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People of the Philippines Vs. Aldrin Berdadero y Armamento

PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Appellee, versus ALDRIN BERDADERO y ARMAMENTO, Appeellant.

G.R. No. 179710 | 2010-06-29

D E C I S I O N

DEL CASTILLO, J.:

Strict compliance with Section 21 of Republic Act (RA) No. 9165 regarding the custody and disposition of evidence against the accused may be excused under justifiable grounds. If the justifiable reason could no longer be determined due to the defense's failure to raise it in issue during trial, it is of vital importance to establish that the integrity and evidentiary value of the seized items have been preserved since these would be determinative of whether the accused is guilty or not.[1]

Factual Antecedents

On March 28, 2003, an Information[2] was filed against appellant Aldrin Berdadero y Armamento...