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People vs. Mirondo

PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, PLAINTIFF-APPELLEE, VS. ENRICO MIRONDO Y IZON, ACCUSED-APPELLANT.

G.R. No. 210841 | 2015-10-14

D E C I S I O N
 
MENDOZA, J.:
 
An accused in a criminal prosecution is presumed innocent until his guilt is proven beyond reasonable doubt. This is the most echoed constitutional guarantee that is worth reiterating in the case at bench.

In the prosecution of criminal cases involving drugs, it is firmly entrenched in our jurisprudence that the narcotic substance itself constitutes the corpus delicti, the body or substance of the crime, and the fact of its existence is a condition sine qua non to sustain a judgment of conviction. It is essential that the prosecution must prove with certitude that the narcotic substance confiscated...