814 Phil. 1073
PERLAS-BERNABE, J.:
On the 24th day of May 2010, in the city of Makati, the Philippines, accused, not being lawfully authorized to possess any dangerous drug and without the corresponding license or prescription, did then and there willfully, unlawfully and feloniously have in his possession, control, and custody a total of one point ten (1.10) grams of dried Marijuana leaves, a dangerous drug.The prosecution alleged that at around 12:45 in the morning of May 24, 2010, a Bantay Bayan operative of Barangay San Antonio Village, Makati City named Reynaldo Bahoyo (BB Bahoyo) was doing his rounds when he purportedly received a report of a man showing off his private parts at Kaong Street. BB Bahoyo and fellow Bantay Bayan operative Mark Anthony Velasquez (BB Velasquez) then went to the said street and saw a visibly intoxicated person, which they later identified as herein petitioner, urinating and displaying his private parts while standing in front of a gate enclosing an empty lot. BB Bahoyo and BB Velasquez approached petitioner and asked him where he lived, and the latter answered Kaong Street. BB Bahoyo then said that he also lived in the same street but petitioner looked unfamiliar to him, so he asked for an identification card, but petitioner failed to produce one. BB Velasquez then repeated the request for an identification card, but instead, petitioner emptied his pockets, revealing a pack of cigarettes containing one (1) stick of cigarette and two (2) pieces of rolled paper containing dried marijuana leaves, among others. This prompted BB Bahoyo and BB Velasquez to seize the foregoing items, take petitioner to the police station, and turn him, as well as the seized items, over to SPO3 Rafael Castillo (SPO3 Castillo). SPO3 Castillo then inventoried, marked, and photographed the seized items, all in the presence of BB Bahoyo and BB Velasquez, and thereafter, prepared an inventory report and a request for qualitative examination of the seized two (2) pieces of rolled paper and for petitioner to undergo drug testing. After examination, it was confirmed that the aforesaid rolled paper contained marijuana and that petitioner was positive for the presence of methamphetamine but negative for THC-metabolites, both dangerous drugs.[8]
CONTRARY TO LAW.[7]
With regard to searches and seizures, the standard imposed on private persons is different from that imposed on state agents or authorized government authorities.In this light, the Court is convinced that the acts of the Bantay Bayan or any barangay-based or other volunteer organizations in the nature of watch groups - relating to the preservation of peace and order in their respective areas have the color of a state-related function. As such, they should be deemed as law enforcement authorities for the purpose of applying the Bill of Rights under Article III of the 1987 Constitution to them.[26]
In People v. Marti, the private forwarding and shipping company, following standard operating procedure, opened packages sent by accused Andre Marti for shipment to Zurich, Switzerland and detected a peculiar odor from the packages. The representative from the company found dried marijuana leaves in the packages. He reported the matter to the National Bureau of Investigation and brought the samples to the Narcotics Section of the Bureau for laboratory examination. Agents from the National Bureau of Investigation subsequently took custody of the illegal drugs. Andre Marti was charged with and was found guilty of violating Republic Act No. 6425, otherwise known as the Dangerous Drugs Act.
This court held that there was no unreasonable search or seizure. The evidence obtained against the accused was not procured by the state acting through its police officers or authorized government agencies. The Bill of Rights does not govern relationships between individuals; it cannot be invoked against the acts of private individuals:If the search is made upon the request of law enforcers, a warrant must generally be first secured if it is to pass the test of constitutionality. However, if the search is made at the behest or initiative of the proprietor of a private establishment for its own and private purposes, as in the case at bar, and without the intervention of police authorities, the right against unreasonable search and seizure cannot be invoked for only the act of private individual, not the law enforcers, is involved. In sum, the protection against unreasonable searches and seizures cannot be extended to acts committed by private individuals so as to bring it within the ambit of alleged unlawful intrusion by the government.x x x x
The Cebu Port Authority is clothed with authority by the state to oversee the security of persons and vehicles within its ports. While there is a distinction between port personnel and port police officers in this case, considering that port personnel are not necessarily law enforcers, both should be considered agents of government under Article III of the Constitution. The actions of port personnel during routine security checks at ports have the color of a state-related function.
