SECOND DIVISION
G.R. No. 214536, March 13, 2017
MEDEL CORONEL Y SANTILLAN, RONALDO PERMEJO Y ABARQUEZ, NESTOR VILLAFUERTE Y SAPIN AND JOANNE OLIVAREZ Y RAMOS, Petitioners, v. PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Respondent.
R E S O L U T I O N
LEONEN, J.:
This resolves the motion for reconsideration of the Resolution dated January 11, 2016 of this Court denying petitioners' Petition for Review on Certiorari.1 The petition assailed the Court of Appeals Decision,2 which affirmed the Regional Trial Court Decision3 finding accused-petitioners Medel Coronel y Santillan (Coronel), Ronaldo Permejo y Abarquez (Permejo), Nestor Villafuerte y Sapin (Villafuerte), and Joanne Olivarez y Ramos (Olivarez) guilty beyond reasonable doubt of violating Article II, Sections 7 and 15 of Republic Act No. 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002).
Two (2) Informations were filed before the Regional Trial Court of Pasay City, Branch 231,4 alleging that on or about May 19, 2010, Coronel, Permejo, Villafuerte, and Olivarez were caught knowingly and illegally visiting a drug den and using methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu).5
The prosecution's version of events is as follows:
On May 19, 2010, a Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) team meeting for the implementation of a search warrant6 covering a building at No. 1734 F. Muñoz Street, Tramo Street, Barangay 43, Zone 6, Pasay City was held.7 The Special Enforcement Group Team Leader of the Metro Manila Regional Office - Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, IO2 Randy Paragasa (IO2 Paragasa), designated IO2 Daniel Discaya (IO2 Discaya) as the seizing officer, and IO1 Jake Edwin Million (IO1 Million) and IO1 Jayson Albao (IO1 Albao) as the arresting officers.8 The team prepared the pre-operations report form, coordination form, authority to operate, and inventory of seized property/items form.9
The PDEA team coordinated with a team from the Philippine National Police - Southern Police District in implementing the search warrant.10 They arrived at the subject building at around 2:00 p.m., knocked on the door, and announced that they had a search warrant.11 A PDEA agent shouted that somebody had jumped out the window and the door was forced open with a battering ram.12 IO1 Million and IO1 Albao chased down those who jumped out the window.13
Three (3) persons, identified as Olivarez, Erlinda Fetalino, and Benjie Guday, were found inside the subject building.14 IO2 Discaya read to them the contents of the search warrant.15
Coronel, Permejo, and Villafuerte were apprehended after trying to escape out of the window.16 They were brought back to the subject building, where the contents of the search warrant was read to them.17
Thereafter, Barangay Kagawad Oga Hernandez (Barangay Kagawad Hernandez), Herald Santos (Santos), Assistant City Prosecutor of Pasay City Angel Marcos (Atty. Marcos), and DZAR Sunshine Radio Reporter Jimmy Mendoza (Mendoza) arrived, and the search was conducted in their presence.18
During the search, the team recovered, among others, transparent plastic sachets, aluminium foils, containers of white crystalline substance and white powdery residue, disposable lighters, improvised plastic scoops, a total amount ofP580.00 in assorted bills, and P165.00 in coins.19
Coronel, Permejo, Villafuerte, and Olivarez were arrested and apprised of their constitutional rights.20 The confiscated items were also inventoried, photographed, and marked in their presence, as well as in the presence of the Barangay officials and the Department of Justice and media representatives.21
The arrested suspects were brought to the PDEA Headquarters for investigation and mandatory drug testing, together with the seized objects, one of which was identified as shabu. Coronel, Villafuerte, Permejo, and Olivarez tested positive for shabu.22
The prosecution submitted the following m its formal offer of evidence:
1) Search Warrant No. 4680(10); 2) Joint Affidavit of the Arresting Officers; 3) Pre-Operation Report dated 19 May 2010; 4) Authority to Operate dated 19 May 2010; 5) Certificate of Coordination; 6) Certification from the Barangay; 7) Inventory of the Seized Property/Items and Receipt of property seized; 8) Pictures of the incident; 9) Request for Laboratory Examination; 10) Request for Drug Test dated 19 May 2010; 11) Chemistry Report N[o]. PDEA-DT010-148 to 153; 12) Booking Sheets and Arrest Reports of [petitioners]; 13) strips of aluminum foils; 14) medicine box with white residue; [15]) heat-sealed transparent plastic sachets containing white crystalline substance; [16]) improvised white plastic scoops; [17]) metal rectangular cash box containing traces of white crystalline substance; [18]) improvised plastic pipes; [19]) plastic sachets; [20]) plastic tray containing traces of white crystalline substance; and [21]) silver card boards.23The defense's version of events is as follows:
