SUBJECT:
TOPIC:
Date Made:
Digest Maker:
CRIMPRO
Warrantless Searches – Warrantless Moving Vehicles
24/08/2016
Francis
CASE NAME: Pe!"e # Maria$s PONENTE: J% Na$&'ra
Case Date: 1()0()2010
Case S'**ar+: ,C!ied s'**ar+ -r* ."i.e digest/ On October 2005 the San Gabriel Police Station of La Union, conducted a checkoint, co!o"ed of #heChief of Police, Police, PO2 Palla$oc, and other olice!en, near the olice "tation at the oblacion to intercet a "u"ected tran"ortation of !ari%uana fro! &aran'a$ &albala$an', La Union( )hen the checkoint didnot $ield an$ "u"ect or !ari%uana, the Chief of Police in"tructed PO2 Palla$oc to roceed to &aran'a$ &albala$an' to conduct "ur*eillance oeration( #here PO2 Palla$oc !et +ith a "ecret a'ent of the &aran'a$ Intelli'ence et+ork et+ork +ho infor!ed hi! that a ba''a'e of !ari%uana had been loaded on a a""en'er %eene$ that +a" about to lea*e for the oblacion( #he a'ent !entioned three -./ ba'" and one -1/ blue la"tic ba'( urther, the a'ent de"cribed a backack ba' +ith an O(( !arkin'( PO2Palla$oc PO2Palla$oc then boarded the "aid %eene$ and o"itioned hi!"elf on to thereof( thereof( )hile the *ehicle +a" in !otion, he found the black backack +ith an O(( !arkin' and eeked in"ide it" content" and found brick" of !ari%uana +raed in ne+"aer"( 3e then a"ked the other a""en'er" on to of the %eene$ about the o+ner of the ba', but no one kne+( kne+( )hen the %eene$ reached the oblacion, PO2 Palla$oc ali'hted to'ether +ith the other a""en'er"( Unfortunatel$, he did not notice +ho took the black backack fro! ato the %eene$( %eene$( 3e onl$ reali4ed a fe+ !o!ent" later that the "aid ba' and three -./other ba'", includin' a blue la"tic ba', +ere alread$ bein' carried a+a$ b$ t+o -2/ +o!en( 3e cau'ht u +ith the +o!en and introduced hi!"elf a" a olice!an( 3e told the! that the$ +ere under arre"t, but one of the +o!en 'ot a+a$( PO2 Palla$oc brou'ht the +o!an, +ho +a" later identied a" accu"ed6aellant &elen Mariaco", and the ba'" to the olice "tation( 7t the olice "tation, the in*e"ti'ator" contacted the Ma$or of San Gabriel to +itne"" the oenin' of the ba'"( )hen the Ma$or arri*ed about fteen -15/ !inute" later, the ba'" +ere oened and three -./ brick" of !ari%uana +raed in ne+"aer, t+o -2/ round bundle" of !ari%uana, and t+o -2/ brick" of !ari%uana fruitin' to", all +raed in a ne+"aer, +ere reco*ered(
#he R# R#C ro!ul'ated a deci"ion deci"ion ndin' Mariaco" 'uilt$ a" char'ed( She aealed aealed her con*iction to the C7 ar'uin' that the "earch conducted on the ba', a""u!in' it +a" her", +ithout a "earch +arrant and +ith no er!i""ion fro! her, *iolate" *iolate" her con"titutional ri'ht" a'ain"t +arrantle"" "earch( #he C7 di"!i""ed aellant8" aeal and a9r!ed the R#C deci"ion in toto rulin' that Mariaco" +a" cau'ht in :a'rante delicto of carr$in' and con*e$in' the ba' that contained the ille'al dru'", and thu" held that aellant8" +arrantle"" arre"t +a" *alid( '"e - La: 7R#ICL; 7R#ICL; III, S;C#IO 2 < 1=>? Con"titution@ #he ri'ht of the Peole to be "ecure in their er"on", hou"e", aer", and eAect" a'ain"t unrea"onable "earche" and "ei4ure" of +hate*er nature and for an$ uro"e "hall be in*iolable, and no "earch +arrant +arrant or +arrant of arre"t "hall i""ue eBcet uon robable cau"e to be deter!ined deter!ined er"onall$ b$ BLOCK D 2019 1
the ud'e after eBa!ination under oath or a9r!ation of the co!lainant and the +itne""e" he !a$ roduce, and articularl$ de"cribin' the lace to be "earched and the er"on" or thin'" to be "ei4ed(
Detai"ed a$ts:
7n aeal fro! Deci"ion of C7 C7 deci"ion a9r!ed R#C &ranch 2=, San ernando Cit$, La Union 3.di.g a!!e""a.t Be"e. Maria$s g'i"t+ - #i"ati.g Arti$"e II4 Se$ti. 5 - e!'6"i$ A$t ,%A%/ N% 91(54 r t&e C*!re&e.si#e Da.ger's Dr'gs A$t - 2002 Pleaded not 'uilt$ on arrai'n!ent 7PP;LL7#S S#ORE@ "he, +F Lani 3erbacio +a" in"ide the %eene$ bound for the oblacion and +hile at ter!inal, Lao6an', one of the a""en'er", a"ked her to carr$ a fe+ ba'" loaded on to of the %eene$( )hen the$ reached the oblacion, Lao6an' handed her and 3erbacio the ba'" and "uddenl$ ran a+a$( #hi" +a" +hen PO2 Palla$oc arre"ted the! and brou'ht the! to olice "tation( 3erbacio di"aeared at thi" ti!e( She "aid "he onl$ di"co*ered content" of ba' in the Police "tation "he +a" not the o+ner( ;Becuted counter6a9da*it at olice "tation( R#C found her 'uilt$ 7ealed to