CRIMINAL PROCEDURE: PRESUMPTION OF INNOCENCE

 The Constitution mandates that an accused in a criminal case shall be presumed innocent until the contrary is proven beyond reasonable doubt. The prosecution is laden with the burden to overcome such presumption of innocence by presenting the quantum of evidence required.

Consequently, courts are required to put the prosecution evidence through the crucible of a severe testing, and the constitutional right to presumption of innocence requires them to take a more than casual consideration of every circumstance or doubt favoring the innocence of the accused (People v. Santos, Jr., G.R. No. 175593, October 17, 2007, 536 SCRA 489, 500, citing People v. Tan, 432 Phil. 171, 182 (2002) cited in People vs de Guzman y Danzil, G.R. No. 186498, March 26, 2010, Nachura J.).