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People vs. Sapla

PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee vs. JERRY SAPLA y GUERRERO a.k.a. ERIC SALIBAD y MALLARI, Accused-Appellant. Present: PERALTA, CJ. PERLAS-BERNABE, LEONEN, CAGUIOA, GESMUNDO, J. REYES, JR., HERNANDO, CARANDANG, LAZARO-JAVIER, INTING, ZALAMEDA, LOPEZ, DELOS SANTOS, and GAERLAN, J.

G.R. No. 244045 | 2020-06-16

Republic of the Philippines
Supreme Court
Manila
 
EN BANC
 
DECISION
 
CAGUIOA, J:
 
Can the police conduct a warrantless intrusive search of a vehicle on the sole basis of an unverified tip relayed by an anonymous informant? On this question, jurisprudence has vacillated over the years. The Court definitively settles the issue once and for all.
 
In threshing out this issue, it must be remembered that in criminal prosecutions, including prosecutions for violations of the law on dangerous drugs, our constitutional order does not adopt a stance of neutrality — the law is heavily in favor of the accused. By constitutional...