G.R. No. L-6410. November 24, 1954

The petitioner, Juan Y. Beltran, was charged before the Court of
First Instance of Occidental Mindoro with the crime of malversation of
public funds, alleged in the information to have been committed in the
municipality of San Jose, province of Occidental Mindoro, on or about
July 6, and 12, 1951. The trial commenced in the municipalities of San
Jose, Mamburao, and Lubang, all of Occidental Mindoro. The continuation
of the trial was transferred to the municipality of Calapan, province
of Oriental Mindoro. The defendant Beltran, herein petitioner, objected
to the continuation of the trial in Calapan on the ground that it is
outside of the territorial boundaries of the province of Occidental
Mindoro where the crime was committed. The trial court overruled the
objection and ordered the trial to proceed in Calapan. The petitioner
filed in this Court a petition for a writ of prohibition to enjoin the
trial court from continuing the trial in Calapan.

The respondent contends that the provinces of Occidental and
Oriental Mindoro constitute the Eighth Judicial District under the
provisions of the Judiciary Act of 1948 (Republic Act No. 296). There
being no separate court for the province of Occidental Mindoro, it is
claimed that the judge of the district may hold his sessions in either
of the two provinces. This contention is untenable in the present case
for the reason that the Rules of Court expressly provide that a
criminal case should be instituted and tried in the municipality or
province where the offense was committed or any of its essential
ingredients took place. This is a fundamental principle, the purpose
being not to compel the defendant to move to, and appear in a different
court from that of the province where the crime was committed, as it
would cause him great inconvenience in looking for his witnesses and
other evidence in another place. Although the judge of a district may
hold sessions in any part of said district, yet he should hold the
trial in any particular case subject to the specific provisions, or
section 14 (a), Rule 106, in order not to violate the Rules of
Court and disregard the fundamental rights of the accused. Sometimes a
judicial district includes provinces far distant from each other. Under
the theory of the respondent, the accused may be subjected to the great
inconvenience of going to a far distant province with all his witnesses
to attend the trial there. This is prohibited by the Rules of Court as
being unfair to the defendant.

There is no contradiction between the Judiciary Act and Rule 106, section 14(a).
They should, therefore, be enforced together harmoniously.

In view of
the foregoing, the respondent judge is enjoined from continuing the
trial of the above-mentioned case in Calapan, Oriental Mindoro, and
ordered to continue it in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, without
pronouncement as to costs. So ordered.

Paras, C.J., Pablo, Bengzon, Padilla, Montemayor, Reyes, A., Angelo Bautista, Concepcion, and Reyes, J.B.L., JJ., concur.