Philippine Supreme Court Jurisprudence


Philippine Supreme Court Jurisprudence > Year 2018 > July 2018 Decisions > G.R. No. 233572, July 30, 2018 - ALFREDO A. RAMOS, Petitioner, v. PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Respondent.:




G.R. No. 233572, July 30, 2018 - ALFREDO A. RAMOS, Petitioner, v. PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Respondent.

PHILIPPINE SUPREME COURT DECISIONS

SECOND DIVISION

G.R. No. 233572, July 30, 2018

ALFREDO A. RAMOS, Petitioner, v. PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Respondent.

D E C I S I O N

PERLAS-BERNABE, J.:

Assailed in this petition for review on certiorari1 are the Decision2 dated March 21, 2017 and the Resolution3 dated August 4, 2017 of the Court of Appeals (CA) in CA-G.R. CR No. 38528, which affirmed the Decision4 dated August 27, 2015 of the Regional Trial Court of Binangonan, Rizal, Branch 67 (RTC) in Criminal Case No. 12-0227, finding petitioner Alfredo A. Ramos (Ramos) guilty beyond reasonable doubt of the crime of Illegal Possession of Dangerous Drugs as defined and penalized under Section 11, Article II of Republic Act (RA) No. 9165,5 otherwise known as the "Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002."

The Facts

On May 8, 2012 an Information was filed before the RTC charging Ramos of violation of Section 11, A1ticle II of RA 9165, the accusatory portion of which reads:
That on or about the 1st day of May 2012, in the Municipality of Angono, Province of Rizal, Philippines and within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, the above-named accused, without having been authorized by law to possess any dangerous drug, did then and there willfully, unlawfully and knowingly possess and have in his custody and control 0.05 gram of white crystalline substance contained in one (1) heat�-sealed transparent plastic sachet, which was found positive to the test for Methamphetamine Hydrochloride, also known as "shabu", a dangerous drug, in violation of the above-cited law.

CONTRARY TO LAW.6
The prosecution alleged that on May 1, 2012, acting upon the information of a police asset that a certain "Nonong" later identified as Ramos - was bringing in shabu from Lupang Arienda to Barangay (Brgy.) San Roque, Angono, Rizal, Senior Police Officer 1 (SPO1) Pablo Medina (SPO1 Medina), together with three (3) other police officers, took their positions at Col. Guido St., Brgy. San Roque. After waiting for a while, Ramos arrived at the location, and later, two (2) unidentified men came and talked to him. The three (3) men then started fighting, which prompted the police officers to approach and pacify them. However, the men escaped, except for Ramos who was caught by SPO1 Medina. Ramos then took something from his pocket and tried to throw away a pack of cigarettes containing a plastic sachet, which SPO1 Medina was able to intercept. Thereafter, the latter proceeded to the Angono Police Station where he turned over Ramos and the seized items to police investigator SPO1 Ian Voluntad (SPO1 Voluntad) for marking and taking of photographs. Thereat, SPO1 Voluntad marked the plastic sachet with "AAR-1" and the cigarette pack as "AAA-2" and then delivered the items to the crime laboratory where it was confirmed7 that the seized items contained 0.05 gram of methamphetamine hyrdrochloride or shabu, an illegal drug.8

In his defense, Ramos pleaded not guilty and denied the charge against him. He then narrated that on the date he was arrested, he received a call from his friend Brandon Balais (Balais) who invited him to go to Angono, Rizal for Balais's birthday. At around 4:00 o'clock in the afternoon, he arrived at the Angono Caltex gas station, lit a cigarette, and while waiting, a man in civilian clothes started to frisk him. Thereafter, the man showed him a cigarette case with shabu inside and claimed that he owned it. When he denied, he was brought inside an office where a report was instantly prepared against him.9

The RTC Ruling

In a Decision10 dated August 27, 2015, the RTC found Ramos guilty beyond reasonable doubt of the crime charged, and accordingly, sentenced him to suffer the penalty of imprisonment for an indeterminate period of twelve (12) years and one (1) day, as minimum, to thirteen (13) years, as maximum, and to pay a fine in the amount of P300,000.00.11

The RTC found that the prosecution had established beyond reasonable doubt that Ramos committed the crime charged as he was caught in flagrante delicto by the arresting police officers in possession of a sachet containing shabu. In this regard, the RTC pointed out that the chain of custody of the seized drug had been preserved, since it was brought to the crime laboratory on the date of the seizure.12

Aggrieved, Ramos appealed13 to the CA.

The CA Ruling

In a Decision14 dated March 21, 2017, the CA upheld the RTC ruling, finding all the elements of the crime present, and further holding that the prosecution was able to establish an unbroken chain of custody of the illegal drug from the time of its confiscation by SPO1 Medina until its identification in court. It ruled that despite the failure to strictly follow the requirements under Section 21, Article II of RA 9165, the following circumstances show substantial compliance thereof: (a) the marking and inventory of the subject specimen were immediately done at the police station; and (b) the absence of representatives from the DOJ and the media, or any elected official during the inventory was justified, since SPO1 Medina exerted efforts to secure their presence but they failed to appear. The CA further pointed out that while the photographs of the seized items were not presented as evidence, SPO1 Medina testified that pictures were actually taken by SPO1 Voluntad. Finally, the CA held that it is within the prosecution's discretion whether or not to present SPO1 Voluntad but in any case, the failure to do so was not crucial in proving Ramos's guilt.15

Unperturbed, Ramos moved for reconsideration16 which was, however, denied in a Resolution17 dated August 4, 2017; hence, this petition.18

The Issue Before the Court

The issue for the Court's resolution is whether or not Ramos is guilty beyond reasonable doubt of violating Section 11, Article II of RA 9165.

The Court's Ruling

The appeal is meritorious.

At the outset, it must be stressed that an appeal in criminal cases opens the entire case for review, and thus, it is the duty of the reviewing tribunal to correct, cite, and appreciate errors in the appealed judgment whether they are assigned or unassigned.19 "The appeal confers the appellate court full jurisdiction over the case and renders such court competent to examine records, revise the judgment appealed from, increase the penalty, and cite the proper provision of the penal law."20

In this case, Ramos was charged with Illegal Possession of Dangerous Drugs, defined and penalized under Section 11, Article II of RA 9165. In order to properly secure the conviction of an accused charged with Illegal Possession of Dangerous Drugs, the prosecution must prove that: (a) the accused was in possession of an item or object identified as a dangerous drug; (b) such possession was not authorized by law; and (c) the accused freely and consciously possessed the said drug.21 Notably, it is essential that the identity of the prohibited drug be established with moral certainty, considering that the dangerous drug itself forms an integral part of the corpus delicti of the crime. Thus, in order to obviate any unnecessary doubt on the identity of the dangerous drugs, the prosecution has to show an unbroken chain of custody over the same and account for each link in the chain of custody from the moment the drugs are seized up to their presentation in court as evidence of the crime.22

Section 21, Article II of RA 9165 outlines the procedure which the police officers must follow when handling the seized drugs in order to preserve their integrity and evidentiary value.23 Under the said section, prior to its amendment by RA 10640,24 the apprehending team shall, among others, immediately after seizure and confiscation conduct a physical inventory and photograph the seized items in the presence of the accused or the person from whom the items were seized, or his representative or counsel, a representative from the media and the Department of Justice (DOJ), and any elected public official who shall be required to sign the copies of the inventory and be given a copy of the same, and the seized drugs must be turned over to the PNP Crime Laboratory� within twenty-four (24) hours from confiscation for examination.25 In the case of People v. Mendoza,26 the Court stressed that "[w]ithout the insulating presence of the representative from the media or the Department of Justice, or any elected public official during the seizure and marking of the [seized drugs], the evils of switching, 'planting' or contamination of the evidence that had tainted the buy-busts conducted under the regime of RA No. 6425 (Dangerous Drugs Act of 1972) again reared their ugly heads as to negate the integrity and credibility of the seizure and confiscation of the [said drugs] that were evidence herein of the corpus delicti, and thus adversely affected the trustworthiness of the incrimination of the accused. Indeed, the x x x presence of such witnesses would have preserved an unbroken chain of custody."27

The Court, however, clarified that under varied field conditions, strict compliance with the requirements of Section 21 of RA 9165 may not always be possible.28 In fact, the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of RA 9165 - which is now crystallized into statutory law with the passage of RA 10640 - provide that the said inventory and photography may be conducted at the nearest police station or office of the apprehending team in instances of warrantless seizure, and that non-compliance with the requirements of Section 21 of RA 9165 - under justifiable grounds - will not render void and invalid the seizure and custody over the seized items so long as the integrity and evidentiary value of the seized items are properly preserved by the apprehending officer or team.29 In other words, the failure of the apprehending team to strictly comply with the procedure laid out in Section 21 of RA 9165 and its IRR does not ipso facto render the seizure and custody over the items as void and invalid, provided that the prosecution satisfactorily proves that: (a) there is justifiable ground for non�compliance; and (b) the integrity and evidentiary value of the seized items are properly preserved.30 In People v. Almorfe,31the Court explained that for the above-saving clause to apply, the prosecution must explain the reasons behind the procedural lapses, and that the integrity and evidentiary� value of the seized evidence had nonetheless been preserved.32 Also, in People v. De Guzman,33 it was emphasized that the justifiable ground for non-compliance must be proven as a fact, because the Court cannot presume what these grounds are or that they even exist.34

After a judicious study of the case, the Court finds that the police officers committed unjustified deviations from the prescribed chain of custody rule, thereby putting into question the integrity and evidentiary value of the dangerous drugs allegedly seized from Ramos.

It is glaring from the records that no less than SPO1 Medina admitted on cross-examination that the inventory of the drugs purportedly seized from Ramos was conducted without the presence of any elected public official or representatives from both the DOJ and the media.35 When questioned on the reason behind such irregularity, SPO1 Medina offered the following justification:
[PROSECUTOR CO]: In this inventory it appears that there is no signature coming from an elected official, media representative and DOJ representative, why is it so?

[SPO1 Medina]: At that time, there were no available barangay kagawad(s), Sir.

[PROSECUTOR CO]: How [about] the media and the DOJ representative, did you exert effort at that time?

