Source: http://lawlibrary.chanrobles.com/index.php?option=com_content&amp;view=article&amp;id=51729:gr-181545-2008&amp;catid=1510&amp;Itemid=566
Timestamp: 2019-04-18 18:46:33+00:00

Document:
THE PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Appellee, v. MARK DELA CRUZ, Appellant.
Subject of this appeal is the 12 September 2007 decision1 of the Court of Appeals in CA-G.R. CR-H.C. No. 02534, affirming the 24 August 2006 judgment2 of the Regional Trial Court (RTC), Branch 120 of Caloocan City, finding appellant Mark Dela Cruz y Batac guilty of violation of Section 5, Article II of Republic Act (R.A.) No. 9165.
That on or about the 16th day of July 2003 in Caloocan City, M.M. and within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, the above-named accused, conspiring together and mutually helping one another, without having been authorized by law, did then and there wil[l]fully, unlawfully and feloniously sell and deliver to one PO2 EUGENE C. AMOYO, who posed as buyer, two (2) pcs. of small transparent plastic sachets containing 0.08 gram, total weight of Methylamphetamine Hydrochloride (shabu) for [t]wo (2) pcs of One Hundred Peso Bill with SN DF950395 and KY384741 knowing the same to be a dangerous drug.
Trial ensued. Witnesses for the prosecution narrated that in the evening of 16 July 2003, a male informant came to the office of the Northern Police District on Tanigue Street, Kaunlaran Village, Caloocan City. In the presence of PO3 Gilbert Velasco (PO3 Velasco) and PO2 Eugene Amoyo (PO2 Amoyo), the informant complained about the rampant selling of shabu by a certain Mac-Mac. Said information was relayed to P/Chief Inspector Rafael Santiago who immediately instructed PO3 Velasco to form a buy-bust team. The team was composed of PO3 Velasco, PO2 Amoyo, PO3 Joel Borda (PO3 Borda), PO2 Loreto Lagmay, PO1 Renato Ameng, PO1 Allan Reyes and PO1 Joel Cosme. PO2 Amoyo was the designated poseur-buyer. Two (2) pieces of P100.00 bills were prepared as boodle money. The initials "ECA" were placed on the bills.
The buy-bust team underwent a briefing and then proceeded to the target area on board two (2) separate vehicles. They arrived at a parking lot along Hipon Liit in Dagat-dagatan at 7:30 p.m. PO2 Amoyo, PO3 Velasco and PO3 Borda, along with the informant, waited beside a coconut tree for Mac-Mac.
After two hours, appellant arrived with two male companions. The informant approached appellant and introduced PO2 Amoyo to him as a buyer of P200.00 worth of shabu. Appellant left for a while to get the shabu from his companions, who were standing 7 meters away from the group. He returned ten (10) minutes later and handed two (2) plastic sachets to PO2 Amoyo, who, in exchange, handed over the boodle money.
After the exchange, PO2 Amoyo raised his left hand to signal the other members of the buy-bust team that the transaction had already been concluded. PO3 Velasco and PO3 Borda immediately arrested appellant while PO2 Amoyo ran after appellant's companions. There was an exchange of gunfire between PO2 Amoyo and an unidentified companion but the latter was able to escape unscathed. PO2 Amoyo kept the two (2) plastic sachets in his pocket.
A spot investigation was conducted on appellant. It was revealed that the two (2) male companions were identified as Amay and Tabo. Appellant was then brought to the police headquarters. PO2 Amoyo placed his markings "ECA-BB-1" and "ECA-BB-2" on the plastic sachets before turning them over, together with the buy-bust money, to SPO4 Jorge Tabayag. PO2 Amoyo also prepared a request for laboratory examination addressed to the Philippine National Police (PNP) Crime Laboratory.
The two (2) plastic sachets containing white crystalline substance were found positive for shabu. Said finding was indicated in Physical Science Report No. D-845-035 prepared by Forensic Chemist and Police Inspector Erickson L. Calabocal of the PNP Crime Laboratory Group.
Appellant presented a different version of the facts. He testified that at 8:30 p.m. on 16 July 2003, he was sitting in the plaza located on Hipon Liit St., Dagat-dagatan, Caloocan City. He was waiting for his brother to deliver his boots when the policemen arrived and were looking for an alias Amay. Appellant then heard a gunshot and saw Amay firing the shot. Appellant ran towards his house. Later, the policemen went to his house and handcuffed him. When appellant asked why he was being arrested, the policemen claimed that appellant knew Amay. Appellant denied selling shabu and asserted that the case was filed against him when he refused to give information about Amay.
Premises considered, this Court finds accused MARK DELA CRUZ Y BATAC "GUILTY" beyond reasonable doubt for Violation of Sec. 5, Article II of [R.A. No.] 9165, otherwise known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 and imposes upon him the penalty of Life Imprisonment and a fine of Five Hundred Thousand (P500,000.00) Pesos.
The two (2) plastic sachets containing 0.04 gram each of Methylamphetamine Hydrochloride is hereby ordered confiscated in favor of the government to be turned over to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PEDEA) [sic] for proper disposition.
While testimony about a perfect chain is not always the standard because it is almost always impossible to obtain, an unbroken chain of custody becomes indispensable and essential when the item of real evidence is not distinctive and is not readily identifiable, or when its condition at the time of testing or trial is critical, or when a witness has failed to observe its uniqueness. The same standard likewise obtains in case the evidence is susceptible to alteration, tampering, contamination and even substitution and exchange. In other words, the exhibit's level of susceptibility to fungibility, alteration or tampering without regard to whether the same is advertent or otherwise not dictates the level of strictness in the application of the chain of custody rule.
