Republic Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT Judicial Region Region Cantilan, Surigao del Sur
PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES , Plainti, Sections 11 1, R. !. No. "1#$
Case No. For: Violation of and
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VICENTE C. SALON, !ccused. '%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%'
MOTION TO QUASH SEARCH WARRANT
!CC(S)*, through the undersigned Public COMES NOW, the !CC(S)*, !ttor !t torne+ ne+,, unto unto this this onora onorable ble Court, Court, resp respect ectful full+ l+ -o&es -o&es for the uashal of Search /arrant No. 01$%0$ issued b+ the $ th unicipal Circuit Circuit 2rial Court, Court, arihatag arihatag,, Surigao Surigao del Sur Sur on and dated 3 Septe-ber 01$ 01$ based on the follo4ing follo4ing considerations: considerations: 1. Search Search 4arrant 4arrant no. 01$%0$ 01$%0$ 4as applied applied for and issued issued b+ ono onorab rable le Pres Presid idin ing g Judge Judge CashCash-er ere e Jo%an Jo%an !ugust !ugustia ia *. 5a+as% 5a+as%Cru Crui6 i6 of the the unicip unicipal al Circui Circuitt 2ria 2riall Court Court 7C2 7C2C8 situated situated in arihatag, Surigao del Sur after 9nding probable probable cause that a cri-e subect of the said search 4arrant 4as co--itted;
The search warrant is seri!s"# $e%ecti&e %r 'ein( ins!)cient in %r* an$ s!'stance. . 2he search search 4arrant 4arrant is seriousl+ seriousl+ defecti&e defecti&e for the reason reason that the the abo& abo&en enaa-ed ed udg udge e issu issued ed the the said said sear search ch 4ar 4arrant rant 4ithout e'a-ining e'a-ining personall+ personall+ through through searching searching uestions uestions and ans4ers the applicant Police
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>. Fro- the 4ordings of the search 4arrant, it cannot be deter-ined ho4 the udge profounded the uestions in order to deter-ine personall+ fro- the applicant and his 4itness, if an+, the probable cause of the alleged co--ission of the cri-e. 2he 9rst paragraph of the search 4arrant -erel+ states: ?<2 !PP)!R
The MCTC, Marihata(, S!ri(a $e" S!r that iss!e$ the search warrant has n territria" -!ris$ictin &er the +"ace where the a""e(e$ cri*e was c**itte$. #.
/hile the Judge 4ho issued the subect search 4arrant is appointed or designated in the C2C of arihatag, Surigao del Sur, the alleged cri-e subect of the said search 4arrant 4as co--itted in Puro 1, Daranga+ 5one <<<, unicipalit+ of =anu6a, Surigao del Sur. 2his is e&idenced b+ a cop+ of search 4arrant no. 01$%0$ that is alread+ part of the records of the case;
7. Section 2, Rule 126 of the Revised Rules of Criminal Procedure provides thus: “SEC. 2. Court where applications for search warrant shall be filed . !n application for search "arrant shall #e filed "ith the follo"in$: %a&
!n' court "ithin "hose territorial (urisdiction a crime "as committed.
%#& )or compellin$ reasons stated in the application, an' court "ithin the (udicial re$ion "here the crime "as committed if the place of the commission of the crime is *no"n, or an' court "ithin the (udicial re$ion "here the "arrant shall #e enforced.
made in pendin$.