[SPO1 Medina]: We exerted effort but there nobody was (sic) available, Sir.36
At this point, it is well to note that the absence of these required witnesses does not per se render the confiscated items inadmissible.37 However, a justifiable reason for such failure or a showing of any genuine and sufficient effort to secure the required witnesses under Section 21 of RA 9165 must be adduced.38 In People v. Umipang,39 the Court held that the prosecution must show that earnest efforts were employed in contacting the representatives enumerated under the law for "a sheer statement that representatives were unavailable without so much as an explanation on whether serious attempts were employed to look for other representatives, given the circumstances is to be regarded as a flimsy excuse."40 Verily, mere statements of unavailability, absent actual serious attempts to contact the required witnesses are unacceptable as justified grounds for non�compliance.41 These considerations arise from the fact that police officers are ordinarily given sufficient time - beginning from the moment they have received the information about the activities of the accused until the time of his arrest - to prepare for a buy-bust operation and consequently, make the necessary arrangements beforehand knowing full well that they would have to strictly comply with the set procedure prescribed in Section 21 of RA 9165. As such, police officers are compelled not only to state reasons for their non-compliance, but must in fact, also convince the Court that they exerted earnest efforts to comply with the mandated procedure, and that under the given circumstance, their actions were reasonable.42

Thus, for failure of the prosecution to provide justifiable grounds or show that special circumstances exist which would excuse their transgression - as in fact the only reason given was that "they exerted effort but nobody was available" - the Court is constrained to conclude that the integrity and evidentiary value of the items purportedly seized from Ramos have been compromised. It is settled that in a prosecution for the illegal sale and possession of dangerous drugs under RA 9165, the State carries the heavy burden of proving not only the elements of the offense, but also to prove the integrity of the corpus delicti, failing in which, renders the case for the State insufficient to prove the guilt of the accused beyond reasonable doubt.43 Moreover, jurisprudence dictates that the procedure in Section 21 of RA 9165, as amended by RA 10640, is a matter of substantive law, and cannot be brushed aside as a simple procedural technicality; or worse, ignored as an impediment to the conviction of illegal drug suspects.44 Accordingly, since the prosecution failed to provide justifiable grounds for non-compliance therewith, Ramos's acquittal is in order.

As a final note, the Court finds it fitting to echo its recurring pronouncement in recent jurisprudence on the subject matter:
The Court strongly supports the campaign of the government against drug addiction and commends the efforts of our law enforcement officers against those who would inflict this malediction upon our people, especially the susceptible youth. But as demanding as this campaign may be, it cannot be more so than the compulsions of the Bill of Rights for the protection of liberty of every individual in the realm, including the basest of criminals. The Constitution covers with the mantle of its protection the innocent and the guilty alike against any manner of high-handedness from the authorities, however praiseworthy their intentions.

Those who are supposed to enforce the law are not justified in disregarding the right of the individual in the name of order. [For indeed,] [o]rder is too high a price for the loss of liberty. x x x.45
"In this light, prosecutors are strongly reminded that they have the positive duty to prove compliance with the procedure set forth in Section 21, Article II of RA 9165, as amended. As such, they must have the initiative to not only acknowledge but also justify any perceived deviations from the said procedure during the proceedings before the trial court. Since compliance with this procedure is determinative of the integrity and evidentiary value of the corpus delicti and ultimately, the fate of the liberty of the accused, the fact that any issue regarding the same was not raised, or even threshed out in the court/s below, would not preclude the appellate court, including this Court, from fully examining the records of the case if only to ascertain whether the procedure had been completely complied with, and if not, whether justifiable reasons exist to excuse any deviation. If no such reasons exist, then it is the appellate court's bounden duty to acquit the accused, and perforce, overturn a conviction."46

WHEREFORE, the appeal is GRANTED. The Decision dated March 21, 2017 and the Resolution dated August 4, 2017 of the Court of Appeals in CA-G.R. CR No. 38528 are hereby REVERSED and SET ASIDE. Accordingly, petitioner Alfredo A. Ramos is ACQUITTED of the crime charged. The Director of the Bureau of Corrections is ordered to cause his immediate release, unless he is being lawfully held in custody for any other reason.

SO ORDERED.

Carpio, (Senior Associate Justice), Caguioa, and A. Reyes, Jr., JJ., concur.
Peralta, J., Please see separate concurring opinion.

Endnotes:


1Rollo, pp. 12-39.

2 Id. at 41-56. Penned by Associate Justice Remedios A. Salazar-Fernando with Associate Justices Mario V. Lopez and Eduardo B. Peralta, Jr. concurring.

3 Id. at 58-62.

4 Id. at 84-85. Penned by Presiding Judge Dennis Patrick Z. Perez.

5 Entitled "AN ACT INSTITUTING THE COMPREHENSIVE DANGEROUS DRUGS ACT OF 2002, REPEALING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 6425, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE DANGEROUS DRUGS ACT OF 1972, AS AMENDED, PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES," approved on June 7, 2002.

6Rollo, p. 42.

7 The chemistry report is not attached to the rollo.

8See rollo, p. 42. See also id. at 84.

9 Id. at 44. See also id. at 68-69.

10 Id. at 84-85.

11 Id. at 85.

12 See id.

13 See Brief for the Accused-Appellant dated September 1, 2016; id. at 65-83.

14 Id. at 41-56.

15 See id. at 46-55.

16 See motion for reconsideration dated April 18, 2017; id. at 110-120.

17 Id. at. 58-62.

18 Id. at 12-39.

19 See People v. Dahil, 750 Phil. 212, 225 (2015).

20People v. Comboy, G.R. No. 218399, March 2, 2016,785 SCRA 512, 521.

21People v. Bio, 753 Phil. 730, 736 (2015).

22 See People v. Viterbo, 739 Phil. 593, 601 (2014).

23 See People v. Sumili, 753 Phil. 342, 349-350 (2015).

24 Entitled "AN ACT TO FURTHER STRENGTHEN THE ANTI-DRUG CAMPAIGN OF THE GOVERNMENT, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE SECTION 21 OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9165, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE 'COMPREHENSIVE DANGEROUS DRUGS ACT OF 2002,'" approved on July 15, 2014. The crime subject of this case was allegedly committed before the enactment of RA 10640, or on May 1, 2012.

25 See Section 21 (1) and (2), Article II of RA 9165.

26 736 Phil. 749 (2014).

27 Id. at 764; emphases and underscoring supplied.

28 See People v. Sanchez, 590 Phil. 214, 234 (2008).

29 See Section 21 (a), Article II of the IRR of RA 9165. See also People v. Ceralde, G.R. No. 228894, August 7, 2017.

30 See People v. Goco, G.R. No. 219584, October 17, 2016, 806 SCRA 240, 252; citation omitted.

31 631 Phil. 51 (2010).

32 Id. at 60; citation omitted.

33 630 Phil. 637 (2010).

34 Id. at 649.

35 See rollo, p. 44.

36 Id. at 51.

37People v. Umipang, 686 Phil. 1024, 1052 (2012).

38 See id. at 1052-1053.

39 Id.

40 Id. at 1053.

41 See id.

42 See People v. Manansala, supra note 21.

43 See People v. Umipang, supra note 38, at 1039-1040.

44 See People v. Macapundag, G.R. No. 225965, March 13, 2017, citing People v. Umipang, id. at 1038.

45 See Bulauitan v. People, G.R. No. 218891, September 19, 2016, 803 SCRA 367, 387.

46 See People v. Miranda, G.R. No. 229671, January 31, 2018.




SEPARATE CONCURRING OPINION


PERALTA, J.:


I concur with the ponencia in acquitting petitioner Alfredo A. Ramos of the charge of illegal possession of dangerous drugs, or violation of Section 11, Article II of Republic Act No. 9165 (R.A. No. 9165),1 respectively. I agree that the prosecution failed to provide justifiable grounds for the arresting officers' non-observance of the three-witness rule under Section 212 of R.A. No. 9165, i.e., why an elected public official and representatives from the Department of Justice and the media were not present during the inventory of the seized drugs. At any rate, I would like to emphasize on important matters relative to Section 21 of R.A. No. 9165, as amended.

To properly guide law enforcement agents as to the proper handling of confiscated drugs, Section 21 (a), Article II of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of R.A. No. 9165 filled in the details as to where the inventory and photographing of seized items had to be done, and added a saving clause in case the procedure is not followed:3

(a) The apprehending officer/team having initial custody and control of the drugs shall, immediately after seizure and confiscation, physically inventory and photograph the same in the presence of the accused or the person/s from whom such items were confiscated and/or seized, or his/her representative or counsel, a representative from the media and the Department of Justice (DOJ), and any elected public official who shall be required to sign the copies of the inventory and be given a copy thereof: Provided, that the physical inventory and photograph shall be conducted at the place where the search warrant is served; or at the nearest police station or at the nearest office of the apprehending officer/team, whichever is practicable, in case of warrantless seizures; Provided, further, that non-compliance with these requirements under justifiable grounds, as long as the integrity and the evidentiary value of the seized items are properly preserved by the apprehending officer/team, shall not render void and invalid such seizures of and custody over said items.
It bears emphasis that R.A. No. 10640,4 which amended Section 21 of R.A. No. 9165, now only requires two (2) witnesses to be present during the conduct of the physical inventory and taking of photograph of the seized items, namely: (a) an elected public official; and (b) either a representative from the National Prosecution Service or the media.

