Jose P. Laurel and the Marcos vs. Nalundasan Case PDF

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Jose P. Laurel: Marcos vs. Nalundasan Case...

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Jose P. Laurel: Marcos vs. Nalundasan

Marcos vs. Nalundasan People of the Philippines vs. Marcos (1938) The Assassination of Julio Nalundasan Facts: •

Dec. 7, 1938, Mariano Marcos, Pio Marcos, Ferdinand Marcos and Quirino Lizardo was prosecuted for the murder of Julio Nalundasan, a political rival of the Marcoses that won against Mariano Marcos twice in the local assemblyman elections in Batac, Ilocos Norte.

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The Marcoses filed eight separate cases of false testimony against a certain Calixto Aguinaldo, the main witness for the murder case.

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The Marcoses filed those eight complaints when only Lizardo’s trial had commenced while their trial has yet to begin. This led for them to be charged with contempt of court.

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Ilocos Norte’s Court of First Instance found Quirino Lizardo, Mariano Marcos, Pio Marcos and Ferdinand Marcos guilty of contempt of court in 1939. Ferdinand Marcos and Quirino Lizardo were both found guilty for the murder of Julio Nalundasan and were punished with death penalty.

Key Issue: The Marcoses and Lizardo appealed to the supreme court that the Ilocos Norte trial court has committed the following errors: 1. The trial court erred in according greater credibility to the prosecution witnesses.

2. The trial court erred in convicting two and acquitting two accused upon the same evidence. 3. The trial court erred in considering the character of Quirino Lizardo against the accused. 4. The trial court erred in not crediting the electoral censo, Exhibit 84 for the defense, with any probative value. lawphil.net 5. The trial court erred in denying the motions of the accused for a reopening and a new trial. 6. The trial court erred in finding the four accused- appellant guilty of contempt. Court Decision: The Court found that the claims of the witness Calixto Aguinaldo were unreliable and therefore acquits Ferdinand Marcos and Quirino Lizardo from the murder case of Julio Nalundasan. However, the supreme court upheld the decision of the local trial court in charging the Marcoses and Lizardo guilty of Contempt but the court decided to lower the fine from 200 pesos into 50 pesos....