Republic of the Philippines

SUPREME COURT
Manila
EN BANC
DECISION
March 5, 1!"
#$R$ No$ 1"1
THE UNITED STATES, co%plainant&appellee,
's$
LORENZO ARCEO ET AL., (efen(ants&appellants$
Crispin Oben for appellants.
Office of the Solicitor-General Araneta for appellee.
Johnson, J.:
)he (efen(ants *ere char+e( *ith enterin+ the house of one Ale,o )ion+son on the ni+ht of -ebruar. /!,
1!0, ar%e( *ith (ea(l. *eapons, a+ainst the *ill of the sai( Ale,o )ion+son$
)he e'i(ence sho*s that Ale,o )ion+son li'e( in his house in co%pan. *ith his *ife, Ale,an(ra San An(res,
an( his *ife1s sister, Marcela San An(res$ On the ni+ht of the /!th of -ebruar., 1!0, bet*een 2 an(
o1cloc3 at ni+ht, the accuse(, one of *ho% *as ar%e( *ith a +un an( the other t*o each *ith bolo, entere(
the house of the sai( Ale,o )ion+son *ithout first obtainin+ the per%ission of an. person$ It appears fro%
the proof that there *as a li+ht burnin+ in the house at the ti%e the accuse( entere(, *hich *as
i%%e(iatel. put out b. one of the accuse(4 that Ale,o an( his *ife ha( retire( for the ni+ht4 that Marcela
*as still sittin+ up se*in+4 that as soon as Marcela ha( (isco'ere( the accuse( in the house she a*o3e Ale,o
an( his *ife4 that i%%e(iatel. after the accuse( *ere in the house, one of the% *oun(e(, b. %eans of
a bolo, Ale,o )ion+son, the o*ner the house4 that the accuse( to their o*n use a certain 5uantit. of %one.4
that the accuse( too3 an( carrie( a*a. out of the sai( house to*ar( the fiel(s the sai( Marcela San An(res
an( illtreate( her$
)he e'i(ence on the part of the (efense ten(e( to pro'e an alibi$ )he court belo* foun( that this testi%on.
*as not to be belie'e($ 6e fin( no occasion, fro% the proof, to chan+e this fin(in+ of fact$
)he court belo* foun( that the (efen(ants *ere each +uilt. of the cri%e of enterin+ the house of another,
*ith 'iolence an( inti%i(ation, *hich cri%e is punishable un(er subsection / of article "1 of the Penal
Co(e, an( sentence( each of the% to be i%prisone( for the ter% of three .ears si7 %onths an( t*ent.&one
(a.s of prision correccional, an( also i%pose( upon each a fine of /81 pesos an( costs$ In reachin+ this
conclusion the court too3 into consi(eration the a++ra'atin+ circu%stance of ni+htti%e an( the e7tenuatin+
circu%stance pro'i(e( for in article 11 of the Penal Co(e$
Article "1 of the Penal Co(e pro'i(es that 9
:e *ho shall enter the resi(ence ;(*ellin+ house< of another a+ainst the *ill of the tenant thereof shall be
punishe( *ith the penalt. of arresto mayor an( a fine of fro% 0/5 to 0,/5 pesetas$
Subsection / pro'i(es that 9
If the act shall be e7ecute( *ith 'iolence or inti%i(ation the penalt. shall be prision correccional in the
%e(iu% an( %a7i%u% +ra(e, an( a fine of fro% 0/5 to 0,/5! pesetas$
=n(er the facts presente( in this case, *as the trial court ,ustifie( in fin(in+ that the accuse( *ere +uilt. of
the cri%e of enterin+ the resi(ence of another a+ainst his *ill an( *ith 'iolence or inti%i(ation> 6e thin3
that it *as$ 6e are not of the opinion that the statute relates si%pl. to the %etho( b. *hich one %a. pass
the threshol( of the resi(ence of another *ithout his consent$ 6e thin3 it relates also to the con(uct,
i%%e(iatel. after entrance, of hi% *ho enters the house of another *ithout his consent$ :e *ho bein+
ar%e( *ith (ea(l. *eapons enters the resi(ence of another in the ni+htti%e, *ithout consent, an(
i%%e(iatel. co%%its acts of 'iolence an( inti%i(ation, is +uilt. of enterin+ the house of another *ith
'iolence an( inti%i(ation an( is punishable un(er subsection / of article "1 of the Penal Co(e$ ;See ?ia(a,
'ol$ 0, p$ 0!04 #a@ette of Spain of the /2th of March, 12204 ?ia(a, 'ol$ A, p$ 0A04 #a@ette of Spain of the
1th of Ma., 12/, p$ 1A5$<
)he in'iolabilit. of the ho%e is one of the %ost fun(a%ental of all the in(i'i(ual ri+hts (eclare( an(
reco+ni@e( in the political co(es of ci'ili@e( nations$ No one can enter into the house of another *ithout the
consent of its o*ners or occupants$
)he pri'ac. of the ho%e 9 the place of abo(e, the place *here a %an *ith his fa%il. %a. (*ell in peace
an( en,o. the co%panionship of his *ife an( chil(ren un%oleste( b. an.one, e'en the 3in+, e7cept in rare
cases 9 has al*a.s been re+ar(e( b. ci'ili@e( nations as one of the %ost sacre( personal ri+hts to *hich
%en are entitle($ Both the co%%on an( the ci'il la* +uarantee( to %an the ri+ht of absolute protection to
the pri'ac. of his ho%e$ )he 3in+ *as po*erful4 he *as clothe( *ith %a,est.4 his *ill *as the la*, but, *ith
fe* e7ceptions, the hu%blest citi@en or sub,ect %i+ht shut the (oor of his hu%ble cotta+e in the face of the
%onarch an( (efen( his intrusion into that pri'ac. *hich *as re+ar(e( as sacre( as an. of the 3in+l.