In her Sponsorship Speech on Senate Bill No. 2273, which eventually became R.A. No. 10640, Senator Grace Poe conceded that "while Section 21 was enshrined in the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act to safeguard the integrity of the evidence acquired and prevent planting of evidence, the application of said Section resulted in the ineffectiveness of the government's campaign to stop the increasing drug addiction and also, in the conflicting decisions of the courts."5 Senator Poe stressed the necessity for the amendment of Section 21 based on the public hearing that the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs had conducted, which revealed that "compliance with the rule on witnesses during the physical inventory is difficult. For one, media representatives are not always available in all corners of the Philippines, especially in the remote areas. For another there were instances where elected barangay officials themselves were involved in the punishable acts apprehended and thus, it is difficult to get the most grassroot-elected public official to be a witness as required by law."6

In his Co-sponsorship speech, Senator Vicente C. Sotto III said that in view of a substantial number of acquittals in drug-related cases due to the varying interpretations of prosecutors and judges on Section 21 of R.A. No. 9165, there is a need for "certain adjustments so that we can plug the loopholes in our existing law" and ensure [its] standard implementation.7 Senator Sotto explained why the said provision should be amended:
Numerous drug trafficking activities can be traced to operations of highly organized and powerful local and international syndicates. The presence of such syndicates that have the resources and the capability to mount a counter-assault to apprehending law enforcers makes the requirement of Section 21 (a) impracticable for law enforcers to comply with. It makes the place of seizure extremely unsafe for the proper inventory and photograph of the seized illegal drugs.

x x x x

Section 21 (a) of RA 9165 need to be amended to address the foregoing situation. We did not realize this in 2002 where the safety of the law enforcers and other persons required to be present in the inventory and photography of seized illegal drugs and the preservation of the very existence of seized illegal drugs itself are threatened by an immediate retaliatory action of drug syndicates at the place of seizure. The place where the seized drugs may be inventoried and photographed has to include a location where the seized drugs as well as the persons who are required to be present during the inventory and photograph are safe and secure from extreme danger.

It is proposed that the physical inventory and taking of photographs of seized illegal drugs be allowed to be conducted either in the place of seizure of illegal drugs or at the nearest police station or office of the apprehending law enforcers. The proposal will provide effective measures to ensure the integrity of seized illegal drugs since a safe location makes it more probable for an inventory and photograph of seized illegal drugs to be properly conducted, thereby reducing the incidents of dismissal of drug cases due to technicalities.

Non-observance of the prescribed procedures should not automatically mean that the seizure or confiscation is invalid or illegal, as long as the law enforcement officers could justify the same and could prove that the integrity and the evidentiary value of the seized items are not tainted. This is the effect of the inclusion in the proposal to amend the phrase "justifiable grounds." There are instances where there are no media people or representatives from the DOJ available and the absence of these witnesses should not automatically invalidate the drug operation conducted. Even the presence of a public local elected official also is sometimes impossible especially if the elected official is afraid or scared.8
However, under the original provision of Section 21 and its IRR, which is applicable at the time the petitioner committed the crime charged, the apprehending team was required to immediately conduct a physical inventory and photograph the drugs after their seizure and confiscation in the presence of no less than three (3) witnesses, namely: (a) a representative from the media, and (b) the DOJ, and; (c) any elected public official who shall be required to sign copies of the inventory and be given copy thereof. The presence of the three witnesses was intended as a guarantee against planting of evidence and frame up, as they were "necessary to insulate the apprehension and incrimination proceedings from any taint of illegitimacy or irregularity."9

The prosecution bears the burden of proving a valid cause for non-compliance with the procedure laid down in Section 21 of R.A. No. 9165, as amended. It has the positive duty to demonstrate observance thereto in such a way that during the trial proceedings, it must initiate in acknowledging and justifying any perceived deviations from the requirements of law.10 Its failure to follow the mandated procedure must be adequately explained, and must be proven as a fact in accordance with the rules on evidence. It should take note that the rules require that the apprehending officers do not simply mention a justifiable ground, but also clearly state this ground in their sworn affidavit, coupled with a statement on the steps they took to preserve the integrity of the seized items.11 Strict adherence to Section 21 is required where the quantity of illegal drugs seized is minuscule, since it is highly susceptible to planting, tampering or alteration of evidence.12

In this case, the prosecution never alleged and proved that the presence of all the required witnesses was not obtained for any of the following reasons, such as: (1) their attendance was impossible because the place of arrest was a remote area; (2) their safety during the inventory and photograph of the seized drugs were threatened by an immediate retaliatory action of the accused or any person/s acting for and in his/her behalf; (3) the elected official themselves were involved in the punishable acts sought to be apprehended; (4) earnest efforts to secure the presence of a DOJ or media representative and an elected public official within the period required under Article 12513of the Revised Penal Code prove futile through no fault of the arresting officers, who face the threat of being charged with arbitrary detention; or (5) time constraints and urgency of the anti-drug operations, which often rely on tips of confidential assets, prevented the law enforcers from obtaining the presence of the required witnesses even before the offenders could escape.

Invocation of the disputable presumptions that the police officers regularly performed their official duty and that the integrity of the evidence is presumed to be preserved, will not suffice to uphold petitioner's conviction. Judicial reliance on the presumption of regularity in the performance of official duty despite the lapses in the procedures undertaken by the agents of the law is fundamentally flawed because the lapses themselves are affirmative proofs of irregularity.14 The presumption may only arise when there is a showing that the apprehending officer/team followed the requirements of Section 21 or when the saving clause found in the IRR is successfully triggered. In this case, the presumption of regularity had been contradicted and overcome by evidence of non-compliance with the law.15

At this point, it is not amiss to express my position regarding the issue of which between the Congress and the Judiciary has jurisdiction to determine sufficiency of compliance with the rule on chain of custody, which essentially boils down to the application of procedural rules on admissibility of evidence. In this regard, I agree with the view of Hon. Associate Justice Teresita J. Leonardo-De Castro in People v. Teng Moner y Adam16 that "if the evidence of illegal drugs was not handled precisely in the manner prescribed by the chain of custody rule, the consequence relates not to inadmissibility that would automatically destroy the prosecution's case but rather to the weight of evidence presented for each particular case." As aptly pointed out by Justice Leonardo-De Castro, the Court's power to promulgate judicial rules, including rules of evidence, is no longer shared by the Court with Congress.

I subscribe to the view of Justice Leonardo-De Castro that the chain of custody rule is a matter of evidence and a rule of procedure, and that the Court has the last say regarding the appreciation of evidence. Evidentiary matters are indeed well within the powers of courts to appreciate and rule upon, and so, when the courts find appropriate, substantial compliance with the chain of custody rule as long as the integrity and evidentiary value of the seized items have been preserved may warrant the conviction of the accused.

I further submit that the requirements of marking the seized items, conduct of inventory and taking photograph in the presence of a representative from the media or the DOJ and a local elective official, are police investigation procedures which call for administrative sanctions in case of non-compliance. Violation of such procedure may even merit penalty under R.A. No. 9165, to wit:
Section 29. Criminal Liability for Planting of Evidence. - Any person who is found guilty of "planting" any dangerous drug and/or controlled precursor and essential chemical, regardless of quantity and purity, shall suffer the penalty of death.

Section 32. Liability to a Person Violating Any Regulation Issued by the Board. - The penalty of imprisonment ranging from six (6) months and one (1) day to four (4) years and a fine ranging from Ten thousand pesos (P10,000.00) to Fifty thousand pesos (P50,000.00) shall be imposed upon any person found violating any regulation duly issued by the Board pursuant to this Act, in addition to the administrative sanctions imposed by the Board.
However, non-observance of such police administrative procedures should not affect the validity of the seizure of the evidence, because the issue of chain of custody is ultimately anchored on the admissibility of evidence, which is exclusively within the prerogative of the courts to decide in accordance with the rules on evidence.

Endnotes:


1 "AN ACT INSTITUTING THE COMPREHENSIVE DANGEROUS DRUGS ACT OF 2002, REPEALING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 6425, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE DANGEROUS DRUGS ACT OF 1972, AS AMENDED, PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES"

2 Sec. 21. Custody and Disposition of Confiscated, Seized, and/or Surrendered Dangerous Drugs, Plant Sources of Dangerous Drugs,� Controlled Precursors and Essential Chemicals, Instruments/Paraphernalia and/or Laboratory Equipment. - The PDEA shall take charge and have custody of all dangerous drugs, plant sources of dangerous drugs, controlled precursors and essential chemicals, as well as instruments/paraphernalia and/or laboratory equipment so confiscated, seized and/or surrendered, for proper disposition in the following manner:

(1) The apprehending team having initial custody and control of the drugs shall, immediately after seizure and confiscation, physically inventory and photograph the same in the presence of the accused or the person/s from whom such items were confiscated and/or seized, or his/her representative or counsel, a representative from the media and the Department of Justice (DOJ), and any elected public official who shall be required to sign the copies of the inventory and be given a copy thereof;

3People v. Ramirez, G.R. No. 225690, January 17, 2018.

4 "AN ACT TO FURTHER STRENGTHEN THE ANTI-DRUG CAMPAIGN OF THE GOVERNMENT, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE SECTION 21 OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9165, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE "COMPREHENSIVE DANGEROUS DRUGS ACT OF 2002."

5 Senate Journal, Session No. 80, 16th Congress, 1st Regular Session, June 4, 2014, p. 348.

6Id.

7Id.

8Id. at 349-350.

9People v. Sagana, G.R. No. 208471, August 2, 2017.

10People v. Miranda, G.R. No. 229671, January 31, 2018; People v. Paz, G.R. No. 229512, January 31, 2018; and People v. Mamangon, G.R. No. 229102, January 29, 2018.

11People v. Saragena, G.R. No. 210677, August 23, 2017.

12Id.

13 Art. 125. Delay in the delivery of detained persons to the proper judicial authorities. � The penalties provided in the next preceding article shall be imposed upon the public officer or employee who shall detain any person for some legal ground and shall fail to deliver such person to the proper judicial authorities within the period of twelve (12) hours, for crimes or offenses punishable by light penalties, or their equivalent; eighteen (18) hours, for crimes or offenses punishable by correctional penalties, or their equivalent and thirty-six (36) hours, for crimes, or offenses punishable by afflictive or capital penalties, or their equivalent.

14People v. Ramirez, supra note 3.

15People v. Gajo, G.R. No. 217026, January 22, 2018.

16 G.R. No. 202206, March 5, 2018.



Back to Home | Back to Main




















chanrobles.com





ChanRobles On-Line Bar Review

ChanRobles Internet Bar Review : www.chanroblesbar.com

ChanRobles MCLE On-line

ChanRobles Lawnet Inc. - ChanRobles MCLE On-line : www.chanroblesmcleonline.com






July-2018 Jurisprudence                 

  • A.M. No. P-16-3595 (Formerly OCA I.P.I. No. 15-4446-P), June 26, 2018 - HON. DENNIS PATRICK Z. PEREZ, PRESIDING JUDGE, BRANCH 67, REGIONAL TRIAL COURT, BINANGONAN, RIZAL, Complainant, v. ALMIRA L. ROXAS, CLERK III, BRANCH 67, REGIONAL TRIAL COURT, BINANGONAN, RIZAL, Respondent.

