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THIRD DIVISION

SALIC MAPANDiy DIMAAMPAO, G.R. No. 200075

Petitioner,
Present:

VELASCO, JR., J.,

Chairperson,
- versus - BERSAMIN,
LEONEN,
MARTIRES, and
GESMUNDO, JJ.

PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Promulgated:

Respondent.

x------------------------- ~~o~ x
DECISION

MARTIRES, J.:

Before us is an appeal by way of petition for review on certiorari from

the 20 D€cember 2011 Decision 1 of the Court of Appeals (CA) in CA-G.R.
CR H.C. No. 04535. The instant petition was reinstated after we granted
Salic Mapandi y Dimaampao' s (Mapandi) motion for reconsideration and set
aside our earlier Resolution dated 25 April 2012. 2 After the Office of the
Solicitor General filed its comment to the petition, we now resolve the
petition at hand.

THE FACTS

Mapandi was charged before the Regional Trial Court, Branch 75,
Olongapo City (RTC), in Criminal Case No. 512-07 for violating Article II,

/!!!-
Section 5 of Republic Act (R.A.) No. 9165. The information against him
reads:
1
Rollo,· pp. 26-36. Penned by Associate Justice Manuel M. Barrios and concurred in by Associate
Justices Juan Q. Enriquez, Jr. and Apolinario D. Bruselas, Jr.
2
Id. at 127-
Decision 2 G.R. No. 200075

That on or about the Tenth (10th) day of November 2007, in the

City of Olongapo, Philippines, and within the jurisdiction of this
Honorable Court, the above-named accused, without being lawfully
authorized, did then and there willfully, unlawfully, and knowingly sell,
deliver, and give away to another person P500.00 (SN CV441949) worth
of Methamphetamine Hydrochloride, otherwise known as "shabu" which
is a dangerous drug, in one (1) heat sealed transparent plastic sachet
wei°ghing sixteen grams and one-tenth of a gram (16.1).

CONTRARY TO LA W. 3

On 21 February 2008, Mapandi, with the assistance of counsel, was

arraigned and entered a plea of not guilty. Pre-trial and trial on the merits
followed.

The Prosecution's Evidence

On 9 November 2007, a civilian asset reported to P/Insp. Julius Javier

(PI Javier) that Mapandi was a Pasig City-based drug dealer whose deals
extended to Olongapo City. After the civilian asset arranged a meeting with
Mapandi, PI Javier formed a buy-bust team wherein P02 Hortencio Javier
(P02 Javier) would act as poseur-buyer, and POI David Sergius Domingo
(POI Domingo) a:qd P02 Rene Pundavela (P02 Pundavela) were his
immediate backup. PI Javier gave P02 Javier the PS00.00 pre-marked
money which was photocopied repeatedly then bundled to make it appear it
was worth PS0,000.00.

The following day, or on 10 November 2007, the buy-bust team

proceeded to the second floor of a KFC restaurant and waited for Mapandi.
Two hours later, at about 5:20 P.M., Mapandi arrived and was introduced by
the civilian asset to P02 Javier. Mapandi then took out a white envelope,
suspected to contain shabu, and handed it to P02 Javier who, in tum, handed
him the boodle money and placed the envelope in his pocket. P02 Javier
then gave the pre-arranged signal to alert his backup who would aid in the
arrest.

Thereafter, Mapandi and the suspected envelope containing drugs,

which W'1;S in P02 Javier's possession, were brought to the police station. It
was in the police station where P02 Javier allegedly marked the suspected
drugs with his initials "HJ." After the request for laboratory examination
and other documents were prepared by P02 Pundavela, the drugs were then
brought to the laboratory. The chemistry report showed that the specimen
tested positive for 16.1 grams of rnethamphetamine hydrochloride.;f'tt

Id. at 45.
Decision · 3 G.R. No. 200075

The Version of the Defense.

On his part, Mapandi raised the defense of denial and instigation. He

said that he was in Olongapo City, on 10 November 2007, because he was
trading cellphone merchandise with Amel Pangkatan (Pangkatan). After he
dropped off his supplies at Pangkatan's store, Mapandi decided to eat at the
local Jollibee. However, since there were no seats available, he proceeded to
the nearby KFC.