WHEREFORE, judgment is hereby rendered as follows:Petitioners appealed to the Court of Appeals on the ground that the prosecution failed to prove their guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
a) ACQUITTING the accused BENJIE GUDAY Y MANTILLA, FIDEL BALBOA Y MEMORACION and ERLINDA FETALINO Y BATICA of the charge of Violation of Section 7, of Republic Act 9165 in Criminal Case No. R-PSY-10-02059-CR for failure of prosecution's evidence to establish the guilt of the accused beyond reasonable doubt;
b) Finding accused MEDEL CORONEL Y SANTILLAN, RONALDO PERMEJO Y ABARQUEZ, NESTOR VILLAFUERTE Y SAPIN and JOANNE OLIVAREZ Y RAMOS a.k.a. JOANNE OLIVARE, guilty beyond reasonable doubt of the charge of Violation of Section 15, Article II, Republic Act [No.] 9165 in Criminal Case No. R-PSY-10-02058-CR and are hereby sentenced to suffer the penalty of six (6) months rehabilitation in a government center; [and]
[c] Finding accused MEDEL CORONEL Y SANTILLAN, RONALDO PERMEJO Y ABARQUEZ, NESTOR VILLAFUERTE Y SAPIN and JOANNE OLIVAREZ Y RAMOS a.k.a. JOANNE OLIVARE, guilty beyond reasonable doubt of the charge of Violation of Section 7, (Visitors of Den, Dive or Resort) of Republic Act No. 9165 in Criminal Case No. R-PSY-10-02059[-CR] and are hereby sentenced to suffer the penalty of imprisonment of twelve (12) years and one (1) day as minimum to fourteen (14) years as maximum and for each of them to pay a fine of one hundred thousand pesos (Php100,000) with subsidiary imprisonment in case of insolvency.37 (Emphasis in the original)
Finally, considering that the penalties imposed upon accused-appellants are all in accord with the provisions of R.A. No. 9165, more so since they never questioned the same in their Brief, this Court affirms the imposition of said penalties by the court a quo.On November 21, 2014, petitioners filed a Petition for Review on Certiorari with this Court.40 This Court denied the petition for lack of merit in its Resolution41 dated January 11, 2016:
WHEREFORE, premises considered, the instant Appeal is DISMISSED. The Joint Decision dated 30 October 2012 of the Regional Trial Court of Pasay City, Branch 231 in Criminal Case Nos. R-PSY-010-02059-CR and R-PSY-010-02058-CR is AFFIRMED.
SO ORDERED.39 (Emphasis in the original)
WHEREFORE, this court resolves to DENY this Petition for lack of merit. Petitioners Medel Coronel y Santillan, Ronaldo Permejo y Abarquez, Nestor Villafuerte y Sapin, and Joanne Olivarez y Ramos a.k.a. Joanne Olivare, are GUILTY beyond reasonable doubt of the following:Hence, petitioners have filed this Motion for Reconsideration.43 Petitioners stress that in its Resolution, this Court did not address the prosecution's failure to establish both a continuous and unbroken chain of custody of the subject evidence,44 that the house, where petitioners were apprehended, was a drug den,45 or that petitioners were aware that said house was a drug den and that they visited it knowingly.46 The Office of the Solicitor General has not commented, but instead has manifested that the motion for reconsideration was merely a re-pleading of petitioners' pnor arguments.47
a) violating Article II, Section 15 of Republic Act No. 9165 in Criminal Case No. R-PSY-10-02058-CR and are hereby sentenced to suffer the penalty of six (6) months of rehabilitation in a government center; and b) violating Article II, Section 7 of Republic Act No. 9165 in Criminal Case No. R-PSY-10-02059-CR and are hereby sentenced to suffer the penalty of imprisonment of twelve (12) years and one (1) day as minimum to fourteen (14) years as maximum and for each of them to pay a fine of P100,000.00 with subsidiary imprisonment in case of insolvency.
SO ORDERED.42
Section 7. Employees and Visitors of a Den, Dive or Resort. - The penalty of imprisonment ranging from twelve (12) years and one (1) day to twenty (20) years and a fine ranging from One hundred thousand pesos (P100,000.00) to Five hundred thousand pesos (P500,000.00) shall be imposed upon:Before a person may be convicted under the foregoing provision, it must be shown that he or she knew that the place visited was a drug den, and still visited the place despite this knowledge.(a) Any employee of a den, dive or resort, who is aware of the nature of the place as such; and
(b) Any person who, not being included in the provisions of the next preceding paragraph, is aware of the nature of the place as such and shall knowingly visit the same.
