Self-Defense

Nonetheless, even if we were to believe Arnold and Joven’s version of the incident, the element of unlawful aggression by the victims would still be lacking. The allegation that one of the victims had held Winifreda’s hand did not indicate that the act had gravely endangered Winifreda’s life. Similarly, the victims’ supposed motion to draw something from their waists did not put Arnold and Joven’s lives in any actual or imminent danger. What the records inform us is that Arnold and Joven did not actually see if the victims had any weapons to draw from their waists. That no weapons belonging to the victims were recovered from the crime scene confirmed their being unarmed. Lastly, had they been only defending themselves, Arnold and Joven did not tell the trial court why they had repeatedly hacked their victims with their bolos; or why they did not themselves even sustain any physical injury (People of the Philippines Vs. Melanio Del Castillo y Vargas, et al., G.R. No. 169084. January 18, 2012).