Luz Vs People

Facts: PO2 Emmanuel L.
Alteza, who was then assigned at the Sub-Station 1 of the Naga City Police
Station as a traffic enforcer, saw the accused, who was coming from the direction of Panganiban Drive
and going to Diversion Road, Naga City, driving a motorcycle without a helmet; that this prompted him to
flag down the accused for violating a municipal ordinance which requires all motorcycle drivers to wear
helmet (sic) while driving said motor vehicle\ that while he and SPO1 Rayford Brillante were issuing a
citation ticket for violation of municipal ordinance, he noticed that the accused was uneasy and kept on
getting something from his jacket; that he was alerted and so, he told the accused to take out the contents
of the pocket of his jacket as the latter may have a weapon inside it; that the accused obliged and slowly
put out the contents of the pocket of his jacket which was a nickel-like tin or metal container about two
(2) to three (3) inches in size, including two (2) cellphones, one (1) pair of scissors and one (1) Swiss knife;
that upon seeing the said container, he asked the accused to open it; that after the accused opened the
container, he noticed a cartoon cover and something beneath it; and that upon his instruction, the
accused spilled out the contents of the container on the table which turned out to be four (4) plastic
sachets, the two (2) of which were empty while the other two (2) contained suspected shabu.
Petitioner was convicted for violation of The Dangerous Drugs law. Petitioner claims that there was no
lawful search and seizure, because there was no lawful arrest. He claims that the finding that there was a
lawful arrest was erroneous, since he was not even issued a citation ticket or charged with violation of the
city ordinance. Even assuming there was a valid arrest, he claims that he had never consented to the
search conducted upon him.
Issue: Whether or not there was no lawful search and seizure, because there was no lawful arrest.
Held: No.
The Court finds the Petition to be impressed with merit, but not for the particular reasons alleged. In
criminal cases, an appeal throws the entire case wide open for review and the reviewing tribunal can
correct errors, though unassigned in the appealed judgment, or even reverse the trial courts decision
based on grounds other than those that the parties raised as errors.
First, there was no valid arrest of petitioner. When he was flagged down for committing a traffic
violation, he was not, ipso facto and solely for this reason, arrested.
Arrest is the taking of a person into custody in order that he or she may be bound to answer for the
commission of an offense. It is effected by an actual restraint of the person to be arrested or by that
persons voluntary submission to the custody of the one making the arrest. Neither the application of
actual force, manual touching of the body, or physical restraint, nor a formal declaration of arrest, is
required. It is enough that there be an intention on the part of one of the parties to arrest the other, and
that there be an intent on the part of the other to submit, under the belief and impression that submission
is necessary.
Under R.A. 4136, or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code, the general procedure for dealing with a
traffic violation is not the arrest of the offender, but the confiscation of the drivers license of the latter;
Second, circumstances associated with the typical traffic stop are not such that the motorist feels
completely at the mercy of the police. To be sure, the aura of authority surrounding an armed, uniformed
officer and the knowledge that the officer has some discretion in deciding whether to issue a citation, in
combination, exert some pressure on the detainee to respond to questions. But other aspects of the
situation substantially offset these forces. Perhaps most importantly, the typical traffic stop is public, at
least to some degree.
In both of these respects, the usual traffic stop is more analogous to a so-called Terry stop, than to a
formal arrest
Even if one were to work under the assumption that petitioner was deemed arrested upon being
flagged down for a traffic violation and while awaiting the issuance of his ticket, then the requirements
for a valid arrest were not complied with.
This Court has held that at the time a person is arrested, it shall be the duty of the arresting officer to
inform the latter of the reason for the arrest and must show that person the warrant of arrest, if any.
Persons shall be informed of their constitutional rights to remain silent and to counsel, and that any
statement they might make could be used against them. It may also be noted that in this case, these
constitutional requirements were complied with by the police officers only after petitioner had been
arrested for illegal possession of dangerous drugs.
If it were true that petitioner was already deemed arrested when he was flagged down for a
traffic violation and while he waiting for his ticket, then there would have been no need for him to be
arrested for a second time after the police officers allegedly discovered the drugs as he was already in
their custody.
Second, there being no valid arrest, the warrantless search that resulted from it was likewise illegal.
The following are the instances when a warrantless search is allowed: (i) a warrantless search
incidental to a lawful arrest; (ii) search of evidence in plain view; (iii) search of a moving vehicle; (iv)
consented warrantless search; (v) customs search; (vi) a stop and frisk search; and (vii) exigent and
emergency circumstances. None of the above-mentioned instances, especially a search incident to a
lawful arrest, are applicable to this case.
It must be noted that the evidence seized, although alleged to be inadvertently discovered, was not
in plain view. It was actually concealed inside a metal container inside petitioners pocket. Clearly, the
evidence was not immediately apparent.
Neither was there a consented warrantless search.
Neither does the search qualify under the stop and frisk rule. While the rule normally applies when
a police officer observes suspicious or unusual conduct, which may lead him to believe that a criminal act
may be afoot, the stop and frisk is merely a limited protective search of outer clothing for weapons.
The foregoing considered, petitioner must be acquitted. While he may have failed to object to the
illegality of his arrest at the earliest opportunity, a waiver of an illegal warrantless arrest does not,
however, mean a waiver of the inadmissibility of evidence seized during the illegal warrantless arrest.
The Constitution guarantees the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and
effects against unreasonable searches and seizures. Any evidence obtained in violation of said right shall
be inadmissible for any purpose in any proceeding. While the power to search and seize may at times be
necessary to the public welfare, still it must be exercised and the law implemented without contravening
the constitutional rights of citizens, for the enforcement of no statute is of sufficient importance to justify
indifference to the basic principles of government.
The subject items seized during the illegal arrest are inadmissible. The drugs are the very corpus delicti of
the crime of illegal possession of dangerous drugs. Thus, their inadmissibility precludes conviction and
calls for the acquittal of the accused.

Luz Vs People

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Facts: PO2 Emmanuel L.

Neither was there a consented warrantless search.

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