C7@ erred in ad!ittin' e*idence de"ite inad!i""ibilit$ re'ulation direct" the arehendin' tea! ha*in' initial cu"tod$ and control of the dru'" andFor arahernalia, i!!ediatel$ after "ei4ure or con"cation, to ha*e the "a!e h$"icall$ in*entoried and hoto'rahed in the re"ence of aellant or her rere"entati*e, +ho "hall be reHuired to "i'n coie" of the in*entor$( #he failure to co!l$ +ith thi" directi*e, aellant clai!ed, ca"t" a "eriou" doubt on the identit$ of the ite!" alle'edl$ con"cated fro! her( OSG@ *alid +arrantle"" arre"tF"earch and "ei4ure !o*in' *ehicle( o rea"onable 'round to belie*e that aellant had co!!itted the cri!e of deli*erin' dan'erou" dru'" ba"ed on reliable infor!ation fro! their a'ent e"toed fro! Hue"tionin' le'alit$ "ince "he leaded not 'uilt$ alread$( 7eal to SC •
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Iss'e:
)F the +arrantle"" "earch conducted on the ba' of a !o*in' *ehicle +a" *alidJ E;S 7"di.g:
K7LID )7RR7#L;SS S;7RC3@ 1( Warrantless search incidental to a lawful arrest reco'ni4ed under Section 12 no+ Section 1., Rule 12N of the Rule" of Court and b$ re*ailin' %uri"rudence 2( Sei4ure of e*idence in lain *ie+, the ele!ent" of +hich are@ -a/ a rior *alid intru"ion ba"ed on the *alid +arrantle"" arre"t in +hich the olice are le'all$ re"ent in the ur"uit of their o9cial dutie" -b/ the e*idence +a" inad*ertentl$ di"co*ered b$ the olice +ho had the ri'ht to be +here the$ are -c/ the e*idence !u"t be i!!ediatel$ aarent and -d/ lain *ie+ %u"tied !ere "ei4ure of e*idence +ithout further "earch( BLOCK D 2019 2
.( Search of a !o*in' *ehicle( 3i'hl$ re'ulated b$ the 'o*ern!ent, the *ehicle" inherent !obilit$ reduce" eBectation of ri*ac$ e"eciall$ +hen it" tran"it in ublic thorou'hfare" furni"he" a hi'hl$ rea"onable "u"icion a!ountin' to robable cau"e that the occuant co!!itted a cri!inal acti*it$ Q( Con"ented +arrantle"" "earch 5( Cu"to!" "earch N( Sto and ri"k and ?( ;Bi'ent and ;!er'enc$ Circu!"tance" 6 Probable cau"e i" dened a" a rea"onable 'round of "u"icion "uorted b$ circu!"tance" "u9cientl$ "tron' in the!"el*e" to induce a cautiou" !an to belie*e that the er"on accu"ed i" 'uilt$ of the oAen"e char'ed( It refer" to the eBi"tence of "uch fact" and circu!"tance" that can lead a rea"onabl$ di"creet and rudent !an to belie*e that an oAen"e ha" been co!!itted, and that the ite!", article" or ob%ect" "ou'ht in connection +ith "aid oAen"e or "ub%ect to "ei4ure and de"truction b$ la+ are in the lace to be "earched #he *ehicle that carried the contraband or rohibited dru'" +a" about to lea*e( PO2 Palla$oc had to !ake a Huick deci"ion and act fa"t( It +ould be unrea"onable to reHuire hi! to rocure a +arrant before conductin' the "earch under the circu!"tance"( #i!e +a" of the e""ence in thi" ca"e( #he "earchin' o9cer had no ti!e to obtain a +arrant( Indeed, he onl$ had enou'h ti!e to board the *ehicle before the "a!e left for it" de"tination( i'ht before arre"t, olice recei*ed infor!ation about !ari%uana bein' tran"orter, e*en "etu checkoint( 7l"o !et +F "ecret a'ent +ho infor!ed about the ba''a'e %eene$( 37D PRO&7&L; C7US; #O S;7RC3 &7GS In thi" ca"e, "earch +a" *alid, arre"t ba"ed on that "earch i" al"o *alid 3er defen"e of lack of kno+led'e of content" of the ba' doe"n8t "tand a" +ell Malu! Prohibitu! oAen"e( Mere o""e""ion andFor deli*er$ of a rohibited o dru', +ithout le'al authorit$, i" uni"hable under the Dan'erou" Dru'" 7ct Lack of cri!inal intent and 'ood faith are not eBe!tin' circu!"tance"( 3er o""e""ion of the acka'e" containin' the dru'" 'a*e ri"e to o re"u!tion of o+ner"hi( failed to rebut thi" re"u!tion 7LSO@ if ba'" reall$ %u"t left +ith her, "hould ha*e a"ked +hat +a" in"ide r"t o +hen Lao6an' ran +a$, "hould ha*e cha"ed after hi!, not +alk a+a$ +ith the ba'" R;@ O# OLLO)IG PROC;DUR;@ Court ha" alread$ re*iou"l$ held that non6 co!liance +ith Section 21 i" not fatal and +ill not render an accu"ed" arre"t ille'al, or !ake the ite!" "ei4ed inad!i""ible( )hat i" of ut!o"t i!ortance i" the re"er*ation of the inte'rit$ and e*identiar$ *alue of the "ei4ed ite!"( al"o had Ma$or +itne"" oenin' of ba'" in front of aellant, al"o !arked in front of her(
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'"i.g:
7PP;7L DISMISS;D, D;CISIO 7IRM;D Ot&er O!i.i.s:
( &lank &lank Di""ent ( &lank &lank Concurrin' BLOCK D 2019 .
BLOCK D 2019 Q
