THE CONFLUENCE OF COLLECTIVE CULPABILITY AND PROCEDURAL RIGIDITY: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF CRIMINAL JURISPRUDENCE IN DAVAO CITY

This thesis investigates the mechanics of criminal law as applied in the Regional Trial Courts of Davao City. It focuses on the legal tension between the expansion of liability through the Doctrine of Conspiracy and the restriction of state power through the strict authentication of Corpus Delicti. By evaluating landmark Davao cases, this study explores how the judiciary navigates "implied conspiracy" and the procedural mandates of the "Chain of Custody" rule under Republic Act No. 9165. Furthermore, it examines Treachery (Alevosia) as a qualifying circumstance that reflects the psychological depth of criminal intent. The study concludes with a synthesis of defense strategies that utilize these procedural gaps to uphold the presumption of innocence in the Davao legal landscape.