SEARCH AND SEIZURE

RULES OF COURT Rule 126 (Search and Seizure)

Section 1. Search warrant defined. A search warrant is an order in writing issued
in the name of the People of the Philippines, signed by a judge and directed to a
peace officer, commanding him to search for personal property described therein and
bring it before the court. (1)
Section 2. Court where application for search warrant shall be filed. An
application for search warrant shall be filed with the following:
a)

Any court within whose territorial jurisdiction a crime was committed.

b)
For compelling reasons stated in the application, any court within the judicial
region where the crime was committed if the place of the commission of the crime is
known, or any court within the judicial region where the warrant shall be enforced.
However, if the criminal action has already been filed, the application shall only be
made in the court where the criminal action is pending. (n)
Section 3. Personal property to be seized. A search warrant may be issued for the
search and seizure of personal property:
(a)

Subject of the offense;

(b)

Stolen or embezzled and other proceeds, or fruits of the offense; or

(c)

Used or intended to be used as the means of committing an offense. (2a)

Section 4. Requisites for issuing search warrant. A search warrant shall not issue
except upon probable cause in connection with one specific offense to be determined
personally by the judge after examination under oath or affirmation of the
complainant and the witnesses he may produce, and particularly describing the place
to be searched and the things to be seized which may be anywhere in the Philippines.
(3a)
Section 5. Examination of complainant; record. The judge must, before issuing
the warrant, personally examine in the form of searching questions and answers, in
writing and under oath, the complainant and the witnesses he may produce on facts
personally known to them and attach to the record their sworn statements, together
with the affidavits submitted. (4a)
Section 6. Issuance and form of search warrant. If the judge is satisfied of the
existence of facts upon which the application is based or that there is probable cause
to believe that they exist, he shall issue the warrant, which must be substantially in
the form prescribed by these Rules. (5a)
Section 7. Right to break door or window to effect search. The officer, if refused
admittance to the place of directed search after giving notice of his purpose and
authority, may break open any outer or inner door or window of a house or any part

of a house or anything therein to execute the warrant or liberate himself or any

person lawfully aiding him when unlawfully detained therein. (6)
Section 8. Search of house, room, or premise to be made in presence of two
witnesses. No search of a house, room, or any other premise shall be made except
in the presence of the lawful occupant thereof or any member of his family or in the
absence of the latter, two witnesses of sufficient age and discretion residing in the
same locality. (7a)
Section 9. Time of making search. The warrant must direct that it be served in the
day time, unless the affidavit asserts that the property is on the person or in the
place ordered to be searched, in which case a direction may be inserted that it be
served at any time of the day or night. (8)
Section 10. Validity of search warrant. A search warrant shall be valid for ten (10)
days from its date. Thereafter it shall be void. (9a)
Section 11. Receipt for the property seized. The officer seizing property under the
warrant must give a detailed receipt for the same to the lawful occupant of the
premises in whose presence the search and seizure were made, or in the absence of
such occupant, must, in the presence of at least two witnesses of sufficient age and
discretion residing in the same locality, leave a receipt in the place in which he found
the seized property. (10a)
Section 12. Delivery of property and inventory thereof to court; return and
proceedings thereon. (a) The officer must forthwith deliver the property seized to
the judge who issued the warrant, together with a true inventory thereof duly verified
under oath.
(b)
Ten (10) days after issuance of the search warrant, the issuing judge shall
ascertain if the return has been made, and if none, shall summon the person to whom
the warrant was issued and require him to explain why no return was made. If the
return has been made, the judge shall ascertain whether section 11 of this Rule has
been complained with and shall require that the property seized be delivered to him.
The judge shall see to it that subsection (a) hereof has been complied with.
(c)
The return on the search warrant shall be filed and kept by the custodian of the
log book on search warrants who shall enter therein the date of the return, the result,
and other actions of the judge.
A violation of this section shall constitute contempt of court.(11a)
Section 13. Search incident to lawful arrest. A person lawfully arrested may be
searched for dangerous weapons or anything which may have been used or
constitute proof in the commission of an offense without a search warrant. (12a)
Section 14. Motion to quash a search warrant or to suppress evidence; where to file.
A motion to quash a search warrant and/or to suppress evidence obtained thereby
may be filed in and acted upon only by the court where the action has been
instituted. If no criminal action has been instituted, the motion may be filed in and
resolved by the court that issued the search warrant. However, if such court failed to