While having his meal, Mapandi claimed that several men approached
and arrested him. These men told him that he had shabu in his possession,
then boarded him in a vehicle and brought him to the police station.
Mapandi insists that the drugs were planted.

Pangkatan corroborated Mapandi' s testimony saying that the latter

was indeed engaged in the b_usiness of trading cellphone merchandise.

The Ruling of the Trial Court

In its 4 May 2010 Judgment, 4 finding all the essential elements of

illegal sale of shabu to be proven, the RTC found Mapandi guilty as charged.
Hence, the RTC ruled:

WHEREFORE, the Court finds the accused SALIC MAP ANDI

y DIMAAMPAO GUILTY beyond reasonable doubt of Violation of
Section 5, R.A. No. 9165 and hereby sentences him to suffer the penalty
of l~fe imprisonment and to pay a fine of PS00,()00.00 plus costs, and to
suffer the accessory penalties under Section 35 thereof.

Accused Salic Mapandi being under detention shall be credited in

the service of his sentence with the full time during which he had
undergone preventive imprisonment subject to the conditions imposed
under Art. 29 of the Revised Penal Code, as amended.

The one (1) heat-sealed transparent plastic sachet of "shabu"

weighing 16.1 grams is forfeited in favor of the government and to be
disposed of in accordance with law.

SO DECIDED.' f4

4
Records,' pp. 292-298.
Id. at 298.
Decision 4 G.R. No. 200075

The Assailed CA Decision

In its assailed decision, the CA affirmed in toto the R TC' s decision

that Mapandi's arrest was the result of a valid buy-bust operation.

In addressing the issue on the chain of custody of the seized drugs, the
CA said:

Finally, it has been shown that the chain of custody of the seized
shabu was continuous and unbroken. The evidence has shown that the
"shabu" sold by accused-appellant remained in the possession of P02
Javier from the moment of delivery and when markings were made at the
crime scene and at the police station where it was turned over to P02
Pundavela. P02 Pundavela then prepared the evidence custodian report
and receipt of property seized affirming that he received the same from
both P02 Javier and POI Domingo, and which was promptly delivered to
the PNP Crime Laboratory for examination. P02 Javier identified before
the court the drug sachet submitted at the PNP crime laboratory as the
same drug he received from the accused-appellant during the buy-bust
operation. Here, the key persons who came in direct contact with the
shabu were presented in court and corroborated each other's testimony on
how the seized drugs changed hands establishing an unbroken chain of
custody.

Be that as it may, from the language of Section 21, the failure to

observe strict compliance under justifiable grounds does not ipso facto
render void and invalid such seizures of and custody over said items, for
as long as the integrity· and evidentiary value of the seized items are
properly preserved by the apprehending officers. Here, while the police
officers may not have strictly followed to the letter the prescribed
procedure, it was sufficiently shown that the substances seized were the
same substances which were taken from the accused-appellant and
subjected to forensic examination. The integrity and evidentiary value of
the seized items have been properly preserved.

WHEREFORE, the appeal is DENIED. The Decision dated

04 May 2010 of the Regional Trial Court, Branch 75, Olongapo City is
hereby AFFIRMED.

SO ORDERED. 6

From this CA decision, the case is now before us for final review.

OUR RULING

We find merit in the appeal. I"/

Rollo, pp. 34-35.
Decision 5 G.R. No. 200075

Procedural Matters

At the outset, we note that the mode of appeal taken to challenge the
assailed CA decision is wrong. Rule 56 of the Rules of Court is explicit:

SEC. 3. Mode of appeal. An appeal to the Supreme Court may be

taken only by a petition for review on certiorari, except in criminal cases
where the penalty imposed is death, reclusion perpetua or life
imprisonment.

Mapandi clearly availed of the wrong mode of appeal by filing a

petition for review on certiorari, despite having been sentenced by the lower
court to life imprisonment. The reason for this exception is obvious: an
appeal in criminal cases throws the entire case wide open for review and the
reviewing tribunal can correct errors, though unassigned in the appealed
judgment; or even reverse the trial court's decision based on grounds other
than those that the parties raised as errors. 7 The appeal confers the appellate
court full jurisdiction over the case and renders such court competent to
examine records, revise the,judgment appealed from, increase the penalty,
and cite the proper provision of the penal law. 8

In this case, however, we take exception to the rule. We can brush

aside this procedural mistake because, as much as possible, we refrain from
disposing criminal cases out of sheer technicality. This notion becomes
more relevant when the circumstances suggest we should not do so.

