REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION BRANCH 50 QUEZON CITY PEOPLE OF THE

PHILIPPINES Plaint iff, - versus (Co pre!ensive Act of $%%$& CRIMINAL CASE No. Q-10-567 ! Violation of Section 5, Article II Republic Act No. 9165, "an#erous "ru#s

ROBIN LOPEZ PADILLA" Accused. '--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------'

MOTION TO QUASH INFORMATION

Accuse( Robin ). *a(illa, b+ counsel, respectfull+

oves for t!e

,uas!al of t!e Infor ation (ate( $% Au#ust $%1% issue( b+ Assistant Cit+ *rosecutor -illie .. Revilla e on t!e follo/in# #roun(0

PREFATORY STATEMENT

Co

entin# on t!e possible abuses t!at are prone to occur in a

bu+-bust operation t!e Supre e Court !el( in t!e case of People vs. Ambih10

1-!ile bu+-bust operation is a reco#ni2e( eans of entrap ent for t!e appre!ension of (ru# pus!ers, it (oes not al/a+s co en( itself as t!e ost reliable /a+ to #o
1

$$6 SCRA 34 (1995&

after violators of t!e "an#erous "ru#s Act as it is susceptible to ista6e as /ell as to !arass ent, e'tortion an( abuse.7

Accuse( is no (ru# pus!er.

8!e onl+ reason !e is no/ in t!e

custo(+ of t!e police is because !e /as ille#all+ arreste( for reasons !e still cannot co pre!en(.

Accuse( t!us respectfull+

oves for t!e 9uas!al of t!e

Infor ation (ate( $% Au#ust $%1% issue( b+ Assistant Cit+ *rosecutor -illie .. Revilla e, on t!e follo/in# #roun(0

THE COURT DID NOT ACQUIRE JURISDICTION OVER THE PERSON OF THE ACCUSED AS THE ARREST WAS I E!A .

1.

In t!e present case, t!e prosecution asserts t!at t!e

/arrantless arrest of t!e accuse( Robin ). *a(illa /as t!e result of a vali(l+ con(ucte( bu+-bust operation. 8!e+ li6e/ise clai t!at t!e

arrest /as perfor e( after t!e accuse( !a( been (ul+ infor e( of !is constitutional ri#!ts.

$.

Contrar+ to t!e clai

of t!e appre!en(in# police officers

t!at t!e /arrantless arrest /as t!e result of a vali( bu+-bust operation, no actual bu+-bust operation (i( in fact ta6e place. As state( b+ t!e accuse( in !is Counter-Affi(avit, e bers of t!e *!ilippine "ru#

.nforce ent A#enc+ (*".A& bro6e into !is !ouse b+ brea6in# open t!e pa(loc6 of !is #ara#e #ate. -it!out intro(ucin# t!e selves as *".A officers or presentin# an+ /arrant, 1$-15 operatives of t!e *".A ar e( /it! !i#!-po/ere( firear s t!en stor e( !is !o e confiscatin#

one+, cellular p!ones an( ot!er valuables fro accuse( an( !is visitors. 8!e *".A off various ite s fro

t!e persons of t!e

e bers t!en procee(e( to !aul

/it!in t!e !o e of t!e accuse(.

5. escorte( !i

8!e accuse( t!en recounts t!at t!e *".A operatives t!en an( !is co panion Ric!ar( :. :o e2 to a Re( 8o+ota to Ca p ;arin#al. 8!e accuse( an(

Revo, /!ic! t!en brou#!t t!e

Ric!ar( :. :o e2 /ere not infor e( of t!eir ri#!ts upon t!eir arrest, as /ell as /!at offense t!e+ /ere bein# c!ar#e( /it!.

4.

8!e ri#!t of t!e people to be secure a#ainst unreasonable

searc!es an( sei2ures is an inviolable ri#!t protecte( b+ t!e Constitution$. As suc! no person a+ be vali(l+ arreste( /it!out t!e

benefit of a /arrant of arrest, e'cept in t!e specific instances provi(e( b+ la/. An+ /arrantless arrest (one outsi(e t!e specific instances provi(e( b+ la/ are t!us (ee e( to be contrar+ to la/ an( ille#al.

5.

8!e la/ as it presentl+ stan(s, enu erates t!e instances

/!en an /arrant /it!out /arrant is vali( in Section 5 of Rule 115 of t!e Rules of Court, to /it0 Se"#io$ %. Arrest without warrant; when lawful. A peace officer or a private person may, without a warrant, arrest a person: (a) When, in his presence, the person to be arrested has committed, is actually committin , or is attemptin to commit an offense; (b) When an offense has !ust been committed, and he has probable cause to believe based on personal "nowled e of facts or circumstances that the person to be arrested has committed it; and
2

Const. (1987), Art. III section 2

(c) When the person to be arrested is a prisoner who has escaped from a penal establishment or place where he is servin final !ud ment or is temporarily confined while his case is pendin , or has escaped while bein transferred from one confinement to another.

