Dear PAO,

Is the defense of alibi really not favored in criminal cases? My friend was informed that there was a complaint against him for beating someone in San Mateo, Rizal. The incident apparently transpired just last Sept. 30, 2024. But it was impossible for my friend to have committed the alleged act because he is in Aklan. He has been residing there since March of this year, up to the present, to take care of his ailing father. So, of course, he will deny the accusations once he is required to submit his sworn statement. But a barangay official in their place told him that such denial and the defense of alibi are usually not considered in criminal cases. Is this an absolute rule?