Rape victim's panties were not torn; crime still exists

Time and again, we have held that the non-presentation of the torn dress and underwear of a rape victim does not destroy the case for the prosecution, where there is otherwise sufficient and convincing evidence to prove the rape beyond reasonable doubt. Such clothes are not essential, and need not be presented, as they are not indispensable evidence to prove the corpus of the crime of rape. The absence thereof does not negate the truth of a rape complaint nor affect the credibility of the victim's testimony. [G.R. No. 116740. November 28, 1996]