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People vs. Castillo

PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, PLAINTIFF-APPELLEE, V. JOMAR CASTILLO Y MARANAN, ACCUSED-APPELLANT.

G.R. No. 238339 | 2019-08-07

D E C I S I O N
 
LEONEN, J.:
 
"The requirement of conducting inventory and taking of photographs immediately after seizure and confiscation necessarily means that the required witnesses must also be present during the seizure and confiscation."[1] The presence of third-party witnesses is not an empty formality in the conduct of buy-bust operations. It is not a mere rubberstamp to validate the actions taken and self-serving assurances proffered by law enforcement officers. Far from a passive gesture, the attendance of third-party witnesses ensures the identity, origin, and integrity of the items seized.
 
This...