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PEOPLE Vs. Oscar M. Rivera, Et Al

THE PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, plaintiff-appellee, vs. OSCAR RIVERA Y MENDOZA alias "OSCAR" and DANILO ALBELDA Y MENDOZA, accused-appellants.

G.R. No. 98123 | 1993-10-01

D E C I S I O N


CRUZ, J.:

Oscar Rivera and Danilo Albelda were convicted of violating Section 4, Article II, of Republic Act 6425, and each sentenced to reclusion perpetua and a P20,000.00 fine. 1 This was a mistake; it should have been life imprisonment plus fine. But did the trial court commit a worse mistake in convicting them at all in the first place? The appellants vigorously say so and ask for the reversal of their conviction. The People say nay.

The principal witness for the prosecution was Pat. Jose Fernandez of the Anti-Narcotics Unit of the Quezon City Police Force, who led the buy-bust operation that resulted in the arrest...