People vs Damaso, GR. 93516 Facts: •
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The group of Lt. u!"ar#o $ere se%t to ver!f& the prese%ce of 'PP()P* mem+ers !% Dagupa% '!t&. The& The& put u%#er u%#er surve! surve!lla lla%ce %ce the re%te# re%te# apartm apartme%t e%t of Rosemar!e, s!ster of someo%e $hom the& earl!er arreste#. The& The& !%te !%terv rv!e !e$e $e# # Luv Luv!m !m!% !%#a #a -ora -ora#o #os, s, a v!s! v!s!to torr of Rose Rosema mar! r!e, e, $ho $ho stat state# e# that that she she $or $ore# e# $!th $!th /er% /er%!e !e -e%#oa al!as /as!l!o Damaso, the appella%t. Together $!th -ora#os, the& reache# the house of Damaso $here the& sa$ Lu Ta%c!a%gco, a helper. Ta%c!a%gco the% allo$e# the group to e%ter !%s!#e the house. The group of Lt. u!"ar#o e%tere# the #$ell!%g of Damaso $!thout a val!# $arra%t $he% the latter $as a+se%t. The& re0ueste# the perso%s !% the house to allo$ them to loo arou%#. % o%e of the rooms, the& sa$ su+vers!ve mater!als $h!ch the& co%f!scate#. The& l!e$!se +rought the perso%s fou%# !% the house to the hea#0uarters for !%vest!gat!o% a%# the perso%s reveale# that Damaso $as the lessee of the house a%# o$%e# the !tems co%f!scate#. /ase# o% th!s, Damaso $as charge# $!th !llegal possess!o% of f!rearms. The accuse#2appella%t, /as!l!o Damaso, $as charge# !% a% !%fo !%form rmat at!o !o% % of v!ol v!olat at!o !o% % of PD 166 166 for for the the !lle !llega gall posses possess!o s!o% % of f!rear f!rearms ms !% co%%ec co%%ect!o t!o% % $!th $!th the cr!me cr!me of su+vers!o%. The cou%se cou%sell for the accuse accuse#2a #2appel ppella la%t %t !%terp !%terpose ose# # h!s o+"e o+"ect ct!o !o%s %s to the the a#m! a#m!ss ss!+ !+!l !l!t !t& & of the the pros prosec ecut ut!o !o%4 %4ss ev!# ev!#e% e%ce ce o% the the grou grou%# %#ss of 1 1 !ts !ts +e!% +e!%g g hear hearsa sa&, &, !mmater!al or !rreleva%t a%# 7 !llegal for lac of a search $arra%t.
-a!% ssue: 8() the tr!al court erre# !% f!%#!%g accuse# appella%t gu!lt& +e&o%# reaso%a+le #ou+t of the cr!me of !llegal possess!o% of f!rear f!rearms ms a%# ammu% ammu%!t! !t!o%s o%s !% co%%ec co%%ect!o t!o% % $!th $!th the cr!me cr!me of su+vers!o% #esp!te the $oefull& !%a#e0uate ev!#e%ce prese%te# +& the prosecut!o%.