In People v. Malngan, barangay tanod and the Barangay Chairman were deemed as law enforcement officers for purposes of applying Article III of the Constitution. In People v. Lauga, this court held that a "bantav bayan," in relation to the authority to conduct a custodial investigation under Article III, Section 12 of the Constitution, "has the color of a state-related function and objective insofar as the entitlement of a suspect to his constitutional rights[.]"
Thus, with port security personnel's functions having the color of state-related functions and deemed agents of government, Marti is inapplicable in the present case. x x x.[25] (Emphases and underscoring supplied)
Section 5. Arrest without warrant; when lawful. - A peace officer or a private person may, without a warrant arrest a person:The aforementioned provision identifies three (3) instances when warrantless arrests may be lawfully effected. These are: (a) an arrest of a suspect in flagrante delicto; (b) an arrest of a suspect where, based on personal knowledge of the arresting officer, there is probable cause that said suspect was the perpetrator of a crime which had just been committed; and (c) an arrest of a prisoner who has escaped from custody serving final judgment or temporarily confined during the pendency of his case or has escaped while being transferred from one confinement to another.[31]
(a) When, in his presence, the person to be arrested has committed, is actually committing, or is attempting to commit an offense;
(b) When an offense has just been committed and he has probable cause to believe based on personal knowledge of facts or circumstances that the person to be arrested has committed it; and
(c) When the person to be arrested is a prisoner who has escaped from a penal establishment or place where he is serving final judgment or is temporarily confined while his case is pending, or has escaped while being transferred from one confinement to another.
In cases falling under paragraphs (a) and (b) above, the person arrested without a warrant shall be forthwith delivered to the nearest police station or jail and shall be proceeded against in accordance with Section 7 of Rule 112.
PROSECUTOR: x x xOn the other hand, pertinent portions of petitioner's Judicial Affidavit[35] containing his direct testimony read:
x x x x
So, upon seeing Jeffrey Miguel, what did you do?
WITNESS: We approached him and we asked him what was he doing in that place and he appears to be intoxicated, ma'am.
PROSECUTOR: After questioning him, what did you do?
WITNESS: We asked him from where he is residing and he told us that he is from Caong Street.
PROSECUTOR: What you do next?
WITNESS: Because I also live in Caong and he is not familiar to me, I asked for his I.D, ma'am.
PROSECUTOR: Was he able to produce an I.D.?
WITNESS: He was not able to produce any I.D., ma'am.
PROSECUTOR: When he failed to produce any I.D., what did you do?
WITNESS: One of my companions asked him if he has any I.D. with him.
PROSECUTOR: Who was this companion of yours?
WITNESS: Mark Anthony Velasquez, ma'am.
PROSECUTOR: What was the response of Jeffrey to the request of Mark Anthony Velasquez?
WITNESS: He brought out the contents of his pocket and he brought out one pack of Fortune with one stick inside and another pack, Marlboro light pack with one stick of cigarette and two sticks of marijuana.
x x x x
[on cross examination]
ATTY. PUZON: When you saw certain Jeffrey, you were not familiar with him, is that correct?
WITNESS: No, sir, I am not familiar with him.
ATTY. PUZON: And when you saw him, he was already showing his private parts, is that correct?
WITNESS: Yes, sir.
ATTY. PUZON: In your "Pinagsanib na Sinumpaang Salaysay" you stated that when you saw Jeffrey, his back was turned to you and it seemed that he was peeing. Do you remember saying that in your "Pinagsanib na Sinumpaang Salaysay"?
WITNESS: Yes, sir.
ATTY. PUZON: So, is it not true that when you saw him, he was already showing his private parts?
WITNESS: He was showing his private parts, sir.
ATTY. PUZON: While his back turned to you?
WITNESS: Yes, sir.
ATTY. PUZON: How could you see his private parts if his back was turned against you?