Contrary to accused-appellants' claim that they had no knowledge of the nature of the drug den, records reveal otherwise. In the Chemistry Report No. PDEA-DT010-148 to 153, the urine specimens taken from accused-appellants yielded "positive results for the presence of Methamphetamine[.]" Obviously, accused-appellants cannot claim that they have no knowledge of the nature of said drug den when they were positively identified by a police officer as present in the premises, and their drug test results indicate that their urine samples contain Methamphetamine, a dangerous drug. Moreover, it is well-established that the defense of denial, in the absence of convincing evidence, is invariably viewed with disfavor by the courts for it can be easily concocted, especially in cases involving the Dangerous Drugs Act.57 (Emphasis in the original, citations omitted)Similarly, the Regional Trial Court ratiocinated:
With regard to the charge for Violation of Section 7 of Republic Act No. 9165, to render a verdict of conviction, it is not enough that the integrity and evidentiary value of the specimen were preserved and that the presumption of regularity of performance of duties was upheld. It is primordial for the prosecution to establish the allegation that the accused knowingly visit[ed] a drug den.Likewise, respondent claims that the prosecution has established that petitioners knew that the place was a drug den, based solely on the positive drug test results:
....
As for accused Medel Coronel y Santillan, Ronalda Permejo y Abarquez, Nestor Villafuerte y Sapin and Joanne Olivarez y Ramos a.k.a. Joanne Olivare, with the integrity and evidentiary value of the evidence preserved, the presumption of regularity in the performance of duties upheld and their respective drug tests yielding positive results to existence of Methamphetamine, a dangerous drug, the court is convinced that evidence for the prosecution has established the allegations of the information beyond reasonable doubt, thus, sustain a verdict of conviction.58
A drug den is a lair or hideaway where prohibited or regulated drugs are used in any form or are found. Its existence [may be] proved not only by direct evidence but may also be established by proof of facts and circumstances, including evidence of the general reputation of the house, or its general reputation among police officers. The prosecution established that appellants knew that the place is a drug den. All the appellants in the instant case tested positive for methamphetamine hydrochloride. The drug tests were conducted right after the appellants were arrested. Taken together, these facts prove that appellants knowingly visited a drug den on the day the search warrant was implemented.59Respondent apparently maintains that because the petitioners' drug tests were conducted right after their arrest, it was proven that drugs were used at the drug den itself. Moreover, the use of drugs at a drug den automatically implies that the drug users were aware of the nature of the place as a drug den before visiting it.
a) | ACQUITTING petitioners of violation of Section 7 of Republic Act No. 9165, for failure of the prosecution to prove their guilt beyond reasonable doubt; and |
b) | Finding accused GUILTY BEYOND REASONABLE DOUBT of the charge of violation of Section 15, Article II of Republic Act No. 9165 in Criminal Case No. R-PSY-10-02058-CR, and hereby sentencing them to suffer the penalty of six (6) months of rehabilitation in a government center. |
Endnotes:
1Rollo, pp. 13-44.
2 Id. at 112-127. The Decision was penned by Associate Justice Jane Aurora C. Lantion and concurred in by Associate Justices Vicente S.E. Veloso and Nina G. Antonio-Va1enzuela of the Eleventh Division, Court of Appeals, Manila.
3 Id. at 71-86. The Decision was penned by Presiding Judge Divina Gracia Lopez Peliño of Branch 231, Regional Trial Court, Pasay City.
4 Id. at 112.
5 Id. at 71-72.
6 The search warrant was issued by Judge Fernando T. Sagun on May 15, 2010.
7Rollo, p. 116.
8 Id.
9 Id.
10 Id.
11 Id.
12 Id.
13 Id.
14 Id.
15 Id.
16 Id.
17 Id.
18 Id.
19 Id. at 114-115.
20 Id. at 116.
21 Id.
22 Id.
23 Id. at 117.
24 Id.
25 Id.
26 Id.
27 Id.
28 Id. at 117-118.
29 Id. at 118.
30 Id.
31 Id.
32 Id.
33 Id.
34 Id.
35 Id.
36 Id.
37 Id. at 85-86.
38 Id. at 112-127.
39 Id. at 126.
40 Id. at 13-44.
41 Id. at 147-158.
42 Id. at 157.
43 Id. at 159-l73.
44 Id. at 163.
45 Id. at 168.
46 Id. at 169.
47 Id. at 175-176.
48 Id. at 155.
49 Id.
50 Id.
51 Id.
52 Id. at 156.
53 Id.
54 Id.
55 723 Phil. 837 (2013) [Per J. Reyes, First Division].
56 Id. at 856-857.
57Rollo, p. 123.
58 Id. at 84-85.
59 Id. at 99.
60 Id. at 168.