  • A.M. No. P-18-3842 (Formerly OCA IPI No. 12-3965-P), June 11, 2018 - CONSTANCIA BENONG-LINDE, Complainant, v. FELADELFA L. LOMANTAS, SOCIAL WELFARE OFFICER II, OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF COURT, REGIONAL TRIAL COURT, TAGBILARAN CITY, BOHOL, Respondent.

  • A.C. No. 10145, June 11, 2018 - OLIVER FABUGAIS, Complainant, v. ATTY. BERARDO C. FAUNDO JR., Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 225219, June 11, 2018 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. RICO DE ASIS Y BALQUIN, Accused-Appellant.

  • G.R. No. 218244, June 13, 2018 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. ARDIN CUESTA CADAMPOG, Accused-Appellant.

  • G.R. No. 234499, June 06, 2018 - RUDY L. RACPAN, Petitioner, v. SHARON BARROGA-HAIGH, Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 218253, June 20, 2018 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. EVELYN SEGUIENTE Y RAMIREZ, Accused-Appellant.

  • G.R. No. 223141, June 06, 2018 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. JAY SUAREZ Y CABUSO, Accused-Appellants.

  • G.R. No. 230717, June 20, 2018 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. LULU BATTUNG Y NARMAR, Accused-Appellant.

  • G.R. No. 212413, June 06, 2018 - MA. ROSARIO AGARRADO, RUTH LIBRADA AGARRADO AND ROY AGARRADO, FOR THEMSELVES AND FOR THE BENEFIT OF THEIR SIBLINGS AND CO-OWNERS ROBERTO AGARRADO, REUEL ANDRES AGARRADO, HEIRS OF THE LATE RODRIGO AGARRADO, JR., REX AGARRADO AND JUDY AGARRADO, Petitioners, v. CRISTITA LIBRANDO-AGARRADO AND ANA LOU AGARRADO-KING, Respondents.

  • A.M. No. P-16-3617, June 06, 2018 - OFFICE OF THE COURT ADMINISTRATOR, Complainant, v. GILBERT T. INMENZO, CLERK OF COURT III, METROPOLITAN TRIAL COURT, BRANCH 52, CALOOCAN CITY, Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 224115, June 20, 2018 - MAGSAYSAY MARITIME CORP./AIR-SEA HOLIDAY GMBH STABLE ORGANIZATION ITALIA/ MARLON R. RO�O, Petitioners, v. ELMER V. ENANOR, Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 222645, June 27, 2018 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. MICHAEL DELIMA, ALLAN DELIMA, JOHN DOE, PAUL DOE AND PETER DOE ACCUSED, MICHAEL DELIMA AND ALLAN DELIMA, Accused-Appellants.

  • G.R. No. 225125, June 06, 2018 - MARLON L. ARCILLA, Petitioner, v. ZULISIBS, INC., PIANDRE SALON, AND ROSALINDA FRANCISCO, Respondents.

  • A.M. No. 18-04-79-RTC, June 20, 2018 - RE: DROPPING FROM THE ROLLS OF MR. FLORANTE B. SUMANGIL, CLERK III, REGIONAL TRIAL COURT OF PASAY CITY, BRANCH 119.

  • G.R. No. 200899, June 20, 2018 - HEIRS OF PAZ MACALALAD, NAMELY: MARIETA MACALALAD, ARLENE MACALALAD-ADAY, JIMMY MACALALAD, MA. CRISTINA MACALALAD, NENITA MACALALAD-PAPA, AND DANNY MACALALAD, Petitioners, v. RURAL BANK OF POLA, INC. AND REGISTER OF DEEDS OF ORIENTAL MINDORO, Respondents.

  • A.C. No. 11981, July 03, 2018 - LEAH B. TADAY, Complainant, v. ATTY. DIONISIO B. APOYA, JR., Respondent.

  • A.M. No. 18-06-01-SC, July 17, 2018 - RE: SHOW CAUSE ORDER IN THE DECISION DATED MAY 11, 2018 IN G.R. NO. 237428 (REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES, REPRESENTED BY SOLICITOR GENERAL JOSE C. CALIDA V. MARIA LOURDES P. A. SERENO)

  • A.C. No. 12137, July 09, 2018 - PHENINAH* D.F. WASHINGTON, Complainant, v. ATTY. SAMUEL D. DICEN, Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 221439, July 04, 2018 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. RASHID BINASING Y DISALUNGAN, Accused-Appellant.

  • G.R. No. 212034, July 02, 2018 - COLEGIO MEDICO-FARMACEUTICO DE FILIPINAS, INC., Petitioner, v. LILY LIM AND ALL PERSONS CLAIMING UNDER HER, Respondent.

  • A.M. No. RTJ-16-2484, July 23, 2018 - THE OFFICE OF THE COURT ADMINISTRATOR, Complainant, v. HON. SELMA P. ALARAS, PRESIDING JUDGE, BRANCH 62, REGIONAL TRIAL COURT, MAKATI CITY, Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 223553, July 04, 2018 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. ROGELIO BAGUION A.K.A. "ROGEL," Defendant-Appellant.

  • G.R. No. 227421, July 23, 2018 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. RODOLFO OLARBE Y BALIHANGO, Accused-Appellants.

  • G.R. No. 179148, July 23, 2018 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. ALEXIS DINDO SAN JOSE Y SUICO, Accused-Appellants.

  • G.R. No. 178591, July 30, 2018 - SM SYSTEMS CORPORATION (FORMERLY SPRINGSUN MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS CORPORATION), Petitioner, v. OSCAR CAMERINO, EFREN CAMERINO, CORNELIO MANTILE, DOMINGO ENRIQUEZ AND HEIRS OF NOLASCO DEL ROSARIO, Respondents.

  • G.R. No. 225497, July 23, 2018 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. MARCIANO UBUNGEN Y PULIDO, Accused-Appellant.

  • A.M. No. RTJ-13-2350 (Formerly OCA IPI No. 10-3507-RTJ), July 23, 2018 - SPS. ALBERTO AND LILIAN PACHO, Complainants, v. JUDGE AGAPITO S. LU, REGIONAL TRIAL COURT, BRANCH 88, CAVITE CITY, Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 222297, July 09, 2018 - FORTUNATO ANZURES, Petitioner, v. SPOUSES ERLINDA VENTANILLA AND ARTURO VENTANILLA, Respondents.

  • G.R. No. 222563, July 23, 2018 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. REYNALDO ROJAS Y VILLABLANCA, JR., Accused-Appellants.

  • G.R. Nos. 235937-40, July 23, 2018 - JOHANNE EDWARD B. LABAY, Petitioner, v. SANDIGANBAYAN, THIRD DIVISION, AND PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Respondents.

  • G.R. No. 218721, July 10, 2018 - BINGA HYDROELECTRIC PLANT, INC., HEREIN REPRESENTED BY ITS EXECUTIVE VICE-PRESIDENT, ERWIN T. TAN, Petitioner, v. COMMISSION ON AUDIT AND NATIONAL POWER CORPORATION, Respondents.

  • G.R. No. 206800, July 02, 2018 - STRADCOM CORPORATION AND JOSE A. CHUA, Petitioners, v. JOYCE ANNABELLE L. ORPILLA, Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 227502, July 23, 2018 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. RANDY GAJILA Y SALAZAR, Accused-Appellants.

  • G.R. No. 199802, July 03, 2018 - CONGRESSMAN HERMILANDO I. MANDANAS; MAYOR EFREN B. DIONA; MAYOR ANTONINO A. AURELIO; KAGAWAD MARIO ILAGAN; BARANGAY CHAIR PERLITO MANALO; BARANGAY CHAIR MEDEL MEDRANO; BARANGAY KAGAWAD CRIS RAMOS; BARANGAY KAGAWAD ELISA D. BALBAGO, AND ATTY. JOSE MALVAR VILLEGAS, Petitioners, v. EXECUTIVE SECRETARY PAQUITO N. OCHOA, JR.; SECRETARY CESAR PURISIMA, DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE; SECRETARY FLORENCIO H. ABAD, DEPARTMENT OF BUDGET AND MANAGEMENT; COMMISSIONER KIM JACINTO-HENARES, BUREAU OF INTERNAL REVENUE; AND NATIONAL TREASURER ROBERTO TAN, BUREAU OF THE TREASURY, Respondents.; G.R. No. 208488, July 3, 2018 - HONORABLE ENRIQUE T. GARCIA, JR., IN HIS PERSONAL AND OFFICIAL CAPACITY AS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE 2ND DISTRICT OF THE PROVINCE OF BATAAN, Petitioner, v. HONORABLE [PAQUITO] N. OCHOA, JR., EXECUTIVE SECRETARY; HONORABLE CESAR V. PURISIMA, SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE; HONORABLE FLORENCIO H. ABAD, SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF BUDGET AND MANAGEMENT; HONORABLE KIM S. JACINTO-HENARES, COMMISSIONER, BUREAU OF INTERNAL REVENUE; AND HONORABLE ROZZANO RUFINO B. BIAZON, COMMISSIONER, BUREAU OF CUSTOMS, Respondents.

  • G.R. No. 225604, July 23, 2018 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. DIONESIO ROY Y PERALTA, Accused-Appellants.