Substantive Matters: The Identity

and Integrity of the Seized Drugs

The importance of compliance with the procedure laid out in Section

21 of R.A. No. 9165 and properly proving the chain of custody over seized
drugs is echoed and imbedded in our jurisprudence. Although both law and
jurisprudence have already set a precedent on how seized drugs should be
handled, lower courts are stiU confused on when to excuse strict compliance
from Section 21 of R.A. No. 9165. Finding this case to be one where the
lower courts have overlooked the prosecution's evidence, we find it proper
to correct them and order Mapandi's acquittal.;;,

Ramos v. People, G.R. No. 218466, 23 January 2017.

People v. Bagamano, G.R. No. 222658, 17 August 2016, 801 SCRA 209, 214, citing People v.
Comboy, G.R. No. 218399, 2 Marc.h 2016, 785 SCRA 512, 521.
Decision 6 G.R. No. 200075

To prove the existence of the corpus delicti in drug cases, the

prosecution must establish that the identity and the integrity of the dangerous
drug itself were preserved. 9 Thus, to remove any doubt and uncertainty,
Section 21 ofR.A. No. 9165 proscribes:

Custody and Disposition of Confiscated, Seized, and/or

Surrendered Dangerous Drugs, Plant Sources of Dangerous Drugs,
Controlled Precursors and Essential Chemicals,
Instruments/Paraphernalia and/or Laboratory Equipment. - The PDEA
shall take charge and have custody of all dangerous drugs, plant sources of
dangerous drugs, controlled precursors and essential chemicals, as well as
instruments/paraphernalia and/or laboratory equipment so confiscated,
seized and/or surrendered, for proper disposition in the following manner:

(1) The apprehending team having initial custody and control of

the drugs shall, immediately after seizure and confiscation, physically
inventory and photograph the same in the presence of the accused or
person/s from whom such items were confiscated and/or seized, or his/her
representative or counsel, a representative from the media and the
Department of Justice (DOJ), and any elected public official who shall be
required to sign the copies of the inventory and be given a copy thereof;

(2) Within twenty-four (24) hours upon confiscation/seizure of

dangerous drugs, plant sources of dangerous drugs, controlled precursors
and essential chemicals, as well as instruments/paraphernalia and/or
laboratory equipment, the same shall be submitted to the PDEA Forensic
Laboratory for a qualitative and quantitative examination;

(3) A certification of the forensic laboratory examination results,

which shall be done under oath by the forensic laboratory examiner, shall
be issued within twenty-four (24) hours after the receipt of the subject
items: Provided, that when the volume of dangerous drugs, plant sources
of dangerous drugs, and controlled precursors and essential chemicals
does not allow the completion of the testing within the time frame, a
partial laboratory examination report shall be provisionally issued stating
therein the qualities of dangerous drugs still to be examined by the
forensic laboratory: Provided, however, that a final certification shall be
issued on the completed forensic laboratory examination on the same
within the next twenty-four (24) hours; [xx x]

The provision dictates that the apprehending team shall, immediately

after confiscation, conduct a physical inventory and photograph the seized
items in the presence of the accused or the person from whom the items
were seized, his representative or counsel, a representative from the media
and the Department of Justice, and any elected public official. M
9
The identity of the confiscated drugs is preserved when we can say that drugs presented offered as
evidence in court is the exact same item that was seized or confiscated from the accused at the time of
his arrest. The preservation of the drugs' integrity, on the other hand, means that its evidentiary value
is intact as it was not subject to planting, switching, tampering or any other circumstance that cast
doubt as to its existence.
Decision 7 G.R. No. 200075

To reinforce these guidelines set by law, Section 2l(a), Article II of

the Implementing Rules and Regulations of R.A. No. 9165 (!RR) filled-in
the details as to where the inventory and photographing of seized items had
to be done, and even added a saving clause in case the procedure is not
followed, to wit:

