RUBEN DEL CASTILLO v. PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES
G.R. No. 185128, 30 January 2012, THIRD DIVISION (Peralta, J. J.
Having been established that the assistance of the barangay tanods was sought by the police authorities who eected the searched warrant, the same barangay tanods therefore acted as agents of persons in authority. authority.
Pol!"e O#!"er$ %ea&e& 'y SPO3 !en)en!&o *a$nayon +ent to $er)e a $ear"% +arrant ro- t%e Re!onal Tr!al /ourt (RT/ to Pet!t!oner Ru'en Del /a$t!llo !n $ear"% o !lleal &ru$. on arr!)al, $o-e'o&y $%oute& ra!& +%!"% ro-te& t%e ol!"e o#!"er$ to !--e&!ately &!$e-'ar4 ro- t%e ee t%ey +ere r!&!n an& o &!re"tly &!re"tly to Del /a$t!llo6$ /a$t!llo6$ %ou$e an& "or&one& !t o#. Pol!"e Pol!"e -en oun& not%!n not%!n !n"r!-!nat !n"r!-!nat!n !n !n Del /a$t!llo6$ re$!&en"e, re$!&en"e, 'ut one o t%e 'aranay tano&$ +a$ a'le to "on7$"ate ro- t%e %ut $e)eral art!"le$ !n"lu& !n"lu&!n !n our our ( la$t! la$t!" " a"4$ a"4$ o -et%a-et%a-%e %etata-!ne !ne %y&ro" %y&ro"%lo %lor!&e r!&e,, or $%a'u. 9n Inor-at!on +a$ 7le& 'eore RT/ aa!n$t Del /a$t!llo, "%ar!n %!- +!t% )!olat!on o Se"t!on 1:, 9rt!"le III o R.9. :25 (T%e Danerou$ Dru$ 9"t o 1;<2. Dur!n t%e arra!n-ent, Del /a$t!llo lea&e& not u!lty. T%e RT/ oun& Del /a$t!llo u!lty 'eyon& rea$ona'le o t%e "%are "%are aa!n$t aa!n$t %!- !n t%e !nor-at!on. T%e /ourt o 9eal$ (/9 a#!r-e& t%e &e"!$!on. Del /a$t!llo aeale& %!$ "a$e to t%e /9, !n$!$t!n t%at t%ere +a$ a )!olat!on o %!$ "on$t!tut!onal uaranty aa!n$t unrea$ona'le $ear"%e$ an& $e!=ure. On t%e "ontrary, t%e O#!"e o t%e Sol!"!tor General arue& t%at t%e "on$t "on$t!t !tut ut!o !ona nall uar uaran anty ty aa! aa!n$ n$tt unrea unrea$o $ona na'l 'le e $ear $ear"% "%e$ e$ an& an& $e!= $e!=ur ure e !$ al!"a'le only aa!n$t o)ern-ent aut%or!t!e$. Hen"e, a$$u-!n t%at t%e !te-$ !te-$ $e!=e& $e!=e& +ere oun& oun& !n anot%e anot%err la"e la"e not &e$!nate &e$!nate& & !n t%e $ear"% +arrant, +arrant, t%e $a-e !te-$ $%oul& $t!ll 'e a&-!$$!'le a$ e)!&en"e 'e"au$e t%e one +%o &!$"o)ere& t%e- +a$ a 'aranay tano& +%o !$ a r!)ate !n&!)!&ual. ISSUE:
>%et%er or not t%ere +a$ a )!olat!on o Del /a$t!llo6$ r!%t aa!n$t unrea$ona'le $ear"%e$ an& $e!=ure HELD:
Pet!t!on GR9NT?D. It -u$t 'e re-e-' re-e-'ere ere& & t%at t%at t%e +arran +arrantt !$$ue& !$$ue& -u$t -u$t art!" art!"ula ularly rly &e$"r!'e t%e la"e to 'e $ear"%e& an& er$on$ or t%!n$ to 'e $e!=e& !n or&er or !t to 'e )al!&. 9 &e$!nat!on or &e$"r!t!on t%at o!nt$ out t%e la"e to 'e $ear"%e& to t%e e@"lu$!on o all ot%er$, an& on !nAu!ry unerr!nly lea&$
t%e ea"e o#!"er$ to !t, $at!$7e$ t%e "on$t!tut!onal reAu!re-ent o &e7n!tene$$. In t%e re$ent "a$e, t%e $ear"% +arrant $e"!7"ally &e$!nate$ or &e$"r!'e$ t%e re$!&en"e o t%e et!t!oner a$ t%e la"e to 'e $ear"%e&. In"!&entally, t%e !te-$ +ere $e!=e& 'y a 'aranay tano& !n a n!a %ut, 20 -eter$ a+ay ro- t%e re$!&en"e o t%e Del /a$t!llo. T%e "on7$"ate& !te-$, %a)!n 'een oun& !n a la"e ot%er t%an t%e one &e$"r!'e& !n t%e $ear"% +arrant, "an 'e "on$!&ere& a$ ru!t$ o an !n)al!&
