THE PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, PLAINTIFF AND APPELLEE, VS. FRANCISCO CORNEJO AND ESMERALDA DE GUZMAN, DEFENDANTS AND APPELLANTS.

The offended party Emilia M. Favor is the
legitimate wife of the appellant Francisco Cornejo and the other
appellant Esmeralda de Guzman had knowledge of this fact. In January,
1931, the offended party filed a complaint for concubinage against the
appellants but said case was dismissed on April 8, 1932, due to the
non-appearance of the offended party. Subsequently, on March 8, 1933,
another complaint for the same offense was filed against said
appellants and, after due trial, they were found guilty and sentenced,
Francisco Cornejo to two years of prision correccional, and Esmeralda de Guzman to three years of destierro.

The offended party admits that in April, 1932, she returned with her
children to Tayug in order to live with her husband in the conjugal
dwelling. This was equivalent to a pardon of her husband, particularly
if it is borne in mind that she failed to appear on the day set for the
trial of the former case. In explanation of her non-appearance, there
is evidence to the effect that it was due to the fact that she had
consented to pardon her husband.

Although under the former law a pardon by the offended party did
not extinguish the criminal action, it now extinguishes said action
according to the Revised Penal Code in force and this provision, being
favorable to the accused, is applicable to facts that took place before
it became effective.

An attempt was made by the prosecution to prove that subsequent to
April, 1932, the appellants again lived as husband and wife in a house
built on a lot belonging to the conjugal partnership. However, this
court finds that the evidence is insufficient to establish this fact.
It has been proven, and the offended party admits it, that since 1931,
this lot on which the house in which it is claimed that the appellants
lived as husband and wife, is situated, was sold by the appellant to
Apolinaria Bautista in June, 1931, and thereafter leased to Francisco
Lucero. The principal witness for the prosecution to prove that the
appellants lived in this house as husband and wife was Jacinto
Villaruz. This witness testified that in 1932 he lived with his family
as tenant in said house and the appellants lived with them as husband
and wife for a month. How Villaruz could live as the appellant’s tenant
on this lot after it had been sold to Bautista and after Bautista had
leased it to Lucero, is beyond comprehension. Lucero testified that
from the time he occupied the lot, Villaruz never lived thereon.

Granting that the offended party pardoned the appellant, and it not
having been sufficiently proven that the appellants continued to live
as husband and wife after the pardon, the appealed judgment is reversed
and the appellants are acquitted of the charges, with costs de oficio. So ordered.

Abad Santos, Hull, Vickers, and Diaz, JJ., concur.