  • G.R. No. 213446, July 03, 2018 - CONFEDERATION FOR UNITY, RECOGNITION AND ADVANCEMENT OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES (COURAGE); JUDICIARY EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION OF THE PHILIPPINES (JUDEA-PHILS); SANDIGANBAYAN EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION (SEA); SANDIGAN NG MGA EMPLEYADONG NAGKAKAISA SA ADHIKAIN NG DEMOKRATIKONG ORGANISASYON (S.E.N.A.D.O.); ASSOCIATION OF COURT OF APPEALS EMPLOYEES (ACAE); DEPARTMENT OF AGRARIAN REFORM EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION (DAREA); SOCIAL WELFARE EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION OF THE PHILIPPINES-DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE AND DEVELOPMENT (SWEAP-DSWD); DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY EMPLOYEES UNION (DTI-EU); KAPISANAN PARA SA KAGALINGAN NG MGA KAWANI NG METRO MANILA DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (KKK-MMDA); WATER SYSTEM EMPLOYEES RESPONSE (WATER); CONSOLIDATED UNION OF EMPLOYEES OF THE NATIONAL HOUSING AUTHORITIES (CUE-NHA); AND KAPISANAN NG MGA MANGGAGAWA AT KAWANI NG QUEZON CITY (KASAMA KA-QC), Petitioners, v. COMMISSIONER, BUREAU OF INTERNAL REVENUE AND THE SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE, Respondents.; NATIONAL FEDERATION OF EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (NAFEDA), REPRESENTED BY ITS EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT ROMAN M. SANCHEZ, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY (DAEA-OSEC), REPRESENTED BY ITS ACTING PRESIDENT ROWENA GENETE, NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL AND FISHERIES COUNCIL EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION (NAFCEA), REPRESENTED BY ITS PRESIDENT SOLIDAD B. BERNARDO, COMMISSION ON ELECTIONS EMPLOYEES UNION (COMELEC EU), REPRESENTED BY ITS PRESIDENT MARK CHRISTOPHER D. RAMIREZ, MINES AND GEOSCIENCES BUREAU EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION CENTRAL OFFICE (MGBEA CO), REPRESENTED BY ITS PRESIDENT MAYBELLYN A. ZEPEDA, LIVESTOCK DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION (LDCEA), REPRESENTED BY ITS PRESIDENT JOVITA M. GONZALES, ASSOCIATION OF CONCERNED EMPLOYEES OF PHILIPPINE FISHERIES DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (ACE OF PFDA), REPRESENTED BY ITS PRESIDENT ROSARIO DEBLOIS, Intervenors.; G.R. No. 213658, July 3, 2018 - JUDGE ARMANDO A. YANGA, IN HIS PERSONAL CAPACITY AND IN HIS CAPACITY AS PRESIDENT OF THE RTC JUDGES ASSOCIATION OF MANILA, AND MA. CRISTINA CARMELA I. JAPZON, IN HER PERSONAL CAPACITY AND IN HER CAPACITY AS PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINE ASSOCIATION OF COURT EMPLOYEES-MANILA CHAPTER, Petitioners, v. HON. COMMISSIONER KIM S. JACINTO-HENARES, IN HER CAPACITY AS COMMISSIONER OF THE BUREAU OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent.; THE MEMBERS OF THE ASSOCIATION OF REGIONAL TRIAL COURT JUDGES IN ILOILO CITY, Intervenors.

  • G.R. No. 197908, July 04, 2018 - VISITACION R. REBULTAN, CECILOU R. BAYONA, CECILIO REBULTAN, JR., AND VILNA R. LABRADOR, Petitioners, v. SPOUSES EDMUNDO DAGANTA AND MARVELYN P. DAGANTA, AND WILLIE VILORIA, Respondents.

  • A.C. No. 10557 (Formerly CBD Case No. 07-1962), July 10, 2018 - JERRY M. PALENCIA, Complainant, v. ATTY. PEDRO L. LINSANGAN, ATTY. GERARD M. LINSANGAN, AND ATTY. GLENDA M. LINSANGAN-BINOYA, Respondents.

  • G.R. No. 221813, July 23, 2018 - MARICALUM MINING CORPORATION, Petitioner, v. ELY G. FLORENTINO, GLENN BUENVIAJE, RUDY J. GOMEZ, REPRESENTED BY HIS HEIRS THELMA GOMEZ, ALEJANDRO H. SITCHON, NENET ARITA, FERNANDO SIGUAN, DENNIS ABELIDA, NOEL S. ACCOLADOR, WILFREDO TAGANILE, SR., MARTIR S. AGSOY, SR., MELCHOR APUCAY, DOMINGO LAVIDA, JESUS MOSQUEDA, RUELITO A. VILLARMIA, SOFRONIO M. AYON, EFREN T. GENISE, ALQUIN A. FRANCO, PABLO L. ALEMAN, PEPITO G. HEPRIANA, ELIAS S. TRESPECES, EDGAR SOBRINO, Respondents.; G.R. No. 222723, July 23, 2018 - ELY FLORENTINO, GLENN BUENVIAJE, RUDY J. GOMEZ, REPRESENTED BY HIS HEIRS THELMA GOMEZ, FERNANDO SIGUAN, DENNIS ABELIDA, NOEL S. ACCOLADOR,WILFREDO TAGANILE, SR., MARTIR S. AGSOY, SR., MELCHOR APUCAY, DOMINGO LAVIDA, JESUS MOSQUEDA, RUELITO A. VILLARMIA, SOFRONIO M. AYON, EFREN T. GENISE, ALQUIN A. FRANCO, PABLO L. ALEMAN, PEPITO G. HEPRIANA, ELIAS S. TRESPECES, EDGAR SOBRINO, ALEJANDRO H. SITCHON, NENET ARITA, WELILMO T. NERI, ERLINDA FERNANDEZ, AND EDGARDO PE�AFLORIDA, Petitioners, v. NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS COMMISSION - 7TH DIVISION, CEBU CITY, "G" HOLDINGS, INC., AND TEODORO G. BERNARDINO, ROLANDO DEGOJAS, MARICALUM MINING CORPORATION. Respondents.

  • G.R. No. 192285, July 11, 2018 - MATEO ENCARNACION (DECEASED), SUBSTITUTED BY HIS HEIRS, NAMELY: ELSA DEPLIAN-ENCARNACION, KRIZZA MARIE D. ENCARNACION, LORETA ENCARNACION, CARMELITA E. STADERMAN, CORAZON S. ENCARNACION, RIZALINA ENCARNACION-PARONG, VICTORIA ENCARNACION-DULA, MARIA HELEN ENCARNACION-DAY, TERESITA ENCARNACION-MANALANG, GEORGE ENCARNACION, MARY MITCHIE E. EDWARDSON, ERNESTO ENCARNACION, MATEO ENCARNACION, JR., AND GRACE WAGNER, Petitioners, v. THOMAS JOHNSON, Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 233334, July 23, 2018 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. JOHN CARLO SALGA AND RUEL "TAWING" NAMALATA, Accused-Appellants.

  • G.R. No. 207711, July 02, 2018 - MARIA C. OSORIO Petitioner, v. PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES Respondent.

  • G.R. Nos. 198916-17, July 23, 2018 - MALAYAN INSURANCE COMPANY, INC., Petitioner, v. ST. FRANCIS SQUARE REALTY CORPORATION, Respondent.; G.R. Nos. 198920-21 - ST. FRANCIS SQUARE REALTY CORPORATION, Petitioner, v. MALAYAN INSURANCE COMPANY, INC., Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 224588, July 04, 2018 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. RODEL BELMONTE Y SAA, Accused-Appellant.

  • G.R. No. 222837, July 23, 2018 - MACARIO LIM GAW, JR., Petitioner, v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 216748, July 25, 2018 - DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, Petitioner, v. NIXON Q. DELA TORRE, BENHUR Q. DELA TORRE, QUINTIN DELA TORRE (DECEASED), REPRESENTED BY HIS WIFE CATALINA DELA TORRE AND HIS CHILDREN STELLA T. NAGDALE, DWIGHT DELA TORRE, VIVIAN T. SUPANGCO, NIXON DELA TORRE AND BENHUR DELA TORRE, Respondents.

  • G.R. No. 221427, July 30, 2018 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. ALVIN J. LABAGALA AND ROMEO LABAGALA, Accused-Appellant.

  • A.M. No. MTJ-16-1879 (Formerly OCA IPI No. 14-2719-MTJ), July 24, 2018 - ANONYMOUS, Complainant, v. JUDGE BILL D. BUYUCAN, MUNICIPAL CIRCUIT TRIAL COURT, BAGABAG-DIADI, NUEVA VIZCAYA, Respondent.

  • A.C. No. 10555, July 31, 2018 - EVELYN T. GOOPIO, Complainant, v. ATTY. ARIEL D. MAGLALANG, Respondent.

  • A.C. No. 12005, July 23, 2018 - ACHERNAR B. TABUZO, Complainant, v. ATTY. JOSE ALFONSO M. GOMOS, Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 225605, July 23, 2018 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. VENERANDO GOZO Y VELASQUEZ, Accused-Appellant.

  • G.R. No. 222337, July 23, 2018 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. SHERNIEL UNGRIANO ASCARRAGA A.K.A.SERGIO ONGRIANO ASCARRAGA, Accused-Appellant.

  • G.R. No. 210838, July 03, 2018 - DEVELOPMENT BANK OF THE PHILIPPINES, Petitioner, v. COMMISSION ON AUDIT, Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 203249, July 23, 2018 - SAN ROQUE POWER CORPORATION, Petitioner, v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 191495, July 23, 2018 - NIPPON EXPRESS (PHILIPPINES) CORPORATION, Petitioner, v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 192223, July 23, 2018 - DANILO A. LIHAYLIHAY, Petitioner, v. THE TREASURER OF THE PHILIPPINES ROBERTO C. TAN, SECRETARY OF FINANCE MARGARITO B. TEVES, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES, AND THE GOVERNOR OF BANGKO SENTRAL NG PILIPINAS (BSP), Respondents.

  • G.R. No. 210204, July 10, 2018 - ASSOCIATION OF RETIRED COURT OF APPEALS JUSTICES, INC. (ARCAJI), REPRESENTED BY TEODORO P. REGINO, Petitioner, v. HON. FLORENCIO ABAD, JR., AS SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF BUDGET AND MANAGEMENT, Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 222964, July 11, 2018 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. CAJETO CABILIDA, JR. Y CANDAWAN, Accused-Appellant.

