    Only Taopa and Cuison appealed to CA, Cuison was acquitted but Taopa's conviction was affirmed.
    In his petition, Taopa seeks his acquittal from the charges against him alleging that the prosecution failed to
    prove that he was one of the owners of the seized lumber as he was not in the truck when the lumber was seized.

    ISSUE: WON taopa is guilty of violating Section 68 of PD No. 705, as amended

    HELD: YES. Petition is denied.

    Both RTC and CA gave no consideration to Taopa's alibi because Cusion's testimony proved Taopa's active
    participation in the transport of the seized lumber RTC and CA found that the truck was loaded with the cargo in front
    of Taopa's house and that Taopa and Ogalesco were accompanying the truck driven by Cuison up to where the truck
    and lumber were seized. These facts proved Taopa's (and Ogalesco's) exercise of dominion and control over the
    lumber loaded in the truck. The acts of Taopa (and of his co-accused Ogalesco) constituted possession of timber or
    other forest products without the required legal documents.
    The mere fact that Taopa and Ogalesco ran away at the mere sight of the police was likewise largely indicative
    of guilt. Court is convinced that Taopa and Ogalesco were owners of the seized lumber.

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