Principals, A17 Revised Penal Code

1. Concept

Principals – refers to those who authored or directly participated in the commission of the crime.

a. Legal basis

Article 17. Principals. - The following are considered principals:

1. Those who take a direct part in the execution of the act;

2. Those who directly force or induce others to commit it;

3. Those who cooperate in the commission of the offense by another act without which it would not have been accomplished.

(Revised Penal Code)

2. Who are the principals

The following are principals under the Revised Penal Code:

1) Those who take a direct part in the execution of the act;

2) Those who directly force or induce others to commit it;

3) Those who cooperate in the commission of the offense by another act without which it would not have been accomplished. (REVISED PENAL CODE, Article 17)

a. Principal by direct participation

A principal who take direct part in the execution of the crime is one who was actually present and performed acts constituting the crime.

The very first words of comment upon article 13 [now Article 17] of the [Old] Penal Code found in the pages of Viada are to the effect that the expression “those who take a direct part in the commission of the deed,” in subsection 1 of that article, means “those who, participating in the criminal resolution, proceed together to perpetrate the crime and personally take part in its realization, executing acts which directly tend to the same end.” (Vol. I, p. 341...