  • G.R. No. 189723, July 11, 2018 - REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES, Petitioner, v. ALAMINOS ICE PLANT AND COLD STORAGE, INC., REPRESENTED BY SAMUEL C. CHUA, Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 199162, July 04, 2018 - PHIL-MAN MARINE AGENCY, INC., AND DOHLE (10M) LIMITED, Petitioners, v. ANIANO P. DEDACE, JR., SUBSTITUTED BY HIS SPOUSE LUCENA CAJES DEDACE, FOR AND IN BEHALF OF THEIR THREE [3] CHILDREN, NAMELY, ANGELICA, ANGELO AND STEVE MAC, ALL SURNAMED DEDACE, Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 195905, July 04, 2018 - THE CITY GOVERNMENT OF BAGUIO REPRESENTED BY MAURICIO G. DOMOGAN, CITY MAYOR, CITY BUILDINGS AND ARCHITECTURE OFFICE REPRESENTED BY OSCAR FLORES, AND PUBLIC ORDER AND SAFETY DIVISION REPRESENTED BY FERNANDO MOYAEN AND CITY DEMOLITION TEAM REPRESENTED BY NAZITA BA�EZ, Petitioners, v. ATTY. BRAIN MASWENG, REGIONAL HEARING OFFICER-NATIONAL COMMISSION ON INDIGENOUS PEOPLES-CORDILLERA ADMINISTRATIVE REGION, MAGDALENA GUMANGAN, MARION T. POOL, LOURDES C. HERMOGENO, JOSEPH LEGASPI, JOSEPH BASATAN, MARCELINO BASATAN, JOSEPHINE LEGASPI, LANSIGAN BAWAS, ALEXANDER AMPAGUEY, JULIO DALUYEN, SR., CONCEPCION PADANG AND CARMEN PANAYO, Respondents.

  • G.R. No. 226392, July 23, 2018 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. NESTOR "TONY" CALIAO, Accused-Appellants.

  • G.R. No. 206725, July 11, 2018 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES Plaintiff-Appellee, v. ESMAEL GERVERO, FLORENCIO ARBOLONIO, DANILO CASTIGADOR, CELSO SOLOMON AND EDUARDO BA�ES, Accused.; ESMAEL GERVERO (DECEASED), DANILO CASTIGADOR, CELSO SOLOMON AND EDUARDO BA�ES, Accused-Appellants.

  • G.R. No. 229861, July 02, 2018 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. FRANCISCO EJERCITO, Accused-Appellant.

  • G.R. No. 225590, July 23, 2018 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. MICHAEL CABUHAY, Accused-Appellant.

  • G.R. No. 234608, July 03, 2018 - ARVIN R. BALAG, Petitioner, v. SENATE OF THE PHILIPPINES, SENATE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC ORDER AND DANGEROUS DRUGS, SENATE COMMITTEE ON JUSTICE AND HUMAN RIGHTS, SENATE COMMITTEE ON CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS AND REVISION OF CODES AND MGEN. JOSE V. BALAJADIA, JR. (RET.) IN HIS CAPACITY AS SENATE SERGEANT-AT-ARMS, Respondents.

  • G.R. No. 219582, July 11, 2018 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. BENITO PALARAS Y LAPU-OS, Accused-Appellant.

  • G.R. No. 224293, July 23, 2018 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. ALLAN LUMAGUI Y MALIGID, Accused-Appellant.

  • G.R. No. 237804, July 04, 2018 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. MERCINDO BOBOTIOK, JR. Y LONTOC, Accused-Appellant.

  • G.R. No. 202129, July 23, 2018 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. EVELYN PATRICIO Y CASTILLO, ALIAS "NINGNAY", Accused-Appellants.

  • G.R. Nos. 212761-62, July 31, 2018 - SENATOR JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA, Petitioner, v. OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN, HON. SANDIGANBAYAN, FIELD INVESTIGATION OFFICE, OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN, NATIONAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, AND ATTY. LEVITO D. BALIGOD, Respondents.; G.R. NOS. 213473-74 - JOHN RAYMUND DE ASIS, Petitioner, v. CONCHITA CARPIO MORALES, IN HER OFFICIAL CAPACITY AS OMBUDSMAN, PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, AND SANDIGANBAYAN, FIFTH DIVISION, Respondents.; G.R. NOS. 213538-39 - JANET LIM NAPOLES, Petitioner, v. CONCHITA CARPIO MORALES, IN HER OFFICIAL CAPACITY AS OMBUDSMAN, PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, AND SANDIGANBAYAN, FIFTH DIVISION, Respondents.

  • G.R. No. 218232, July 24, 2018 - RAMON "BONG" B. REVILLA, JR., Petitioner, v. SANDIGANBAYAN (FIRST DIVISION) AND PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Respondents.; G.R. No. 218235 - RICHARD A. CAMBE, Petitioner, v. SANDIGANBAYAN (FIRST DIVISION), PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, AND OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN, Respondents.; G.R. No. 218266 - JANET LIM NAPOLES, Petitioner, v. SANDIGANBAYAN (FIRST DIVISION), CONCHITA CARPIO MORALES, IN HER CAPACITY AS OMBUDSMAN, AND PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Respondents.; G.R. No. 218903 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Petitioner, v. SANDIGANBAYAN (FIRST DIVISION), RAMON "BONG" B. REVILLA, JR., AND RICHARD A. CAMBE, Respondents.; G.R. No. 219162 - RAMON "BONG" B. REVILLA, JR., Petitioner, v. SANDIGANBAYAN (FIRST DIVISION) AND PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Respondents.

  • G.R. No. 205688, July 04, 2018 - VALENTINO S. LINGAT AND APRONIANO ALTOVEROS, Petitioners, v. COCA-COLA BOTTLERS PHILIPPINES, INC., MONTE DAPPLES TRADING, AND DAVID LYONS,* Respondents.

  • G.R. No. 220492, July 11, 2018 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. CCC, Accused-Appellant.

  • G.R. No. 237721, July 31, 2018 - IN RE: CORRECTION/ADJUSTMENT OF PENALTY PURSUANT TO REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10951, IN RELATION TO HERNAN V. SANDIGANBAYAN � ROLANDO ELBANBUENA Y MARFIL, Petitioner.

  • G.R. No. 234160, July 23, 2018 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. ALJON GUADA�A Y ANTIQUERA, Accused-Appellant.

  • G.R. Nos. 230950-51, July 23, 2018 - ELPIDIO TAGAAN MAGANTE, Petitioner, v. SANDIGANBAYAN, (THIRD DIVISION) AND PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Respondents.

  • G.R. No. 226405, July 23, 2018 - OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN, Petitioner, v. EFREN BONGAIS, HOUSING AND HOMESITE REGULATION OFFICER IV, CITY HOUSING AND SETTLEMENTS OFFICE, CALAMBA CITY, Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 229826, July 30, 2018 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. PATRICIA CABRELLOS Y DELA CRUZ, Accused-Appellant.

  • G.R. No. 225332, July 23, 2018 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. JOEL JAIME ALIAS "TORNING," Accused-Appellant.

  • G.R. No. 232891, July 23, 2018 - LAMBERTO MARI�AS Y FERNANDO, Petitioner, v. PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 225322, July 04, 2018 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. RONELO BERMUDO Y MARCELLANO, ROMMEL BERMUDO Y CAPISTRANO AND ROLANDO BERMUDO Y CAPISTRANO, ACCUSED, ROMMEL BERMUDO Y CAPISTRANO, Accused-Appellant.

  • G.R. No. 224678, July 03, 2018 - SPOUSES JOSE MANUEL AND MARIA ESPERANZA RIDRUEJO STILIANOPOULOS, Petitioners, v. THE REGISTER OF DEEDS FOR LEGAZPI CITY AND THE NATIONAL TREASURER, Respondents.

  • G.R. No. 233477, July 30, 2018 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. JOWIE ALLINGAG Y TORRES AND ELIZABETH ALLINGAG Y TORRES, Accused-Appellants.

  • G.R. No. 216999, July 04, 2018 - REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES, Petitioner, v. RONALD M. COSALAN, Respondent.

  • A.C. No. 8854, July 03, 2018 - JULIETA DIMAYUGA, Complainant, v. ATTY. VIVIAN G. RUBIA, Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 235652, July 09, 2018 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. XXX AND YYY,* Accused-Appellants.

  • G.R. No. 221684, July 30, 2018 - MARIA T. CALMA, Petitioner, v. MARILU C. TURLA, Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 235498, July 30, 2018 - RENALYN A. MASBATE AND SPOUSES RENATO MASBATE AND MARLYN MASBATE, Petitioners, v. RICKY JAMES RELUCIO, Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 221624, July 04, 2018 - NATIONAL TRANSMISSION CORPORATION, Petitioner, v. MA. MAGDALENA LOURDES LACSON-DE LEON, MA. ELIZABETH JOSEPHINE L. DE LEON, RAMON LUIS EUGENIO L. DE LEON, MA. TERESA CECILIA L. DE LEON, MA. BARBARA KATHLEEN L. DE LEON, MARY GRACE HELENE L. DE LEON, JOSE MARIA LEANDRO L. DE LEON, MA. MARGARETHE ROSE OLSON, AND HILDEGARDE MARIE OLSON, Respondents.

  • G.R. No. 231130, July 09, 2018 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. GERALD TAMAYO CORDOVA AND MARCIAL DAYON EGUISO, Accused-Appellants.

  • G.R. No. 226013, July 02, 2018 - LUZVIMINDA DELA CRUZ MORISONO, Petitioner, v. RYOJI* MORISONO AND LOCAL CIVIL REGISTRAR OF QUEZON CITY, Respondents.

  • G.R. No. 202275, July 17, 2018 - THE PROVINCIAL BUS OPERATORS ASSOCIATION OF THE PHILIPPINES (PBOAP), THE SOUTHERN LUZON BUS OPERATORS ASSOCIATION, INC. (SO-LUBOA), THE INTER CITY BUS OPERATORS ASSOCIATION (INTERBOA), AND THE CITY OF SAN JOSE DEL MONTE BUS OPERATORS ASSOCIATION (CSJDMBOA), Petitioners, v. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT (DOLE) AND LAND TRANSPORTATION FRANCHISING AND REGULATORY BOARD (LTFRB), Respondents.

  • A.C. No. 8962, July 09, 2018 - JILDO A. GUBATON, Complainant, v. ATTY. AUGUSTUS SERAFIN D. AMADOR, Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 229920, July 04, 2018 - SAMUEL MAMARIL, Petitioner, v. THE RED SYSTEM COMPANY, INC., DANILO PADRIGON, AGNES TUNPALAN, ALEJANDRO ALVAREZ, JODERICK LOZANO, ENRIQUE ROMMEL MIRAFLORES, DOMINGO RIVERO, Respondents.

  • G.R. No. 232624, July 09, 2018 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. RENATO CARI�O Y GOCONG AND ALVIN AQUINO Y RAGAM*, Accused-Appellants.