Custody and Disposition of Confiscated, Seized and.or

Surrendered Dangerous Drugs, Plant Sources of Dangerous Drugs,
Controlled Precursors and Essential Chemicals,
Instruments/Paraphernalia and/or Laboratory Equipment. - x x x
(a) The apprehending officer/team having initial custody and control of the
drugs shall, immediately after seizure and confiscation, physically
inventory and photograph the same in the presence of the accused or the
person/s from whom such items were confiscated and/or seized, or his/her
representative or counsel, a representative from the media and the
Department of Justice (DOJ), and any elected public official who shall be
required to sign the copies of the inventory and be given a copy thereof:
Provided, that the physical inventory and photograph shall be conducted at
the place where the search warrant is served; or at the nearest police
station or the nearest office of the apprehending officer/team, whichever is
practicable, in case of warrantless seizures; Provided, further, that
noncompliance with these reg uirements under justifiable grounds, as long
as the integrity and the evidentiary value of the seized items are propedy
preserved by the apprehending officer/team, shall not render void and
10
invalid such seizures of and custody over said items. [underscoring ours]

While in certain cases the last proviso in the IRR was used to justify
the procedural lapses of the. apprehending team, we have to be mindful that
the proviso operates only when there was noncompliance with the procedure
found in Section 21 of R.A. No. 9165. Before going into the links of the
chain of custody, we have to first check if the statutory safeguards have been
complied with.

Based on the evidence presented by the prosecution, the requirement

for the insulating witnesses to be present was not complied with at all. The
members of the apprehending team never mentioned the presence of any
media representative, DOJ representative, or elected official during the
physical inventory. Worse, they also failed to show that the inventory was
done before Mapandi or his representative. For all we know, the
apprehending team could have done all this behind closed doors. Although
we cannot assume this was what happened, due to the lack of any testimony
or proof suggesting otherwise, serious or reasonable doubt sets in.M

10
In R.A. No. l 06640, the amendment to Section 21 of R.A. No. 9165 was introduced where the last
proviso in the IRR was incorporated in the iaw itself.
 Decision 8 G.R. No. 200075

Since there had been non-compliance with Section 21 of R.A. No.

9165, the saving clause in the IRR (now incorporated as an amendment into
R.A. No. 9165) operates. However, we have to be careful in using this as its
language requires closer inspection. As a general rule, strict compliance
with Section 21 of R.A. No. 9165 is mandatory. 11 The Court only excuses
non-compliance when: (1) there exist justifiable grounds to allow departure
from the rule, and (2) the integrity and evidentiary value of the seized items
are properly preserved by the apprehending team. 12 If these two (2)
elements are present, the seizures and custody over the confiscated items
shall not be doubted.

In People v. Kamad, 13 the Court held that the following links must be
established in the chain of custody:

First, the seizure and marking, if practicable, of the illegal drug

recovered from the accused by the apprehending officer;

Second, the turnover of the illegal dmg seized by the apprehending

officer to the investigating officer;

Third, the turnover by the investigating officer of the illegal drug

to the forensic chemist for laboratory examination; and

Fourth, the turnover and submission of the marked illegal drug

seized from the forensic chemist to the court. 14

Without having to consider the other three (3) links, we can already
conclude that the chain of custody was not preserved in this case because the
prosecution failed to prove the most important and crucial link - marking
the seized drug.

Crucial in proving the chain of custody is the marking of the seized

drugs or other related items immediately after they are seized from the
15
accused. In People v. Gonzales, 16 we explained that: /i141

11
People v. Cayas, 789 Phil. 70, 79 (2016); People v. Havana, 776 Phil. 462, 475-476 (2016).
12
People v. Viterbo, 739 Phil. 593, 603 (2014); People v. Umpiang, 686 Phil. 1024, 1038 (2012); People
v. Alagarme, 754 Phil. 449, 458 (2012).
13
624 Phil. 289 (20 I 0). .
14
Id at 304.
15
Valencia v. People, 725 Phil. 268, 280 (2014), citing People v. Coreche, 612 Phil. 1238, 1245 (2009).
16
People v. Gonzales, 708 Phil. 121 (2013).
Decision 9 G.R. No. 200075