ST Ba+ Re)!e+, Vol. BVII No. 1, No)e-'er 2012
+arrantle$$ $ear"%, t%e re$entat!on o +%!"% a$ an e)!&en"e !$ a )!olat!on o Del /a$t!llo6$ "on$t!tut!onal uaranty aa!n$t unrea$ona'le $ear"%e$ an& $e!=ure. T%e OSG arue& t%at, a$$u-!n t%at t%e !te-$ $e!=e& +ere oun& !n anot%er la"e not &e$!nate& !n t%e $ear"% +arrant, t%e $a-e !te-$ $%oul& $t!ll 'e a&-!$$!'le a$ e)!&en"e 'e"au$e t%e one +%o &!$"o)ere& t%e- +a$ a 'aranay tano& +%o !$ a r!)ate !n&!)!&ual, t%e "on$t!tut!onal uaranty aa!n$t unrea$ona'le $ear"%e$ an& $e!=ure 'e!n al!"a'le only aa!n$t o)ern-ent aut%or!t!e$. T%e "ontent!on !$ &e)o!& o -er!t. It +a$ te$t!7e& to &ur!n tr!al 'y t%e ol!"e o#!"er$ +%o e#e"te& t%e $ear"% +arrant t%at t%ey a$4e& t%e a$$!$tan"e o t%e 'aranay tano&$. Ha)!n 'een e$ta'l!$%e& t%at t%e a$$!$tan"e o t%e 'aranay tano&$ +a$ $ou%t 'y t%e ol!"e aut%or!t!e$ +%o e#e"te& t%e $ear"% +arrant, t%e $a-e 'aranay tano&$ t%ereore a"te& a$ aent$ o er$on$ !n aut%or!ty. 9rt!"le 152 o t%e Re)!$e& Penal /o&e &e7ne$ er$on$ !n aut%or!ty an& aent$ o er$on$ !n aut%or!ty a$ any er$on &!re"tly )e$te& +!t% ur!$&!"t!on, +%et%er a$ an !n&!)!&ual or a$ a -e-'er o $o-e "ourt or o)ern-ental "ororat!on, 'oar& or "o--!$$!on, $%all 'e &ee-e& a er$on !n aut%or!ty. 9 'aranay "ata!n an& a 'aranay "%a!r-an $%all al$o 'e &ee-e& a er$on !n aut%or!ty. 9 er$on +%o, 'y &!re"t ro)!$!on o la+ or 'y ele"t!on or 'y ao!nt-ent 'y "o-etent aut%or!ty, !$ "%are& +!t% t%e -a!ntenan"e o u'l!" or&er an& t%e rote"t!on an& $e"ur!ty o l!e an& roerty, $u"% a$ 'arr!o "oun"!l-an, 'arr!o ol!"e-an an& 'aranay lea&er, an& any er$on +%o "o-e$ to t%e a!& o er$on$ !n aut%or!ty, $%all 'e &ee-e& an aent o a er$on !n aut%or!ty. T%e Bo"al Go)ern-ent /o&e al$o "onta!n$ a ro)!$!on +%!"% &e$"r!'e$ t%e un"t!on o a 'aranay tano& a$ an aent o er$on$ !n aut%or!ty. Se"t!on 388 o t%e Bo"al Go)ern-ent /o&e rea&$C or uro$e$ o t%e Re)!$e& Penal /o&e, t%e unon 'aranay, $anun!an 'aranay -e-'er$, an& -e-'er$ o t%e luon taaa-ayaa !n ea"% 'aranay $%all 'e &ee-e& a$ er$on$ !n aut%or!ty !n t%e!r ur!$&!"t!on$, +%!le ot%er 'aranay o#!"!al$ an& -e-'er$ +%o -ay 'e &e$!nate& 'y la+ or or&!nan"e an& "%are& +!t% t%e -a!ntenan"e o u'l!" or&er, rote"t!on an& $e"ur!ty o l!e an& roerty, or t%e -a!ntenan"e o a &e$!ra'le an& 'alan"e& en)!ron-ent, an& any 'aranay -e-'er +%o "o-e$ to t%e a!& o er$on$ !n aut%or!ty, $%all 'e &ee-e& aent$ o er$on$ !n aut%or!ty.
y )!rtue o t%e a'o)e ro)!$!on$, t%e ol!"e o#!"er$, a$ +ell a$ t%e 'aranay tano&$ +ere a"t!n a$ aent$ o a er$on !n aut%or!ty &ur!n t%e "on&u"t o t%e $ear"%. T%u$, t%e $ear"% "on&u"te& +a$ unrea$ona'le an& t%e "on7$"ate& !te-$ are !na&-!$$!'le !n e)!&en"e.
ST Ba+ Re)!e+, Vol. BVII No. 1, No)e-'er 2012
