117. Ho Wai Pang vs People of the Ph ilippines GR No. 176229 Del Castillo, J. Oto!e" 19, 2#11 Dot"ine$ Rights of %&spets' (nf"ation of the "ights of an a&se) )&"ing &sto)ial investigation o" the so*alle) +i"an)a Rights "en)e" ina)issi!le onl- the et"a/&)iial onfession o" a)ission a)e )&"ing s&h investigation.0he a)issi!ilit- of othe" evi)ene, p"ovi)e) the- a"e "elevant to the iss&e an) is not othe"ise el&)e) !- la o" "&les, is not a3ete) even if o!taine) o" ta4en in th e o&"se of &sto)ial investigation.0 5ats$ •
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1 Hong4ong nationals ae to the Phil ippines via 8 5light hih a""ive) at N8(8. he g"o&p lea)e", %onn- Wong, p"esente) a :aggage Dela"ation 5o" to C&stos aine" Cino. (n the ;"st !ag, she sa fe pe"sonal !elongings s&h as &se) loth ing, shoes an) hoolate !oes hih she p"esse). (n the seon) !ag, Cino notie) hoolate !oes hih e"e alost of the sae siN8RCO+? >N8RCO+? an) the polie. %he g&i)e) the to&"ists to the (ntensive Co&nting nit >(C? hile !"inging ith he" the = !oes ea"lie" )isove"e). 8t the (C, Cino he4e) Pang@s !ag an) onl- fo&n) pe"sonal e3ets, !&t "ealle) that 2 of the hoolate !oes )isove"e) ea"lie" at the ep"ess lane !elonge) to hi. C ino alle) the othe" to&"ists to &"ists an) eaine) thei" !ags an) fo&n) a total of 1A hoolate !oes. N8RCO+ 8gent )e Cast"o o""o!o"ate) o""o!o"ate) the testion- of Cino. He on)&te) a t est on the hit e "-stalline s&!stane &sing the +an)elline Re*8gent est. est. he s&!stane as as fo&n) positive fo" ethaphetaine h-)"ohlo"i)e >sha!&?. he hoolate !oes !oes e"e !&n)le) togethe" ith tape, plae) insi)e a plasti !ag an) !"o&ght to t he (n!on) %etion. he 1 to&"ists e"e !"o&ght to N:( fo" f&"the" B&estioning. he on;sate) s&!stane e"e t&"ne) t&"ne) ove" to the 5o"ensi Cheist ho eighe) an) eaine) the, an) fo&n) the positive as sha!&. O&t of the 1 to&"ists, the N:( fo&n) evi)ene fo" violation of R8 6=2 onl- against petitione" Pang an) his o* a&se). %i sepa"ate info"ations e"e ;le). Petitione" Pang ;le) a +otion fo" Reinvestigation, hih as g"ante) !- the t"ial o&"t. he "einvestigation gave a- to a ;n)ing of onspi"a- aong the a&se) an) this "es<e) to the ;ling of a single 8en)e) 8 en)e) (nfo"ation. he- plea) g&ilt-, an) in vo4e) )enial as thei" )efense. he- laie) to have no 4nole)ge a!o&t the t"anspo"tation of illegal s&!stane ta4en f"o thei" t"aveling !ags hih p"ovi)e) !- the t"avel agen-. agen-. RC fo&n) the g&ilt-. g&ilt-. 8ll the a&se) appeale) to the %C, !&t late" on, all a&se) eept eept fo" petitione" Pang ith)"e thei" appeal. %C g"ante) the it h)"aal. Petitione" Pang@s appeal as "efe""e) to the C8 fo" p"ope" )isposition an) )ete"ination. C8 )enie) the appeal, an) a"e) the RC RC )eision. While one)ing that petitione"Es onstit&tional "ight to o&nsel )&"ing the &sto)ial investigation as in)ee) violate), it neve"theless ent on to hol) that the"e e"e othe" evi)ene s&ient s&ient to a""ant his onvition. he C8 also "e!&4e) "e!&4e) petitione"Es lai that he as )ep"ive) of his onstit&tional an) stat&to"- "ight to onf"ont the itnesses against hi. he C8 gave "e)ene "e)ene to the testionies of the p"ose&tion p"ose&tion itnesses an) B&ote) ith favo" the t"ial o&"tEs "atioination "ega")ing the eistene of onspi"a- aong the a&se).