prero+ati'es$ )he poorest an( %ost hu%ble citi@en or sub,ect %a., in his cotta+e, no %atter ho* frail or
hu%ble it is, bi( (efiance to all the po*ers of the state4 the *in(, the stor% an( the sunshine ali3e %a.
enter throu+h its *eather&beaten parts, but the 3in+ %a. not enter a+ainst its o*ner1s *ill4 none of his
forces (are to cross the threshol( of e'en the hu%blest tene%ent *ithout its o*ner1s consent$
BA %an1s house is his castle,B has beco%e a %a7i% a%on+ the ci'ili@e( peoples of the earth$ :is protection
therein has beco%e a %atter of constitutional protection in En+lan(, A%erica, an( Spain, as *ell as in other
countries$
:o*e'er, un(er the police po*er of the state the authorities %a. co%pel entrance to (*ellin+ houses
a+ainst the *ill of the o*ners for sanitar. purposes$ )he +o'ern%ent has this ri+ht upon +roun(s of public
polic.$ It has a ri+ht to protect the health an( li'es of all of its people$ A %an can not insist upon the pri'ac.
of his ho%e *hen a 5uestion of the health an( life of hi%self, his fa%il., an( that of the co%%unit. is
in'ol'e($ )his pri'ate ri+ht %ust be sub,ect to the public *elfare$
It %a. be ar+ue( that one *ho enters the (*ellin+ house of another is not liable unless he has been
forbi((en 9 i$e$, the phrase Ba+ainst the *ill of the o*nerB %eans that there %ust ha'e been an e7press
prohibition to enter$ In other *or(s, if one enters the (*ellin+ house of another *ithout the 3no*le(+e of
the o*ner he has not entere( a+ainst his *ill$ )his construction is certainl. not tenable, because entrance is
forbi((en +enerall. un(er the spirit of the la* unless per%ission to enter is e7pressl. +i'en$ )o allo* this
construction *oul( (estro. the 'er. spirit of the la*$ =n(er the la* no one has the ri+ht to enter the ho%e
of another *ithout the other1s e7press consent$ )herefore, to sa. that one1s ho%e is open for the entrance
of all *ho are not e7pressl. forbi((en$ )his is not the rule$ )he statute %ust not be +i'en that construction$
No one can enter the (*ellin+ house of another, in there Islan(s, *ithout ren(erin+ hi%self liable un(er the
la*, unless he has the e7press consent of the o*ner an( unless the one see3in+ entrance co%es *ithin
so%e of the e7ceptions (ictate( b. the la* or b. a soun( public polic.$
So ,ealousl. (i( the people of En+lan( re+ar( this ri+ht to en,o., un%oleste(, the pri'ac. of their houses,
that the. %i+ht e'en ta3e the life of the unla*ful intru(er, if it be ni+htti%e$ )his *as also the senti%ent of
the Ro%ans e7presse( b. )ull.C BQuid enim sanctius quid omni religione munitius, quam domus uniuscu
jusque ciium.B
It %a. be ar+ue( that the offense punishable un(er article "1 of the Penal Co(e correspon(s to the cri%e
of bur+lar. at the co%%on la*$ It is true that the offense of enterin+ the house of another *ithout the
latter1s consent an( the co%%on&la* cri%e of bur+lar. are both offenses a+ainst the habitation of
in(i'i(uals$ But these cri%es are (istincti'el. (ifferent$ )he punish%ent for bur+lar. is Bto pre'ent the
brea3in+ an( enterin+ of a (*ellin+ house of another in the ni+htti%e for the purpose of co%%ittin+ a felon.
therein,B *hile the ob,ect of article "1 is to pre'ent entrance into the (*ellin+ house of another at an.
ti%e, either b. (a. or b. ni+ht, for an. purpose, a+ainst the *ill of its o*ner$
In bur+lar. there %ust ha'e e7iste( an intent to enter for the purpose of co%%ittin+ a felon., *hile un(er
article "1 of the Penal Co(e entrance a+ainst the *ill, si%pl., of the o*ner is punishable$ =n(er the
pro'isions of the Penal Co(e entrance in the ni+htti%e can onl. be re+ar(e( as an a++ra'ation of the offense
of enterin+$
6e are of the opinion, un(er all the facts in the case, that the e7tenuatin+ circu%stance pro'i(e( for in
article 11 of the Penal Co(e shoul( not be consi(ere( in fa'or of these (efen(ants$
6e fin( that the (efen(ants are +uilt. of the cri%e of enterin+ the house of another *ith 'iolence an(
inti%i(ation, *ithout the consent of the o*ner, *ith the a++ra'atin+ circu%stance of nocturnit., an( hereb.
i%pose the %a7i%u% (e+ree of prision correccional, an( the fine pro'i(e( for in subsection of / article "1
of the Penal Co(e shoul( be i%pose($
)he sentence of the court belo* is therefore %o(ifie(, an( each of the sai( (efen(ants is hereb. sentence(
to be i%prisone( for the ter% of si7 .ears of prision correccional, an( each to pa. a fine of /81 pesos an(
the costs of this suit or in (efault thereof to suffer subsi(iar. i%prison%ent$
Arellano, C.!. "orres, #illard and $apa, !!., concur.
Cooper and $c%onough, !!., dissent. $