G.R. No. 232611, April 26, 2021
FACTS:
Two (2) Informations were filed against Jasper charging him with Illegal Sale and Illegal Possession of Dangerous Drugs under Sections 15 and 16, Article III of Republic Act (RA) No. 6425. On arraignment, Jasper pleaded not guilty to the crimes charged.
The RTC convicted Jasper of the charges against him. The trial court ruled that denial is a weak defense, and the prosecution was able to prove Jasper’s guilt beyond reasonable doubt in both cases. CA affirmed Jasper’s conviction.
Jasper assailed the following:
- the validity of the search warrant because it does not have a specific description of the house and its premises
- the search was invalid because he was already arrested and his movement restricted when the search was conducted, so his right to witness the search was violated
- the prosecution did not comply with the rule on chain of custody.
In sum, he posits the seized drugs are not admissible as evidence, and the buy-bust operation as well as his arrest were illegal.