WITNESS: He faced us, sir.
x x x x
COURT: Did you charge the accused for urinating in a public place or for showing his private parts?
WITNESS: No, Your Honor.
ATTY. PUZON: And in fact, only a drug case was filed against Jeffrey?
WITNESS: I have no idea, sir. (Emphases and underscoring supplied)[34]
Q: Naaalala mo pa ba ang petsang 24 May 2010?On cross-examination, petitioner testified, as follows:
A: Opo. lyon pa ang araw nang aka ay dakpin ng dalawang bantaybayan.
Q: Ano ang naaalala mo bago ka mahuli, kung mayroan man?
A: Mga bandang pasado alas dose ng hating gabi ako ay umihi sa tapat ng pinagtatrabahuhan ko ng may biglang lumapit sa akin na dalawang bantay-bayan.
Q: Ano ang sumunod na nangvari x x x, kung mayroon man?
A: Nagtanong po sila kung saan ako nakatira at sinagot ko 110 nakatira ako sa Kaong St., Brgy. San Antonio Village, Makati City at pagkatapos ay kinapkapan nila ako.
Q: May nakuha ba sila sa iyo pakatapos kang kapkapan, kung mayroon man?
A: Opo. Nakuha nila ang aking charger, cellphone, lighter at sigarilyong Fortune.
Q: Ano ang sumunod na nangyari, kung mayroon man?
A: Pinosasan nila ako at dinala sa barangay.[36] (Emphases and underscoring supplied)
PROSECUTOR: x x x Mr. Witness, you said that at past 12:00 in the midnight of May 24, 2010 you were arrested by two Bantay Bayan, do you affirm that Mr. Witness?On the basis of the foregoing testimonies, the Court is inclined to believe that at around past 12 o'clock in the early morning of May 24, 2010, petitioner went out to the street to urinate when the Bantay Bayan operatives chanced upon him. The latter then approached and questioned petitioner, and thereafter, went on to search his person, which purportedly yielded the marijuana seized from him. Verily, the prosecution's claim that petitioner was showing off his private parts was belied by the aforesaid testimonies. Clearly, these circumstances do not justify the conduct of an in flagrante delicto arrest, considering that there was no overt act constituting a crime committed by petitioner in the presence or within the view of the arresting officer. Neither do these circumstances necessitate a "hot pursuit" warrantless arrest as the arresting Bantay Bayan operatives do not have any personal knowledge of facts that petitioner had just committed an offense.
WITNESS: Yes, ma'am.
PROSECUTOR: And how did you know that they are Bantay Bayan complement?
WITNESS: They told me that they were Bantay Bayan personnel, ma'am.
PROSECUTOR: What were you doing then, Mr. Witness?
WITNESS: Urinating in front of my place of work, ma'am.
x x x x
PROSECUTOR: And you were working at that time that you were allegedly arrested by these two Bantay Bayan complement, Mr. Witness?
WITNESS: Not anymore because I was staying in at the company, ma'am. x x x x
PROSECUTOR: You urinated outside because you do not have a comfort room inside, is it not a fact, Mr. Witness?
WITNESS: Yes, ma'am.
PROSECUTOR: What is this Fine Home Incorporation doing, Mr. Witness?
WITNESS: I am a caretaker at Fine Home Incorporation I guard the steels, ma'am.[37] (Emphases and underscoring supplied)
Section 2. The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures of whatever nature and for any purpose shall be inviolable, and no search warrant or warrant of arrest shall issue except upon probable cause to be determined personally by the judge after examination under oath or affirmation of the complainant and the witnesses he may produce, and particularly describing the place to be searched and the persons or things to be seized.[28] Section 3 (2), Article III of the 1987 Constitution states:
Section 3. x x x.[29] See Sindac v. People, G.R. No. 220732, September 6, 2016, citing People v. Manago, August 17, 2016, G.R. No. 212340.
(2) Any evidence obtained in violation of this or the preceding section shall be inadmissible for any purpose in any proceeding.