Rul!%g: The The Dec! Dec!s! s!o% o% f!%# f!%#!% !%g g the the accu accuse se# # Dama Damaso so gu!l gu!lt& t& +e&o +e&o%# %# reaso%a+le #ou+t for v!olat!o% of the PD 166 !% furthera%ce of the cr!me of su+vers!o% !s here+& RR;D a%# the appella%t !s *'<TTD. Rat!o: There !s %o su+sta%t!al a%# cre#!+le ev!#e%ce to esta+l!sh the fact that the appella%t !s allege#l& the same perso% as the lessee of the house $here the -21= r!fle a%# other su+vers!ve !tems $ere fou%# or the o$%er of the sa!# !tems. Th!s !s +ecause: *. The test!mo%!es test!mo%!es prese%te# +& the the $!t%esses are hearsay as hearsay as the& test!f test!f!e# !e# o% matter matterss %ot o% the!r the!r o$% perso% perso%al al %o$le %o$le#ge #ge.. >o$ever, the ;ol!c!tor Ge%eral argues that $h!le the test!mo%!es ma& +e hearsa&, the same !s a#m!ss!+le +ecause of the fa!lure of cou%sel for appella%t to o+"ect thereto. 8h!le !t !s true that the lac of o+"ect!o% ma& mae a%& !%compete%t ev!#e%ce a#m!ss!+le. /ut admissibility of evidence should not be equated with weight of evidence. Hearsay evidence whether objected to or not has no probative value. /. ve% assum!%g that the appella%t !s the lessee of the house, the case aga!%st h!m st!ll $!ll %ot prosper, the reaso% +e!%g that la$ e%force e%forcers rs failed to comply with the requirements of a valid search and seizure proceeding. The r!ght aga!%st u%reaso%a+le searches a%# se!ures !s e%shr!%e# !% the 'o%st!tut!o% *rt!cle , ;ect!o% 7. The purpose of the la$ !s to preve%t v!olat!o%s of pr!vate secur!t& !% perso% a%# propert&, a%# u%la$ful !%vas!o%s of the sa%ct!t& of the home +& off!cers of the la$ act!%g u%#er leg!slat!ve or "u#!c!al sa%ct!o% a%# to g!ve reme#& aga!%st such usurpat!o%s $he% attempte#. >o$ever, such r!ght !s %ot a+solute. a+solute. There There are !%sta%ces !%sta%ces $he% a $arra%tl $arra%tless ess search a%# se!ure +ecomes val!#, %amel&: 1 search !%c!#e%tal to a% arrest arrest?? 7 search search of a mov!%g mov!%g veh!cle? veh!cle? a%# 3 se!ure se!ure of ev!#e%ce !% pla!% v!e$. )o%e of these e@cept!o%s !s prese%t !% th!s case. ;ol!c!tor Ge%eral argues that there $as %o search as the group $as
volu%tar!l& sho$% the art!cles use# !% su+vers!o%? that +es!#es, a search ma& +e val!#l& co%#ucte# $!thout search $arra%t $!th the co%se%t of the perso% searche# !% th!s case, appella%tAs helper a%# Lu Ta%c!a%gco allo$e# them to e%ter a%# to loo arou%# the appella%tAs house? a%# that s!%ce the ev!#e%ce se!e# $as !% pla!% v!e$ of the author!t!es, the same ma& +e se!e# $!thout a $arra%t. The r!ght aga!%st u%reaso%a+le searches a%# se!ures !s a perso%al r!ght. The co%st!tut!o%al !mmu%!t& from u%reaso%a+le searches a%# se!ures, +e!%g perso%al o%e, ca%%ot +e $a!ve# +& a%&o%e e@cept 1 the perso% $hose r!ghts are !%va#e# or 7 o%e $ho !s e@pressl& author!e# to #o so !% h!s or her +ehalf. % th!s case, the recor#s sho$ that Damaso $as %ot !% h!s house at that t!me Lu, h!s allege# helper, allo$e# the author!t!es to e%ter.
There $as %o ev!#e%ce that $oul# esta+l!sh the fact that Lu $as !%#ee# Damaso4s helper or !f !t $as true that she $as h!s helper, that Damaso ha# g!ve% her author!t& to ope% h!s house !% h!s a+se%ce. /e!%g a helper, she #oes %ot 0ual!f& as a perso% author!e# to $a!ve such r!ght !% represe%tat!o% of her emplo&er. Thus, the search +e!%g !%val!# for lac of $arra%t, the ev!#e%ce o+ta!%e# thereafter !s !%a#m!ss!+le. t $oul# have +ee% #!ffere%t !f the s!tuat!o% here #ema%#e# urge%c& $h!ch coul# have prompte# the author!t!es to #!spe%se $!th a search $arra%t. /ut the recor# !s s!le%t o% th!s po!%t.