Petitione"$ He as not assiste) !- a opetent an) in)epen)ent la-e" )&"ing the &sto)ial investigation. He as not )&l- info"e) of his "ights to "eain silent an) to have opetent o&nsel of his hoie. C8 sho&l) have el&)e) the evi)ene ta4en )&"ing s&h investigation. He as )ep"ive) of his "ight to 4no an) &n)e"stan) hat the itnesses testi;e) to. Onl- a f&ll &n)e"stan)ing of hat the itnesses o&l) testif- to o&l) ena!le an a&se) to op"ehen) the evi)ene !eing o3e"e) against hi an) t o "ef&te it !- "oss*eaination o" !- his on o&nt e"vailing evi)ene •
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Respon)ent >O%G?$ Nothing entione) in f&ll tet on ontention "ega")ing violation of "ights )&"ing &sto)ial investigation >pa"t in o&tline? Petitione" as given the oppo"t&nit- t o onf"ont his a&se"s an)Fo" itnesses of the p"ose&tion hen his o&nsel "oss*eaine) the. (t is petitione"Es all to hi"e an inte"p"ete" to &n)e"stan) the p"oee)ings !efo"e !efo"e hi an) if he o&l) not )o so, he sho&l) have anifeste) it !efo"e the o&"t. •
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Petitione" as neve"theless a!le to "oss*eaine the p"ose&tion itnesses an) th at s&h eaination s&es as opliane ith petitione"Es "ight to onf"ont the itnesses against hi. (ss&e$ Whethe" he as )&l- info"e) of his >onstit&tional? "ight to "eain silent an) to have opetent o&nsel )&"ing &sto)ial investigation, in ao")ane ith %etion 12, 8"tile of the Constit&tion Hel)$ Constit&tional "ight as violate), !&t s&!stane )isove"e) )&"ing inspetion at N8(8 still a)issi!le as evi)ene. %etion 12, 8"tile $ %etion 12. >1? 8n- pe"son &n)e" investigation fo" the oission of an o3ense shall have the "ight to !e info"e) of his "ight to "eain silent an) to have opetent an) in)epen)ent o&nsel p"efe"a!l- of his on hoie. (f the pe"son annot a3o") the se"vies of o&nsel, h e &st !e p"ovi)e) ith one. hese "ights annot !e aive) eept in "itin g an) in the p"esene of o&nsel. Petitione" Pang as s&!/ete) to all the "it&als of a &sto)ial B&estioning !- the &sto a&tho"ities an) the N:( in violation of his onstit&tional "ight. Hoeve", the Constit&tion onl- p"ohi!its as evi)ene onfession an) a)issions of the a&se) as against hi self. 0(nf"ations of the so*alle) +i"an)a "i ghts "en)e" ina)issi!le onl- the et"a/&)iial onfession o" a)ission a)e )&"ing &sto)ial investigation.E he a)issi!ilit- of othe" evi)ene, p"ovi)e) the- a"e "elevant to the iss&e an) a "e not othe"ise el&)e) !- la o" "&les, a"e not a3ete) even if o!taine) o" ta4en in the o&"se of &sto)ial in vestigation. * 8B&ino vs Paiste Petitione" Pang )i) not a4e an- onfession o" a)ission )&"ing his &sto)ial investigation. he p"ose&tion )i) not p"esent an- et"a/&)iial onfession et"ate) f"o his as evi)ene of his g&il t. No stateent as ta4en f"o hi )&"ing his )etention an) s&!seB&entl- &se) in evi)ene against hi. he )ete"ination of his g&ilt as !ase) on the testionies of the p"ose&tion itnesses an) on the eistene of the on;sate) sha!&. I8n- allegation of violation of "ights )&"ing &sto)ial investigation is "elevant an) ate"ial onl- to ases in hih an et"a/&)iial a)ission o" onfession et"ate) f"o the a&se) !eoes the !asis of thei" onvition. * People vs. :&l&"an Petitione"@s onvition as on the st"ength of his having !een a&ght in ag"ante )elito t"anspo"ting sha!& into the o&nt"- an) not on the !asis of an- onfession o" a)ission. Cino@s testion- as fo&n) to !e )i"et, positive an) "e)i!le !- the t"ial o&"t' it nee) not !e o""o!o"ate). %he itnesses the enti"e ini)ent an) p"ovi)e) )i"et evi)ene as e-eitness to the ve"- at of the oission of th e "ie. • •