8!e enu eration containe( in section 5 of Rule 115 of t!e Rules of Court bein# e'clusive, an+ arrest /it!out /arrant (one outsi(e of t!ose specifie( in t!erein are (ee e( ille#al.

9. co

8!e accuse( Robin ). *a(illa coul( not !ave been cau#!t

ittin# t!e cri e in t!e presence of !is arrestin# officers, as !e t!at t!e+

(i( not in fact sell an+ ille#al (ru#s. Nor coul( t!e *".A clai !a( personal 6no/le(#e t!at a cri e !a( been co accuse( !a( in fact co

itte( an( t!at t!e

itte( it. 8!is is si pl+ because t!ere /as no

cri e or vali( bu+-bust operation to spea6 of. Neit!er /as t!e accuse( Robin ). *a(illa a fu#itive at t!e ti e !e /as arreste(. None of t!e instances for a vali( arrest /it!out /arrant un(er t!e Rules of Court /ere present. 8!e arrest /as t!us ille#al an( as a conse,uence, t!e Court (i( not ac,uire <uris(iction over t!e person of t!e accuse(. As suc!, t!e accuse( a+ ove for t!e ,uas!al of t!e infor ation or

co plaint file( a#ainst !i =!er as provi(e( in t!e Rules of Court.5

6.

8!us consi(erin# t!at t!e onl+

eans, b+ /!ic! t!e court

ac,uires <uris(iction over t!e person of an accuse( is eit!er b+ !is=!er arrest or voluntar+ appearance, t!e effect of an ille#al arrest absent

t!e voluntar+ appearance of t!e accuse( is t!at t!e court (oes not ac,uire <uris(iction over !is=!er person.4 8!ere is no recourse left ot!er

3 4

Rules of Court, Rule 117 sec. 3, par. (b) People !eris (".R. #os. 11714$%$& ' 117447. !arc( 28, 2&&&.)

t!an to ,uas! t!e present infor ation, as t!e court !as not ac,uire( <uris(iction over t!e person of t!e accuse(.

PRAYER

->.R.?@R., consi(erin# t!e

anifest ille#alit+ of t!e arrest of

t!e accuse( Robin ). *a(illa on $% Aul+ $%1% an( t!e conse,uent absence of <uris(iction b+ t!e court over t!e person of t!e accuse(, it is respectfull+ pra+e( t!at t!e Infor ation for Violation of Section 5 of Republic Act No. 9165, ot!er/ise 6no/n as 1#he $omprehensive %an erous %ru s Act of &''&(, issue( b+ Assistant Cit+ *rosecutor -illie .. Revilla e on $% Au#ust $%1% a#ainst t!e accuse( be ,uas!e(.

@t!er <ust an( e,uitable reliefs are li6e/ise pra+e( for. Cit+ of Banila for 9ue2on Cit+, 1C Septe ber $%1%.

ABCDE LA# OFFICE $ounsel for Accused $%8> ?loor SDC *la2a, Ben(iola, Cit+ of Banila D+0 ISRAEL SOGUILON Roll of Attorne+s No. 1$545 *8R No. 1$5456CE %1-%5-$%1%E *asi# Cit+ ID* No. $5456CE %1-%5-$%1%E Ba6ati Cit+

ARTHUR IMANUEL N. ZAPANTA Roll of Attorne+s No. $5456 *8R No. 93C6545E %1-%5-$%1%E *asi# Cit+ ID* No. 3C6545E %1-%5-$%1%E 9ue2on Cit+

C@*F ?GRNIS>."0

THE BRANCH CLER$ OF COURT Re#ional 8rial Court National Capital Au(icial Re#ion 9ue2on Cit+, Dranc! 1%% THE HONORABLE ASSISTANT CITY PROSECUTOR )ffice of the $ity Prosecutor >all of Austice, 9ue2on Cit+

NOTICE OF HEARING :reetin#s0 *lease ta6e notice t!at t!e fore#oin# Botion /ill be sub itte( for t!e CourtHs consi(eration an( resolution on %& S'()'*+', %010 -) ./0 -.*. or as soon t!ereafter as atter an( counsel a+ be !ear(.

C@*F ?GRNIS>."0 THE BRANCH CLER$ OF COURT Re#ional 8rial Court National Capital Au(icial Re#ion 9ue2on Cit+, Dranc! 1%% THE HONORABLE ASSISTANT CITY PROSECUTOR )ffice of the $ity Prosecutor >all of Austice, 9ue2on Cit+