  • G.R. No. 189800, July 09, 2018 - PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION ON GOOD GOVERNMENT, Petitioner, v. HON. MA. MERCEDITAS GUTIERREZ, IN HER CAPACITY AS OMBUDSMAN, RENATO D. TAYAG, ISMAEL REINOSO, JUAN TRIVINO, JUAN PONCE ENRILE, MARIO ORTIZ, GENEROSO TANSECO, FAUSTINO SY CHANGCO, VICENTE ABAD SANTOS, EUSEBIO VILLATUYA, MANUEL MORALES, JOSE RO�O, TROADIO T. QUIAZON, RUBEN ANCHETA, FERNANDO MARAMAG, JR., GERONIMO VELASCO, EDGARDO L. TORDESILLAS, JAIME C. LAYA, GERARDO P. SICAT, ARTURO R. TANCO, JR., PLACIDO L. MAPA, JR., PANFILO DOMINGO, VICTORINO L. OJEDA, TEODORO DE VERA, ALEJANDRO LUKBAN, JR., ROMEO TAN, LUIS RECATO, BENITO S. DYCHIAO, ELPIDIO M. BORJA, Respondents.

  • G.R. No. 225199, July 09, 2018 - ALLIED BANKING CORPORATION (NOW PHILIPPINE NATIONAL BANK), Petitioner, v. EDUARDO DE GUZMAN, SR., IN HIS CAPACITY AS SURETY TO THE VARIOUS CREDIT ACCOMMODATIONS GRANTED TO YESON INTERNATIONAL PHILIPPINES, INC., Respondent.

  • A.C. No. 12062, July 02, 2018 - HEIR OF HERMINIGILDO* A. UNITE, REPRESENTED BY HIS SOLE HEIR, FLORENTINO S. UNITE, Complainant, v. ATTY. RAYMUND P. GUZMAN, Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 200712, July 04, 2018 - MARIO A. ABUDA, RODOLFO DEL REMEDIOS, EDWARDO DEL REMEDIOS, RODOLFO L. ZAMORA, DIONISIO ADLAWAN, ELPIDIO GARCIA, JR., ROGELIO ZAMORA, SR., JIMMY TORRES, POLICARPIO OBANEL, JOSE FERNANDO, JOHNNY BETACHE, JAYSON GARCIA, EDWIN ESPE, NEMENCIO CRUZ, LARRY ABANES, ROLANDO SALEN, JOSEPH TORRES, FRANCISCO LIM, ARNALDO GARCIA, WILFREDO BRONOLA, GLENN MORAN, JOSE GONZALES, ROGER MARTINEZ, JAIME CAPELLAN, RICHARD ORING, JEREMIAS CAPELLAN, ARNEL CAPELLAN, MELCHOR CAPELLAN, ROLLY PUGOY, JOEY GADONES, ARIES CATIANG, LEONEL LATUGA, CAPILLAN, Petitioners, v. L. NATIVIDAD POULTRY FARMS, JULIANA NATIVIDAD, AND MERLINDA NATIVIDAD, Respondents.

  • G.R. No. 220898, July 23, 2018 - MON C. ANUAT, Petitioner, v. PACIFIC OCEAN MANNING, INC./TRAS STAR SHIPPING AGENCY CORPORATION, MASSOEL MERIDIAN LTD. AND/OR HERNANDO S. EUSEBIO, Respondents.

  • G.R. No. 225803, July 02, 2018 - SHERYLL R. CABA�AS, Petitioner, v. ABELARDO G. LUZANO LAW OFFICE/ABELARDO G. LUZANO, Respondents.

  • G.R. No. 233542, July 09, 2018 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. FIDEL G. LAGUERTA, Accused-Appellant.

  • A.C. No. 11185 [Formerly CBD No. 12-3619], July 04, 2018 - JAIME S. DE BORJA, Complainant, v. ATTY. RAMON R. MENDEZ, JR., Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 227147, July 30, 2018 - RADIOWEALTH FINANCE COMPANY, INC., Petitioner, v. ALFONSO O. PINEDA, JR., AND JOSEPHINE C. PINEDA, Respondents.

  • G.R. No. 204361, July 04, 2018 - CECILIA T. JAVELOSA, REPRESENTED BY HER ATTORNEY-IN-FACT, MA. DIANA J. JIMENEZ, Petitioner, v. EZEQUIEL TAPUS, MARIO MADRIAGA, DANNY M. TAPUZ,1 JUANITA TAPUS AND AURORA MADRIAGA, Respondents.

  • G.R. No. 222436, July 23, 2018 - COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Petitioner, v. EURO-PHILIPPINES AIRLINE SERVICES, INC., Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 233974, July 02, 2018 - CATALINA F. ISLA, ELIZABETH ISLA, AND GILBERT F. ISLA, Petitioners, v. GENEVIRA P. ESTORGA, Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 214794, July 23, 2018 - NARCISO VICTORIANO, Petitioner, v. JUNIPER DOMINGUEZ, Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 224972, July 09, 2018 - NG CHING TING, Petitioner, v. PHILIPPINE BUSINESS BANK, INC. Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 234154, July 23, 2018 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. JERRY ARBUIS Y COMPRADO A.K.A. "ONTET", Accused-Appellant.

  • G.R. No. 229955, July 23, 2018 - MELCHOR BARCENAS DEOCARIZA, Petitioner, v. FLEET MANAGEMENT SERVICES PHILIPPINES, INC., MODERN ASIA SHIPPING CORPORATION, A.B.F. GAVIOLA, JR., AND MA. CORAZON CRUZ, Respondents.

  • G.R. No. 197831, July 09, 2018 - PHILIPPINE NATIONAL BANK, Petitioner, v. SPOUSES ANGEL AND BUENVENIDA ANAY, AND SPOUSES FRANCISCO AND DOLORES LEE, Respondents.

  • G.R. No. 209166, July 09, 2018 - DEMETRIO ELLAO Y DELA VEGA, Petitioner, v. BATANGAS I ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. (BATELEC I), RAQUEL ROWENA RODRIGUEZ BOARD PRESIDENT, Respondents.

  • G.R. No. 223125, July 11, 2018 - IBM DAKSH BUSINESS PROCESS SERVICES PHILIPPINES, INC. (NOW KNOWN AS CONCENTRIX DAKSH BUSINESS PROCESS SERVICES PHILIPPINES CORPORATION, Petitioner, v. ROSALLIE S. RIBAS, Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 228503, July 25, 2018 - HEIRS OF RAMON ARCE, SR., Petitioners, v. DEPARTMENT OF AGRARIAN REFORM, REPRESENTED BY SECRETARY VIRGILIO DELOS REYES, Respondent.

  • G.R. Nos. 231655 and 231670, July 02, 2018 - FELISA AGRICULTURAL CORPORATION, Petitioner, v. NATIONAL TRANSMISSION CORPORATION (HAVING BEEN SUBSTITUTED IN LIEU OF THE NATIONAL POWER CORPORATION), Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 209289, July 09, 2018 - COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Petitioner, v. THE SECRETARY OF JUSTICE AND METROPOLITAN CEBU WATER DISTRICT (MCWD), Respondents.

  • G.R. No. 217744, July 30, 2018 - JOSE Z. MORENO, Petitioner, v. RENE M. KAHN, CONSUELO MORENO KAHN-HAIRE, RENE LUIS PIERRE KAHN, PHILIPPE KAHN, MA. CLAUDINE KAHN MCMAHON, AND THE REGISTER OF DEEDS OF MUNTINLUPA CITY, Respondents.

  • G.R. No. 232275, July 23, 2018 - SOLPIA MARINE AND SHIP MANAGEMENT, INC., Petitioner, v. MICHAEL V. POSTRANO, Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 233033, July 23, 2018 - ROMEO IGDALINO AND ROSITA IGDALINO, Petitioners, v. PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 197624, July 23, 2018 - ABACUS CAPITAL AND INVESTMENT CORPORATION, Petitioner, v. DR. ERNESTO G. TABUJARA, Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 210286, July 23, 2018 - WELBIT CONSTRUCTION CORP., WACK WACK CONDOMINIUM CORP., AND SPOUSES EUGENIO JUAN GONZALEZ AND MATILDE GONZALEZ, Petitioners, v. HEIRS OF CRESENCIANO C. DE CASTRO, Respondents.

  • G.R. No. 211450, July 23, 2018 - OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN, Petitioner, v. LOVING F. FETALVERO, JR., Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 222710, July 24, 2018 - PHILIPPINE HEALTH INSURANCE CORPORATION, Petitioner, v. COMMISSION ON AUDIT, CHAIRPERSON MICHAEL G. AGUINALDO, DIRECTOR JOSEPH B. ANACAY AND SUPERVISING AUDITOR ELENA L. AGUSTIN, Respondents.

  • G.R. No. 203217, July 02, 2018 - JOSE L. DIAZ, Petitioner, v. THE OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN, Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 224015, July 23, 2018 - STEPHEN I. JUEGO-SAKAI, Petitioner, v. REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES, Respondent.

  • A.C. No. 5473, July 03, 2018 - GENE M. DOMINGO, Complainant, v. ATTY. ANASTACIO E. REVILLA, JR., Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 207040, July 04, 2018 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Petitioner, v. SHELDON ALCANTARA Y LI, JUNNELYN ILLO Y YAN, NATIVIDAD ZULUETA Y YALDUA, MA. REYNA OCAMPO Y CRUZ, MAILA TO Y MOVILLON, MA. VICTORIA GONZALES Y DEDIOS, ELENA PASCUAL Y ROQUE, MARY ANGELIN ROMERO Y BISNAR AND NOEMI VILLEGAS Y BATHAN, Respondents.

  • G.R. No. 205294, July 04, 2018 - ELMER P. LEE, Petitioner, v. ESTELA V. SALES, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER LEGAL AND INSPECTION GROUP; EFREN P. MARTINEZ, CHIEF PERSONNEL INQUIRY DIVISION; NESTOR S. VALEROSO, REGIONAL DIRECTOR, REVENUE REGION NO. 8; AND ALL OF THE BIR AND ALL PERSONS ACTING ON THEIR ORDERS OR BEHALF, Respondents.