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Othe" iss&e$ Whethe" he as )enie) of his "ight to "oss*eaine %C ag"ees ith O%G. Petitione" )i) not "egiste" an- o!/etion to the p"esentation of the p"ose&tion@s evi)ene, pa"ti&la"l- on the testion- of Cino )espite the a!sene of an int e"p"ete". (t has not !een shon that the la4 of an inte"p"ete" g"eatl- p"e/&)ie) hi. Petitione", th"o&gh o&nsel, as a!le to f&ll- "oss*eaine Cino an) the othe" itnesses an) test thei" "e)i!ilit-. he "ight to onf"ontation is essentiall- a g&a"antee that a )efen)ant a- "oss*eaine the itnesses of the p"ose&tion. Petitione"@s onstit&t ional "ight to onf"ont itnesses against hi as not ipai"e). Conspi"a- aong the a&se) as )&l- esta!lishe) Conspi"a- is the oon )esign to oi t a felon-. (t nee) not entail a lose pe"sonal assoiation o" at least an aB&aintane !eteen o" aong the pa"tiipants to a "ie. (t nee) not !e shon that the pa"ties at&all- ae togethe" an) ag"ee) in ep"ess te"s to ente" into an) p&"s&e a oon )esign. he assent of the in)s a- !e an), f"o the se"e- of the "ie, &s&all- infe""e) f"o p"oof of fats an) i"&stanes hih, ta4en togethe", in)iate that the- a"e pa"ts of soe oplete hole. (t an !e )e)&e) f"o petitione" an) his o*a&se)@s olletive on)&t, viee) in its totalit-, that the"e as a oon )esign, one"te) ation an ) on&""ene of sentients in !"inging a!o&t the "ie oitte). G&ilt as p"ove) !e-on) "easona!le )o&!t Cino@s ;"st testion- )ela"e) that she )i) not see an- hoolate !oes in petitione"@s !ag. :&t she la"i;e) in he" s&ee)ing testion- that she "ealls ta4ing 2 hoolate !oes f"o his !ag hen thee"e still at the o&nte". his s&ientl- eplaine) h- Ci no )i) not ;n) an- hoolate !oes f"o petitione"Es !ag hen the- e"e at the (C. his slight lash in CinoEs stateents neithe" )il&te he" "e)i!ilit- no" the ve"ait- of he" testion-. J&"isp"&)ene teahes that in assessing the "e)i!ilit- of a itness, his testion- &st !e onsi)e"e) in its enti"et- instea) of in t"&nate) pa"ts. he tehniB&e in )eiphe"ing a testion- is not to onsi)e" onl- its isolate) pa"ts an) anho" a onl&sion on the !asis of sai) pa"ts. I(n ase"taining the fats • •
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esta!lishe) !- a itness, eve"-thing state) !- hi on )i"et, "oss an) "e)i"et eainations &st !e ali!"ate) an) onsi)e"e). he"e is nothing in the "eo")s hih o&l) sho a otive o" "eason on the pa"t of the itness to falselipliate the a&se). Petitione" p"esente) no evi)ene o" an-thing to in)iate that the p"inipal itness fo" the p"ose&tion as ove) !- an- ip"ope" otive. Ke"il-, the evi)ene a))&e) against petitione" is so ove"heling that this Co&"t is onvine) that his g&ilt has !een esta!lishe) !e-on) "easona!le )o&!t. Nothing else an spea4 so eloB&entl- of his &lpa!ilit- than the &nassaila!le fat that he as a&ght "e)*han)e) in the ve"- at of t"anspo"ting, along ith his o*a&se), sha!& into the o&nt"-. (n sta"4 ont"ast, the evi)ene fo" the )efense onsists ainl- of )enials.
