REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES

REGIONAL TRIAL COURT

NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION
BRANCH 11, PASAY CITY
 
 
 

 PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES CRIM CASE NO. 12345

For: VIOLATION OF SECTION 5,
ARTICLE II OF R.A. NO. 9165
-versus-                                                                 (Comprehensive Dangerous
Drugs
                                                                                 Act of 2002)
 
MAULA, Kent Lloyd and
SANDOVAL, Darren 
x- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -x
 

PRESENT
Hon. Gregorio Pimentel Jr. – Presiding Presiding Judge: 
--------------------------- – Clerk of Court, Branch XIV
-------------------------- – Stenographer

T R AN S C R I P T

Presiding Judge: Appearances.

Public Prosecutor: Prosecutor Derek Egalla, appearing for the State, Your Honor.

Defense Counsel: Atty. Aura Laurente appearing for both the accused, Your Honor. 

Presiding Judge: Call Witness.

Atty. Laurente: We would like to call on our witness, Kent Lloyd Maula.

Presiding Judge: Swear in the witness.

Clerk of Court: Please stand, Mr. Witness. 

Clerk of Court: Please raise your right hand.  Do you swear to tell the truth and nothing
but the truth so help you God.

Witness #1: Yes.

Clerk of Court: Be seated. 
Clerk of Court: State your name, age, occupation, and your other circumstances that
would lead to identifying you.

Witness#2: I am Kent Lloyd Maula, 29 years old, single, and residing at 2625 Brgy.
719, Malate, Manila City.

Presiding Judge: Your witness, Atty.

Atty. Laurente: Your Honor, I would like to offer the testimony of the witness, Kent
Lloyd E. Maula, the accused in this case.

We offer the testimony of the witness to disprove the allegations in the information that
he did not commit the crime as charged. He will identify documents to support his
testimony and to other matters relative to this case.

Atty. Laurente: Your Honor, may I proceed with the direct examination?

Presiding Judge: Proceed.

Atty. Laurente: Mr. Witness do you know why you are impleaded as one of the
accused in this case?

Witness #1: Yes, ma’am.

Atty. Laurente: What can you say about the allegation of this case against you?

Witness #1: I am being accused of the crime of selling and possession of dangerous
drugs, and I am here to testify to the contrary and prove my innocence and tell this court
about my whereabouts on the day of the alleged commission of the crime.

Atty. Laurente: Mr. Witness, where were you last September 1, 2021 at around 1AM
at the time of incident?

Witness #1: I was drinking with my friend Darren Sandoval at Dilaw Eatery.

Atty. Laurente: What happened next, if any? 

Witness #1: We were talking and just enjoying the night, ma’am, and I even took our
picture.

Atty. Laurente: I have here a photograph presented during pre-trial marked as Exhibit
7, I am now showing you this photograph. Mr. Witness, is this the photo that you are
talking about?

Witness #1: Yes, ma’am. 

Atty. Laurente: Who are the persons in this photo?

Witness #1: I am the person in green polo shirt, ma’am and I am the one who took the
photograph. The other person wearing a white and black polo shirt is Darren Sandoval.

Atty. Laurente: Where was this photo taken?

Witness #1: It was taken at Dilaw Eatery, Atty.

Atty. Laurente: Mr. Witness, kindly read to the court the time stamped below the
photograph.

It is 09/01/2021 1:30AM.

Your Honor, the photograph identified by the witness was marked as Exhibit 7 for the
defense.

Atty. Laurente: After you took the photo, Mr. Witness, what happened next, if any?

Witness #1: Right after I took that photo, ma’am, two people approached us a few
minutes later.

Atty. Laurente: Who are these two people?

Witness #1: At that time, ma’am, when they approached us, I don’t know who they
were, ma’am.

Atty. Laurente: Are they present inside this courtroom?

Witness #1: Yes, Atty.

Atty. Laurente: Can you describe the two people you are talking about, Mr. Witness?

*identifies the two people April Jansen and Peter Louie Santos*

For the record, your Honor, the witness pointed to a person wearing [so and so] and
when asked, he gave his name. And then the other person pointed by the witness and
asked, he said his name wearing [so and so.]

Atty. Laurente: What happened after they approached your table if there are any?

Witness #1: They wanted us to go with them outside of the resto-bar to explain further,
but we refused to go out with them, ma’am, because we do not know them.

Atty. Laurente: What happened next if there are any? 

Witness #1: One of them told us that if we did not abide by their orders, they would be
forced to drag us outside.  

Atty. Laurente: What did you do after that? 

Witness #1: Darren stood up, ma’am, and asked what their problem was.

Atty. Laurente: What happened after Darren said that?

Witness #1: One of them whom Darren was talking to, alleged that Darren was
pushing him; to which Darren replied, “Hindi kita tinutulak”. But I saw no pushing of any
kind. They were having a heated argument when this person, ma’am, suddenly pulled a
gun and pointed it at Darren.

Atty. Laurente: You mentioned that one of the two people who approached your table
pulled out his gun and pointed the same at Darren. Can you describe which of the two
people did that?