Indeed, the likelihood of tampering, loss or mistake with respect to an exhibit is greatest when the exhibit is small and is one that has physical characteristics fungible in nature and similar in form to substances familiar to people in their daily lives. Graham v. State positively acknowledged this danger. In that case where a substance later analyzed as heroin was handled by two police officers prior to examination who however did not testify in court on the condition and whereabouts of the exhibit at the time it was in their possession was excluded from the prosecution evidence, the court pointing out that the white powder seized could have been indeed heroin or it could have been sugar or baking powder. It ruled that unless the state can show by records or testimony, the continuous whereabouts of the exhibit at least between the time it came into the possession of police officers until it was tested in the laboratory to determine its composition, testimony of the state as to the laboratory's findings is inadmissible.
A unique characteristic of narcotic substances is that they are not readily identifiable as in fact they are subject to scientific analysis to determine their composition and nature. The Court cannot reluctantly close its eyes to the likelihood, or at least the possibility, that at any of the links in the chain of custody over the same there could have been tampering, alteration or substitution of substances from other cases'by accident or otherwise in which similar evidence was seized or in which similar evidence was submitted for laboratory testing. Hence, in authenticating the same, a standard more stringent than that applied to cases involving objects which are readily identifiable must be applied, a more exacting standard that entails a chain of custody of the item with sufficient completeness if only to render it improbable that the original item has either been exchanged with another or been contaminated or tampered with.
This Court believes that the prosecution failed to clearly establish the chain of custody of the seized plastic sachets containing shabu from the time they were first allegedly received until they were brought to the police investigator.
16' T: Maipapakita mo ba yong sinasabi mong pinaghihinalaang Shabu na nabili mo dito kay Mark Dela Cruz, alyas Mac Mac?
Verily, PO2 Amoyo's testimony suggests that he already placed his markings prior to being questioned by SPO4 Tabayag.
Moreover, no other witness was presented to testify or to fill the gap from the time SPO4 Tabayag received the sachets of shabu from PO2 Amoyo up to the time they were delivered to the PNP Crime Laboratory.
Furthermore, nothing on record shows that the procedural requirements of Section 21, Paragraph 1 of Article II of R. A. No. 916523 with respect to custody and disposition of confiscated drugs were complied with. There was no physical inventory and photograph of the items allegedly confiscated from appellant. Neither did the police officers offer any explanation for their failure to observe the rule. The prosecution merely sought refuge in its belief that a stringent application of the rule may be dispensed with if the corpus delicti has been duly established.
As stated by the Court in People v. Santos, Jr.,31 failure to observe the proper procedure also negates the operation of the presumption of regularity accorded to police officers.32 As a general rule, the testimony of the police officers who apprehended the accused is usually accorded full faith and credit because of the presumption that they have performed their duties regularly.33 However, when the performance of their duties is tainted with irregularities, such presumption is effectively destroyed.
In fine, the failure to establish the corpus delicti is detrimental to the cause of the prosecution. The Court is thus constrained to acquit appellant on reasonable doubt.
WHEREFORE, the assailed Decision of the Court of Appeals dated 12 September 2007 affirming the judgment of conviction of the Regional Trial Court of Caloocan City, Branch 120 is REVERSED and SET ASIDE. Appellant MARK DELA CRUZ y BATAC is ACQUITTED on reasonable doubt and is accordingly ordered immediately released from custody unless he is being lawfully held for another offense.
The Director of the Bureau of Corrections is ORDERED to implement this decision forthwith and to INFORM this Court, within five (5) days from receipt hereof, of the date appellant was actually released from confinement.
Let a copy of this decision be forwarded to the PNP Director and the Director General of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency for proper guidance and implementation. No costs.
1 Rollo, pp. 2-14, penned by Associate Justice Rodrigo V. Cosico, and concurred in by Associate Justices Hakim S. Abdulwahid and Arturo G. Tayag.
2 CA rollo, pp. 13-18; penned by Acting Presiding Judge Oscar P. Barrientos.
6 TSN, 15 August 2005, p. 8.
8 CA rollo, p. 18.
15 CA rollo, pp. 34-39.
18 People v. Cibulo, G.R. No. 180511, 28 July 2008.
19 G.R. No. 172953, 30 April 2008.
20 Zarraga v. People, G.R. No. 162064, 14 March 2006, 484 SCRA 639.
21 TSN, 17 January 2005, p. 13.
22 Records, p. 129. Sinumpaang Salaysay date 17 July 2003 by PO2 Amayo.
24 G.R. No. 173051, 31 July 2007, 528 SCRA 750.
25 414 Phil. 156 (2001).
26 G.R. No. 130805, 27 April 2004, 428 SCRA 51.
28 Supra note 24 at 758.
29 G.R. No. 174771, 11 September 2007, 532 SCRA 630.
31 G.R. No. 175593, 17 October 2007, 536 SCRA 489.
33 People v. De Guzman, G.R. No. 151205, 9 June 2004, 431 SCRA 516, 522.
34 People v. CaÃ±ete, 433 Phil. 781, 794 (2002).
35 Lopez v. People, supra note 19.

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