+o"ever, if the criminal action has alread' #een filed, the application shall onl' #e the court "here the criminal action is
E. !s can be gleaned fro- the abo&e%stated pro&ision of the Rule, the application of search 4arrant no. 01$%0$ is -isplaced and the C2C Court of arihatag, Surigao del Sur issued the said search 4arrant be+ond its territorial urisdiction; ". 2his is boost b+ the Super&isor+ Circular No. 13, ctober , 1"E$, issued b+ the Supre-e Court 4hich sa+s: “2. Territorial jurisdiction of courts . - %a& etropolitan /rial Courts, unicipal /rial Courts Circuit Trial Courts shall exercise and Municipal the cit', municipalit' or their jurisdiction in (ud$e thereof is appointed or circuit for "hich the desi$nated. %Emphasis supplied&0
2he authorit+ to issue search 4arrant -ust necessaril+ be co%e'tensi&e 4ith the courtGs territorial urisdiction. 2he territorial urisdiction of the courts is deter-ined b+ la4, and a reading of Datas Pa-bansa Dlg. 1" discloses that the territorial urisdiction of regional trial courts, -etropolitan trial courts, -unicipal trial courts and -unicipal circuit trial
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courts are con9ned to speci9c territories. 7alaloan &. C!, @.R. No. 103EH", a+ #, 1""3, Justice *a&ideIs opinion8;
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ha&e territorial urisdiction o&er the place 4here the alleged cri-e 4as co--itted. 7PILIPINAS SHELL PETROLEUM CORPORATION AND PETRON CORPORATION VS. ROMARS INTERNATIONAL GASES CORPORATION, @.R. No. 1E"##",
Februar+ 1#, 01$8 7)-phasis supplied8; 1$. 2herefore, the search 4arrant being &oid ab initio -ust be uashed;
A search warrant sha"" 'e iss!e$ in cnnectin with ne s+eci5c 6ense. The search warrant here is a 7scatter8 sht warrant9 which is !ncnstit!tina". 1#. 2he subect search 4arrant co--anded an+ peace oBcer ?to -ae an i**e$iate search an$ ta:e +ssessin % !n$eter*ine$ ;!antities % i""e(a" $r!(s "ca""# :nwn as sha'!, an$ i""e(a" $r!(s +ara+herna"ia.A. 2his search 4arrant 4as issued for t4o oenses punishable under Republic !ct 7R. !.8 No. "1#$, na-el+: 7a8 possession of undeter-ined uantities of illegal drugs locall+ no4n as ?shabuA penali6ed under Section 11, R. !. No. "1#$; and, 7b8 possession of illegal drugs paraphernalia penali6ed under Section 1 of the sa-e la4. 2hese t4o oenses being punishable under t4o dierent pro&isions of R. !. No. "1#$ ha&e penalties dierent and distinct fro- each other; 1H.
1E. !s stated abo&e, a search 4arrant -ust be issued in connection 4ith one speci9c oense. n the contrar+, the search 4arrant, in the case at bar, 4as issued for t4o oenses ha&ing dierent penalties 4hich &iolates Sec. 3, Rule 1# abo&e. 2he said search 4arrant is a ?scatter%shot $
4arrantA that is proscribed and unconstitutional, and, thus, null and &oid; 1". 2he things and obects allegedl+ sei6ed fro- the house of herein accused Vicente C. Salon located in Puro <, Drg+. 5one <<<, =anu6a, Surigao del Sur on Septe-ber >0, 01$ b+ &irtue of a general search 4arrant dated Septe-ber 3, 01$ issued b+ the C2C of arihatag, Surigao del Sur ha&ing no territorial urisdiction o&er the place 4here the alleged cri-e had been co--itted 4ere sei6ed in &iolation of the accusedIs right against unreasonable search and sei6ure, and are, thus, fruits of a poisonous tree 4hich are inad-issible as e&idence against accused Vicente C. Salon. ence, under the la4, the search 4arrant is &oid ab initio and -ust be uashed.
WHEREFORE, it is respectfull+ pra+ed that Search /arrant No. 01$%0$ be (!S)* and all obects sei6ed under its purported authorit+ be declared 78 in relation to section of the 1"EH Philippine Constitution. Cantilan, Surigao del Sur, Philippines. 0$ No&e-ebr 01$.
Atty. JO YECYEC Counsel for !ccused
Ntice % Hearin(
THE CLER> OF COURT R2C, Cantilan Surigao del Sur THE PROVINCIAL PROSECUTOR Cantilan, Surigao del Sur Please set the foregoing otion to uash Search /arrant for hearing before this onorable Court on No&e-ber 1E, 01$ at E:>0 in the -orning.
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ATT?. @O ?EC?EC Cop+ furnished: 7b+ personal ser&ice8 Bce of the Pro&incial Prosecutor Cantilan, Surigao del Sur
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