Arriola Digest

PEOPLE V.
FLORDELIZA ARRIOLA
Accused was caught in flagrante delicto selling shabu during a buy-bust operation. In her defense, she was saying
that there was no valid buy-bust operation as everything was a set-up. RTC convicted her. On appeal, CA affirmed
the RTC decision based on the testimony of SPO4 Taruc whom the said court considered to be the best witness as he
was the poseur-buyer.
According to the CA, the account of SPO4 Taruc, the poseur-buyer, was corroborated in every material detail
by the affidavits executed under oath by the buy-bust team, debunking the version of Arriola that what transpired
was a set-up. The CA held that denial and frame-up were intrinsically weak defenses as they were viewed with
disfavor as they could easily be concocted.
As to the position of Arriola that the buy-bust operation was illegal because of the absence of coordination
between the buy-bust team and PDEA, the CA debunked it citing People v. Sta. Maria where the Court held that
there is nothing in R.A. No. 9165 which indicates an intention on the part of the legislature to consider an arrest
made without the participation of the PDEA illegal and evidence obtained pursuant to such an arrest inadmissible.
Finally, the CA also agreed with the RTC that failure of the operatives to strictly comply with Section 21 of
R.A. No. 9165 was not fatal. It did not render the arrest of Arriola illegal and the evidence gathered against her
inadmissible.
ISSUES:
1. Whether or not there was really a buy-bust operation.

2. Whether or not the chain of custody rule has been properly observed.
3. Whether or not non-compliance with the requirements of section 21 of RA 9165 is detrimental to
the prosecution’s case.
RULING:
1. Alibi and frame up are weak forms of defense usually resorted to in drug-related cases. In this regard, the
Court is careful in appreciating them and giving them probable value because this type of defense is easy to concoct.
Bare denial cannot prevail over the positive identification by SPO4 Taruc of Arriola as the one who sold them
the shabu. The defense must adduce clear and convincing evidence to overcome the presumption that government
officials have performed their duties in a regular and proper manner.
Furthermore, she failed to show any motive on the part of the arresting officers to implicate her in a crime
she claimed she did not commit.
2. The prosecution in the present case adequately proved all the links in the chain. This could be deduced from
the testimony of their lone witness, SPO4 Taruc.
For the first link, SPO4 Taruc testified that after the buy-bust, the civilian asset turned over the sachets to
him. From the site, he brought Arriola and the sachets to their police station where he marked the items. He marked
the evidence with his initials and the initials of Arriola and all these were done in her presence. As to the second link,
he told the court that after he put his markings on the seized items, he turned them over, together with Arriola, to
the investigating officer. With respect to the third link, SPO4 Taruc said that the person who brought the specimen
to the crime laboratory for examination was his trusted co-police in the investigating section. Forensic chemist
examined the specimens submitted to him which tested positive for shabu and issued a chemistry report within the
same day that the buy-bust operation was conducted. Therefore, from the account made by SPO4 Taruc, the RTC did
not err in convicting Arriola as there seemed to be no showing that the evidence might have been altered.
3. In the case of People v. Roa the Court explained that the requirement of coordination with the PDEA with
respect to a buy-bust operation is not indispensable.
Decision of CA is affirmed.
PROSECUTION RELATED MATTERS GATHERED FROM THIS CASE:
1. In the prosecution of drug related cases, it is of paramount importance that the existence of the drug,
the corpus delicti of the crime, be established beyond doubt. Its existence is a condition sine qua non. It is precisely
in this regard that central to this requirement is the question of whether the drug submitted for laboratory
examination and presented in court was actually the one that was seized from or sold.
2. It must be remembered that testimony about a perfect chain is not always the standard as it is almost
always impossible to obtain an unbroken chain. As such, what is of utmost importance is the preservation of the
integrity and the evidentiary value of the seized items. The integrity of the evidence is presumed to be preserved,
unless there is a showing of bad faith, ill will, or proof that the evidence has been tampered.
3. General allegations that prosecution failed to observe the chain of custody rule without pinpointing the
exact link or links that may have been compromised to bring doubt to the integrity of the evidence is not sufficient.
4. Defense has the burden to show that the evidence was tampered or meddled with to overcome a
presumption of regularity in the handling of exhibits by public officers, as well as a presumption that said public
officers properly discharged their duties.
5. Coordination with the PDEA is not an indispensable requirement before police authorities may carry out a
buy-bust operation. While it is true that Section 86 of Republic Act No. 9165 requires the National Bureau of
Investigation, PNP and the Bureau of Customs to maintain "close coordination with the PDEA on all drug-related
matters," the provision does not, by so saying, make PDEA's participation a condition sine qua non for every buy-
bust operation. After all, a buy-bust is just a form of an in flagrante arrest sanctioned by Section 5, Rule 113 of the
Rules of the Court, which police authorities may rightfully resort to in apprehending violators of Republic Act No.
9165 in support of the PDEA. A buy-bust operation is not invalidated by mere non-coordination with the PDEA.
(People v. Roa)
6. in the case of People v. Kamad, the Court enumerated therein the different links that the prosecution must
endeavor to establish with respect to the chain of custody in a buy-bust operation, namely: first, the seizure and
marking, if practicable, of the illegal drug recovered from the accused by the apprehending officer; second, the
turnover of the illegal drug seized by the apprehending officer to the investigating officer; third, the turnover by the
investigating officer of the illegal drug to the forensic chemist for laboratory examination; and fourth, the turnover
and submission of the marked illegal drug seized by the forensic chemist to the court.

Arriola Digest

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Arriola Digest

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Arriola Digest

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

PEOPLE V.

1. Whether or not there was really a buy-bust operation.

PROSECUTION RELATED MATTERS GATHERED FROM THIS CASE:

You might also like