The doctrine of equipoise flows from constitutional presumption of innocence

The accused-appellant's plea for the application of the "equipoise rule" must likewise fail. This rule provides that where the evidence of the parties in a criminal case is evenly balanced, the constitutional presumption of innocence should tilt the scales in favor of the accused. There is, therefore, no equipoise if the evidence is not "evenly balanced." Not even a semblance of parity is present in this case. Against the direct, positive and convincing evidence for the prosecution, the accused-appellant could only offer a mere denial and the incredible claim that he was an unwitting victim of his sister Precy Benemerito. He miserably failed to overcome the prosecutions's evidence, hence the rule is unavailable to him. [G.R. No. 120389. November 21, 1996]