The first stage in the chain of custody rule is the marking of the
dangerous drugs or related items. Marking, which is the affixing on the
dangerous drugs or related items by the apprehending officer or the
poseur-buyer of his initials or signature or other identifying signs, should
be made in the presence of the apprehended violator immediately upon
arrest. The importance of the prompt marking cannot be denied, because
succeeding handlers of the dangerous drugs or related items will use the
marking as reference. Also, the marking operates to set apart as evidence
the dangerous drugs or related items from other material from the moment
they are confiscated until they are disposed of at the close of the criminal
proceedings, thereby for~stalling switching, planting or contamination of
evidence. In short, the marking immediately upon confiscation or recovery
of the dangerous drugs or related items is indispensable in the preservation
of their integrity and evidentiary value. 17

With this in mind, we note that P02 Javier testified that he marked the
drugs when he returned to the police station after the buy-bust operation:

Q: And you said Salic Mapandi was arrested, where was he brought?
A: At our office, sir, at Camp Cabal.

Q: And what about the shabu that you bought, who brought that to
your office?
A: I [did], sir.

Q: And at the office, what happened?

A: I put my marking on the confiscated suspected shabu, sir.

Q: What marking [did] you place?

A: The initials of my name, sir. "HJ," sir.

Q: After you placed the markings, what happened next?

A: I turned it over to our Desk Officer, sir. P02 Puntavera, sir.

Q: What was turned over to [P02] Puntavera?

A: The confiscated shabu, sir. 18

From his testimony, we gather that he had marked the seized item
with his initials "HJ." However, upon closer examination of the documents
prepared after the buy-bust operation, i.e., the affidavit of apprehension, the
receipt of property/evidence seized, and the request for laboratory
examination, show that the markings on the supposed confiscated drug was
"DEG-SDM-01-11-10-07." 19 Even the chemistry report indicates that the
specimen that was examined was "one (1) heat-sealed transparent plastic
sachet with markings "DEG-SDM-01-11-10-07 containing 16.1 grams of
alleged Methamphetamine Hydrochloride" and not an item that was marked M
17
Id.at 130-131.
18
TSN, July 1, 2008, pp. 20-21.
19
Records, pp. 5-10.
Decision 10 G.R. No. 200075

with "HJ." 20 On this discrepancy alone, the prosecution's evidence

establishing the chain of custody shatters because we are uncertain if what
was exaJ:I?.ined in the laboratory was the same item that was confiscated from
Mapandi. If the point of marking is to set it apart from other pieces of
evidence of similar nature or to ensure that there was no planting or
switching evidence, we cannot say those objectives were met under these
circumstances.

Given the procedural lapses pointed out above, serious uncertainty

hangs over the identification of the shabu that the prosecution introduced in
evidence. In effect, the prosecution failed to fully prove the elements of the
crime charged, creating a reasonable doubt on the criminal liability of the
accused.

All said, after due consideration, we resolve to acquit Mapandi, as the

prosecution's evidence failed to prove his guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
Specifically, the prosecution failed to show that the police complied with
Section 21 of R.A. No. 9165 and with the chain of custody requirement, in
order to prove the identity and integrity of the subject drugs in this case.

WHEREFORE, premises considered, the 20 December 2011

Decision of the Court of Appeals in CA-G.R. CR H.C. No. 04535 is
REVERSED and SET ASIDE. Salic Mapandi y Dimaampao is hereby
ACQUITTED for failure of the prosecution to prove his guilt beyond
reasonable doubt. He is ordered immediately RELEASED from detention,
unless he is detained for any other lawful cause.

Let a copy of this Decision be furnished the Director of the Bureau of

Corrections, Muntinlupa City, for immediate implementation. The Director
of the Bureau of Corrections is directed to report to this Court the action he
has taken within five (5) days from receipt of this Decision.

SO ORDERED.

s VEzi111w1lTIRES
Associate Justice

20 Id. at 12.
Decision 11 G.R. No. 200075

WE CONCUR:

J. VELASCO, JR.
ociate Justice
Chairperson

ATTESTATION

I attest that the conclusions in the above Decision had been reached in
consultation before the case· was assigned to the writer of the opinion of the
•
Court's Division.

PRESBI~E0 J. VELASCO, JR.

A ociate Justice
Chai erson, Third Division
Decision 12 G.R. No. 200075

CERTIFICATION

Pursuant to Section 13, Article VIII of the Constitution and the

Division Chairperson's Attestation, I certify that the conclusions in the
above Decision had been reached in consultation before the case was
assigned to the writer ofthe_opinion of the Court's Division.

Acting Chief Justice