*It was ___ ma’am. *describes April Jansen*

Let the records show that the witness described PSSg April Jansen identifying her as
the man who pointed her gun at Darren

Atty. Laurente: After PSSg April Jansen pulled out her gun, what happened, if any?

Witness #1: PSSg Jansen introduced herself to be a police officer ma’am. Darren then
raised his hand and stepped back, pleading to the officer to take it easy, ma’am, and I
can see that he was then frightened of what was happening because he was shaking
Atty.

Atty. Laurente: How about you Mr. Witness? What did you do, if any?

Witness #1: I was just sitting, ma’am, and stayed still because I was also afraid of what
might happen if I tried to do anything. But all of the sudden, ma’am, the other person
also pulled out a gun, and he pointed it at me and asked me to kneel down, ma’am, and
I just obeyed for fear for my life.

Atty. Laurente: Can you describe the man who pointed his gun at you?
*Describes Peter Louie Santos*

Let the records show that the witness described PCMS Peter Louie Santos, identifying
him as the man who pointed his gun at the witness.

Atty. Laurente: After you were asked to kneel down, what happened next?
Witness #1: I was asked to lay on my chest, ma’am. And upon gazing towards the
direction of Darren, I saw him lying with his face down, and I saw another pair of armed
persons entering the resto-bar. I also saw Nneka entering the area.

Atty. Laurente: Can you identify the armed persons who entered the resto-bar?

Witness #1: Yes, Atty. It was *describes *Thadeaus Cammayo and Shiela Calalo*

Let the records show that the witness described PSSg Thadeaus Cammayo and PCMS
Shiela Calalo, identifying them as the armed officers who also approached the witness. 

Atty. Laurente: While you were lying down, what happened next, if any?

Witness #1: Suddenly, I felt someone searching my body.

Atty. Laurente: While being searched, what happened next, if any?

Witness #1: Darren and I were immediately handcuffed, forcibly boarded on a Toyota
Innova vehicle, ma’am, and brought to the Pasay City Police Station.

Atty. Laurente: What happened in the police station, if any?

Witness #1: When we were outside the police station, ma’am, a person they are calling
chief was there, he was then talking with the other officers who arrested us. There were
also tables there. We were seated in front of the table.

Atty. Laurente: Who else was there if any?

Witness #1: There was also another officer who was holding a camera ma’am, I also
saw two other persons in civilian clothes who were not at the resto-bar. These two men
also talked to the chief ma’am and the other arresting officers.

Atty. Laurente: Can you identify this chief, Mr. Witness?

*Describes Katherine Cañon*

Let the records show that the witness described PMAJ Katherine Cañon, identifying her
as the person called chief by the officers.

Atty. Laurente: How about the other officer who was holding a camera?
*Describes Derek Egalla*

Let the records show that the witness pointed to PSSg Derek Egalla, identifying him as
the man holding the camera

Atty. Laurente: How about the other two civilian persons can you identify them?
*Describes Leoncio Cortez and Brock Lessan*
Let the records show that the witness described Brgy. Kagawad Leoncio Cortez and
Punong Barangay Brock Lessan, identifying them as the civilian persons at the table.

Atty. Laurente: What happened next, if any?

Witness #1: We were pleading and explaining to the chief ma’am that we are innocent
and that the drug allegedly confiscated from us was planted. But they did not heed to
our pleas. Instead, they forced Darren to hold 1000-peso money which they
successfully did, ma’am. They took a photograph of us ma’am with all the sachets and
the 1000-peso bill in the table. After which they showed us a paper, ma’am, and we are
asked to sign it but we refused to sign it.

Atty. Laurente: What happened after you refused to sign the booking sheet?

Witness #1: A police officer punched me in the chest and hit my right leg with a
placard.

Atty. Laurente: Can you identify the police officer who punched your chest and hit your
right leg with a placard?
*describes April Jansen*

Let the records show that the witness described PSSg April Jansen, identifying her as
the police officer who punched the witness in the chest and hit the witness’ right leg.

Atty. Laurente: What happened after that?

Witness #1: They placed us both in jail.

Atty. Laurente: Mr. Witness, do you recall having executed a counter-affidavit in this
case?

Witness #1: Yes, Atty.

Atty. Laurente: If that counter-affidavit has been shown to you will you be able to
identify it?

Witness #1: Yes, Atty.

Atty. Laurente: Mr. Witness, I am showing you a counter-affidavit consisting of 4

pages, dated September 5, 2021. Is this the counter-affidavit you are referring to?

Witness #1: Yes, Atty.

Atty. Laurente: Can you please go through the counter-affidavit. On the last page,
page four, there is a signature above the name Kent Lloyd Maula. Whose signature is
this?
Witness #1: Mine, Atty. That is my signature.
Atty. Laurente: Do you affirm and confirm the truthfulness and genuineness of the
contents of this counter-affidavit?

Witness #1: Yes, Atty.

Atty. Laurente: Your Honor, we will adopt this counter-affidavit of the witness as part of
his direct testimony. Do you have anything to add, Mr. Witness?

Witness #1: None, ma’am.

Atty. Laurente: That’s all, Your Honor.