  • A.M. No. 17-07-05-SC, July 03, 2018 - RE: MEMORANDUM DATED JULY 10, 2017 FROM ASSOCIATE JUSTICE TERESITA J. LEONARDO-DE CASTRO; A.M. No. 18-02-13-SC - RE: LETTER OF RESIGNATION OF ATTY. BRENDA JAY ANGELES MENDOZA, PHILJA CHIEF OF OFFICE FOR THE PHILIPPINE MEDIATION CENTER

  • G.R. No. 225896, July 23, 2018 - CARMEN ALEDRO-RU�A, Petitioner, v. LEAD EXPORT AND AGRO-DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 229192, July 23, 2018 - MAGSAYSAY MOL MARINE,INC. AND/OR MOL SHIP MANAGEMENT (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD., Petitioners, v. MICHAEL PADERES ATRAJE, Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 232272, July 24, 2018 - SECRETARY MARIO G. MONTEJO, IN HIS CAPACITY AS SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (DOST), Petitioner, v. COMMISSION ON AUDIT (COA), AND THE DIRECTOR, NATIONAL GOVERNMENT SECTOR, CLUSTER B - GENERAL PUBLIC SERVICES II AND DEFENSE, COMMISSION ON AUDIT, Respondents.

  • G.R. No. 227388, July 23, 2018 - REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES, Petitioner, v. MARIA THERESA MANAHAN-JAZMINES, Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 232395, July 03, 2018 - PEDRO S. AGCAOILI, JR., ENCARNACION A. GAOR, JOSEPHINE P. CALAJATE, GENEDINE D. JAMBARO, EDEN C. BATTULAYAN, EVANGELINE C. TABULOG, Petitioners, MARIA IMELDA JOSEFA "IMEE" R. MARCOS, Co-Petitioner, v. THE HONORABLE REPRESENTATIVE RODOLFO C. FARI�AS, THE HONORABLE REPRESENTATIVE JOHNNY T. PIMENTEL, CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE ON GOOD GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY, AND LT. GEN. ROLAND DETABALI (RET.), IN HIS CAPACITY AS SERGEANT-AT-ARMS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Respondents, THE COMMITTEE ON GOOD GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY, Co-Respondent.

  • A.C. No. 11724 (Formerly CBD No. 14-4109), July 31, 2018 - HDI HOLDINGS PHILIPPINES, INC., Complainant, v. ATTY. EMMANUEL N. CRUZ, Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 234033, July 30, 2018 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. AMADO BALUBAL Y PAGULAYAN, Accused-Appellant.

  • A.C. No. 5580, July 31, 2018 - SAN JOSE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC. AS REPRESENTED BY REBECCA V. LABRADOR, Complainant, v. ATTY. ROBERTO B. ROMANILLOS, Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 219774, July 23, 2018 - MANILA HOTEL CORPORATION, Petitioner, v. ROSITA DE LEON, Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 178696, July 30, 2018 - BANGKO SENTRAL NG PILIPINAS AND ITS MONETARY BOARD, Petitioners, v. BANCO FILIPINO SAVINGS AND MORTGAGE BANK, Respondent.; G.R. No. 192607 - BANCO FILIPINO SAVINGS AND MORTGAGE BANK, Petitioner, v. CENTRAL BANK BOARD OF LIQUIDATORS, Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 217682, July 17, 2018 - JOSE "JINGGOY" P. EJERCITO ESTRADA AND MA. PRESENTACION VITUG EJERCITO, Petitioners, v. SANDIGANBAYAN (FIFTH DIVISION); ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING COUNCIL, REPRESENTED BY ITS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, JULIA C. BACAY-ABAD; AND PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, REPRESENTED BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR, Respondents.

  • G.R. No. 230107, July 24, 2018 - DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (DOTR), MARITIME INDUSTRY AUTHORITY (MARINA), AND PHILIPPINE COAST GUARD (PCG), Petitioners, v. PHILIPPINE PETROLEUM SEA TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION, HERMA SHIPPING TRANSPORT CORPORATION, ISLAS TANKERS SEATRANSPORT CORPORATION, MIS MARITIME CORPORATION, PETROLIFT, INC., GOLDEN ALBATROSS SHIPPING CORPORATION, VIA MARINE CORPORATION, AND CARGOMARINE CORPORATION, Respondents.

  • A.C. No. 12012, July 02, 2018 - GERONIMO J. JIMENO, JR., Complainant, v. ATTY. FLORDELIZA M. JIMENO, Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 225059, July 23, 2018 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. XXX*, Accused-Appellant.

  • A.M. No. RTJ-17-2491 (Formerly OCA IPI No. 10-3448-RTJ), July 04, 2018 - LUCIO L. YU, JR., Complainant, v. PRESIDING JUDGE JESUS B. MUPAS, REGIONAL TRIAL COURT, BRANCH 112, PASAY CITY, Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 220949, July 23, 2018 - RICKMERS MARINE AGENCY PHILS., INC., GLOBAL MANAGEMENT LIMITED AND/OR GEORGE C. GUERRERO, Petitioners, v. EDMUND R. SAN JOSE, Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 219291, July 04, 2018 - MICHAEL V. RACION, Petitioner, v. MST MARINE SERVICES PHILIPPINES, INC., ALFONSO RANJO DEL CASTILLO AND/OR THOME SHIP MANAGEMENT PTE. LTD., Respondents.

  • G.R. No. 223155, July 23, 2018 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. DANILO JAPAG AND ALVIN LIPORADA, Accused; DANILO JAPAG, Accused-Appellant.

  • G.R. No. 227738, July 23, 2018 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. JACINTO ANDES Y LORILLA, Accused-Appellant.

  • G.R. No. 227216, July 04, 2018 - YIALOS MANNING SERVICES, INC., OVERSEAS SHIPMANAGEMENT S.A., RAUL VICENTE PEREZ, AND MINERVA ALFONSO, Petitioners, v. RAMIL G. BORJA, Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 218914, July 30, 2018 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. HENRY DE VERA Y MEDINA, Accused-Appellant.

  • A.C. No. 12044, July 23, 2018 - MARTIN J. SIOSON, Complainant, v. ATTY. DIONISIO B. APOYA, JR., Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 212786, July 30, 2018 - REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES, REPRESENTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND HIGHWAYS (DPWH), Petitioner, v. ESTRELLA R. DECENA, MARIETA DECENA BRAZIL, NOLAND D. BRAZIL, HEIRS OF EDITA R. DECENA, AS REPRESENTED BY VIRGILIO C. BRAZIL, SR., Respondents.

  • G.R. No. 229153, July 09, 2018 - EDILBERTO R. PALERACIO, Petitioner, v. SEALANES MARINE SERVICES, INC., SPLIETHOFF GROUP MANILA, INC. AND/OR CHRISTOPHER DINO C. DUMATOL AND CAPT. RUBEN AGMATA, Respondents.

  • G.R. Nos. 206438 and 206458, July 31, 2018 - CESAR MATAS CAGANG, Petitioner, v. SANDIGANBAYAN, FIFTH DIVISION, QUEZON CITY; OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN; AND PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Respondents; G.R. Nos. 210141-42 - CESAR MATAS CAGANG, Petitioner, v. SANDIGANBAYAN, FIFTH DIVISION, QUEZON CITY; OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN; AND PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Respondents.

  • G.R. No. 205698, July 31, 2018 - HOME DEVELOPMENT MUTUAL FUND (HDMF) PAG-IBIG FUND, Petitioner, v. CHRISTINA SAGUN, Respondent; G.R. No. 205780 - DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, REP. BY SEC. LEILA DE LIMA, STATE PROSECUTOR THEODORE M. VILLANUEVA, AND PROSECUTOR GENERAL CLARO A. ARELLANO, AND THE NATIONAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION (NBI), Petitioners, v. CHRISTINA SAGUN, Respondent; G.R. No. 208744 - DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, Petitioner, v. DELFIN S. LEE, Respondent; G.R. No. 209424 - HOME DEVELOPMENT MUTUAL FUND (HDMF), Petitioner, v. GLOBE ASIATIQUE REALTY HOLDINGS CORPORATION, DELFIN S. LEE, IN HIS CAPACITY AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE CORPORATION, AND TESSIE G. WANG, Respondents; G.R. No. 209446 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Petitioner, v. ALEX M. ALVAREZ, Respondent; G.R. No. 209489 - HOME DEVELOPMENT MUTUAL FUND, Petitioner, v. ATTY. ALEX M. ALVAREZ, Respondent; G.R. No. 209852 - HOME DEVELOPMENT MUTUAL FUND, (HDMF), Petitioner, v. DELFIN S. LEE, Respondent; G.R. No. 210095 - DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, Petitioner, v. DELFIN S. LEE, Respondent; G.R. No. 210143 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES PETITIONER, VS. DELFIN S. LEE, Respondent; G.R. No. 228452 - HOME DEVELOPMENT MUTUAL FUND (HDMF), Petitioner, v. DEXTER L. LEE, Respondent; G.R. No. 228730 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Petitioner, v. DEXTER L. LEE, Respondent; G.R. No. 230680 -CRISTINA SALAGAN, Petitioner, v. PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES AND HOME DEVELOPMENT MUTUAL FUND (HDMF), Respondents.

  • G.R. No. 236629, July 23, 2018 - REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES, Petitioner, v. LIBERATO P. MOLA CRUZ, Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 197945, July 09, 2018 - COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Petitioner, v. PILIPINAS SHELL PETROLEUM CORPORATION, Respondent; G.R. Nos. 204119-20 - COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Petitioner, v. PILIPINAS SHELL PETROLEUM CORPORATION AND PETRON CORPORATION, Respondents.

  • G.R. No. 208004, July 30, 2018 - LAND BANK OF THE PHILIPPINES, Petitioner, v. PRADO VERDE CORPORATION, Respondent; G.R. No. 208112 - PRADO VERDE CORPORATION, Petitioner, v. LAND BANK OF THE PHILIPPINES, Respondent; G.R. No. 210243 - LAND BANK OF THE PHILIPPINES, Petitioner, v. PRADO VERDE CORPORATION, Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 233572, July 30, 2018 - ALFREDO A. RAMOS, Petitioner, v. PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Respondent.

  • G.R. No. 233572, July 30, 2018 - ALFREDO A. RAMOS, Petitioner, v. PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Respondent.