Source: http://lawlibrary.chanrobles.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=83759:58101&catid=1589&Itemid=566
Timestamp: 2019-04-22 07:59:16+00:00

Document:
PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. EDWIN CABRERA, Accused-Appellant.
Assailed in this appeal is the June 18, 2009 Decision1 of the Court of Appeals (CA) in CA-G.R. CEB-CR-H.C. No. 00784 which affirmed in all respects the March 5, 2007 Decision2 of the Regional Trial Court (RTC), Branch 15, Cebu City in Criminal Case No. CBU-64615, finding appellant Edwin Cabrera (appellant) guilty beyond reasonable doubt of violation of Section 5, Article II of Republic Act No. 91653 (RA 9165) and sentencing him tp suffer the penalty of life imprisonment and to pay a fine of P500,000.00.
That on or about 4:30 P.M. of September 30, 2002, at Tangke, Talisay City, Cebu, Police Operatives of Talisay City Police Station proceeded to Tangke, Talisay City, Cebu to conduct buy[-]bust operation [resulting in] the arrest of one (1) Edwin Cabrera and within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, the above[-]named accused without the authority of the law, did then and there, willfully, unlawfully and feloniously, [recover] from [his] possession, custody and control, [t]wo (2) x x x plastic pack[s] of white crystalline substance believed to be shabu, other paraphernalia in [his] illegal activity and [t]wo [f|ifty[-p]eso [b]ill[s] used as mark[ed] money with [the markings] SN.WD565189 and VH234189 (Recovered White [Crystalline] Substance submitted to Crime Lab. [f]or examination.
The chemistry report6 from the PNP Crime Laboratory later revealed that the white crystalline substance with a total weight of 0.11 gram inside the two plastic sachets marked with "EC" tested positive for methylamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu, a dangerous drug.
WHEREFORE, in view of the foregoing, this Court hereby finds accused Edwin Cabrera GUILTY beyond reasonable doubt for violation of Section 5, Article II of R.A. 9165 and in the absence of any mitigating and aggravating circumstances, he is hereby sentenced to suffer the penalty of LIFE IMPRISONMENT and to pay a FINE of FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND (P500,000.00) PESOS, together with all the accessory penalties provided for by law. The physical evidence is hereby forfeited in favor of the government to be disposed of in accordance with law.
In its Decision12 dated June 18, 2009, the CA held that the testimony of PO1 Palconit and the existence of the dangerous drug seized from appellant more than sufficiently proved the crime charged. PO1 Palconit positively identified appellant as the person who sold to him the plastic sachets containing the white crystalline substance which was confirmed in the laboratory examination as shabu and later brought to and identified in court.
The appellate court likewise upheld the legality of the buy-bust operation. It ratiocinated that prior surveillance is not required in a buy-bust operation especially where the police operatives are accompanied by their informant during the entrapment, as in this case. Neither is the submission of a pre-operation report necessary for a conviction under Section 5, Article II of RA 9165 as long as the elements of the offense are sufficiently established by the prosecution. Further, there is no need to present in court the confidential informant and the marked money. Presentation of the confidential informant is only required when there are material inconsistencies in the testimony of the prosecution witness which is not the case here, since PO1 Palconit's testimony was found by the trial court to be credible and convincing. In the same way, presentation of the marked money is not required either by law or jurisprudence.
The CA did not likewise give credence to appellant's claim of gap in the chain of custody as it found the identity and integrity of the drugs to have been established and preserved by the prosecution. Besides, the defense admitted the existence, due execution and genuineness of the chemistry report and the specimen submitted.
WHEREFORE, the Decision dated March 5, 2007 of the Regional Trial Court ("RTC"), 7th Judicial Region, Branch 15, Cebu City, in Criminal Case No. CBU-64615, finding appellant Edwin Cabrera guilty beyond reasonable doubt of violation of Section 5, Article II of Republic Act No. 9165 is AFFIRMED in all respects.
The Court has gone over the assailed Decision of the CA and found the appellate court's resolution on the issues raised, as well as its conclusions, to be in order. Hence, the Court finds no need to dwell on them again.
WHEREFORE, the appeal is DISMISSED. The assailed June 18, 2009 Decision of the Court of Appeals in CA-G.R. CEB-CR-H.C. No. 00784 is AFFIRMED with the MODIFICATION that appellant Edwin Cabrera is not eligible for parole.
Carpio, (Acting Chief Justice), Brion, Mendoza, and Leonen, JJ., concur.
1 CA rollo, pp. 60-73; penned by Associate Justice Amy C. Lazaro-Javier and concurred in by Associate Justices Francisco P. Acosta and Rodil V. Zalameda.
2 Records, pp. 66-68; penned by Presiding Judge Fortunate M. De Gracia, Jr.
Section 5. Sale, Trading, Administration, Dispensation, Delivery, Distribution and Transportation of Dangerous Drugs and/or Controlled Precursors and Essential Chemicals. The penalty of life imprisonment to death and a fine ranging from five hundred thousand pesos (P500,000.00) to ten million pesos (P10,000,000.00) shall be imposed upon any person, who, unless authorized by law, shall sell, trade, administer, dispense, deliver, give away to another, distribute, dispatch in transit or transport any dangerous drug, including any and all species of opium poppy, regardless of the quantity and purity involved, or shall act as a broker in any of such transactions.
4 TSN, March 19, 2004, pp. 3-10.
6 Chemistry Report No. D-2043-2002, id. at 6.
8 TSN, May 26,2006, pp. 3-7.
11 See Brief for Accused-Appellant, CA rollo, pp. 39-51.
14 Section 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 and/or surrendered, for proper disposition in the following manner.
(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 the said items. See appellant's Supplemental Brief rollo, pp. 32-43.
16People v. Mariacos, G.R. No. 188611, June 21,2010, 621 SCRA327, 349.
17People v. Octavio, G.R. No. 199219, April 3, 2013, 695 SCRA 192, 205-206; People v. Mateo, 582 Phil. 390, 403-404 (2008); People v. Sta. Maria, 545 Phil. 520, 534 (2007).
18People v. Octavio, supra note 17 at 206.
19 CA rollo, pp. 71-72.
20People v. SPO3 Ara, G.R. No. 185011, December 23, 2009, 609 SCRA 304, 328.

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