resolve the motion and a criminal case is subsequent filed in another court, the
motion shall be resolved by the latter court. (n)
1987 CONSTITUTION Art III, Bill of Rights
SECTION 2. The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and
effects against unreasonable searches and seizures of whatever nature and for any
purpose shall be inviolable, and no search warrant or warrant of arrest shall issue
except upon probable cause to be determined personally by the judge after
examination under oath or affirmation of the complainant and the witnesses he may
produce, and particularly describing the place to be searched and the persons or
things to be seized.
SECTION 3. (1) The privacy of communication and correspondence shall be inviolable
except upon lawful order of the court, or when public safety or order requires
otherwise as prescribed by law.
(2) Any evidence obtained in violation of this or the preceding section shall be
inadmissible for any purpose in any proceeding
STATUTES/RULES
REVISED PENAL CODE
Art. 129. Search warrants maliciously obtained and abuse in the service of those
legally obtained. In addition to the liability attaching to the offender for the
commission of any other offense, the penalty of arresto mayor in its maximum period
to prision correccional in its minimum period and a fine not exceeding P1,000 pesos
shall be imposed upon any public officer or employee who shall procure a search
warrant without just cause, or, having legally procured the same, shall exceed his
authority or use unnecessary severity in executing the same.chanrobles virtual law
library
Art. 130. Searching domicile without witnesses. The penalty of arresto mayor in its
medium and maximum periods shall be imposed upon a public officer or employee
who, in cases where a search is proper, shall search the domicile, papers or other
belongings of any person, in the absence of the latter, any member of his family, or in
their default, without the presence of two witnesses residing in the same locality.chan
TARRIFF AND CUSTOMS CODE
(TITLE VI ADMINISTRATIVE AND JUDICIAL PROCEEDINGS, PART I SEARCH, SEIZURE
AND ARREST)
SECTION 2201. Obstruction of Customs Premises. No person shall obstruct a
customhouse, warehouse, office, wharf, street or other premises under the control of
the Bureau of Customs, or any of the approaches to such house or premises.
SECTION 2202. Special Surveillance for Protection of Customs Revenue and
Prevention of Smuggling. In order to prevent smuggling and to secure the
collection of the legal duties, taxes and other charges, the customs service shall

exercise surveillance over the coast, beginning when a vessel or aircraft enters
Philippine territory and concluding when the article imported therein has been legally
passed through the customhouse.
SECTION 2203. Persons Having Police Authority. For the enforcement of the
customs and tariff laws, the following persons are authorized to effect searches,
seizures and arrests conformably with the provisions of said laws:
a. Officials of the Bureau of Customs, collectors, assistant collectors, deputy
collectors, surveyors, security and secret-service agents, inspectors, port patrol
officers and guards of the Bureau of Customs.
b. Officers of the Philippine Navy when authorized by the Commissioner.
c. Any person especially authorized in writing by the Commissioner.
d. Officers generally empowered by law to effect arrests and execute processes of
courts, when acting under direction of the Collector.
e. Any person especially authorized by a Collector, subject to the restrictions stated in
the next succeeding section.
Persons exercising the powers hereinabove conferred shall, in the exercise thereof,
have the same authority, be entitled to the proper protection, and shall be governed
by the same law, not inconsistent with the provisions of this section, as other officers
exercising police authority in general.
SECTION 2204. Place Where Authority May Be Exercised. Persons acting under
authority conferred pursuant to subsection (e) of the preceding section may exercise
their authority within the limits of the collection district only and in or upon the
particular vessel or aircraft, or in the particular place, or in respect to the particular
article specified in the appointment. All such appointments shall be in writing, and
the original shall be filed in the customhouse of the district where made.
All other persons exercising the powers hereinabove conferred may exercise the
same at any place within the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Customs.
SECTION 2205. Exercise of Power of Seizure and Arrest. It shall be within the power
of a customs official or person authorized as aforesaid, and it shall be his duty, to
make seizure of any vessel, aircraft, cargo, articles, animal or other movable property
when the same is subject to forfeiture or liable for any fine imposed under customs
and tariff laws, and also to arrest any person subject to arrest for violation of any
customs and tariff laws, such power to be exercised in conformity with the law and
the provisions of this Code.
SECTION 2206. Duty of Officer or Official to Disclose Official Character. It shall be
the duty of any person exercising authority as aforesaid, upon being questioned at
the time of the exercise thereof, to make known his official character as an officer or
official of the Government, and if his authority is derived from special authorization in
writing to exhibit the same for inspection, if demanded.

SECTION 2207. Authority to Require Assistance. Any person exercising police

authority under the customs and tariff laws may demand assistance of any police
officer when such assistance shall be necessary to effect any search, seizure or arrest
which may be lawfully made or attempted by him. It shall be the duty of any police
officer upon whom such requisition is made to give such lawful assistance in the
matter as may be required.
SECTION 2208. Right of Police Officer to Enter Inclosure. For the more effective
discharge of his official duties, any person exercising the powers herein conferred,
may at anytime enter, pass through, or search any land or inclosure or any
warehouse, store or other building, not being a dwelling house.
A warehouse, store or other building or inclosure used for the keeping of storage of
articles does not become a dwelling house within the meaning hereof merely by
reason of the fact that a person employed as watchman lives in the place, nor will the
fact that his family stays there with him alter the case.
SECTION 2209. Search of Dwelling House. A dwelling house may be entered and
searched only upon warrant issued by a judge or justice of the peace, upon sworn
application showing probable case and particularly describing the place to be
searched and person or thing to be seized.
SECTION 2210. Right to Search Vessels or Aircrafts and Persons or Articles Conveyed
Therein. It shall be lawful for any official or person exercising police authority under
the provisions of this Code to go abroad any vessel or aircraft within the limits of any
collection to go aboard any vessel or aircraft within the limits of any collection
district, and to inspect, search and examine said vessel or aircraft and any trunk,
package, box or envelope on board, and to search any person on board the said
vessel or aircraft and to this end to hail and stop such vessel or aircraft if under way,
to use all necessary force to compel compliance; and if it shall appear that any
breach or violation of the customs and tariff laws of the Philippines has been
committed, whereby or in consequence of which such vessels or aircrafts, or the
article, or any part thereof, on board of or imported by such vessel or aircraft, is liable
to forfeiture, to make seizure of the same or any part thereof.
The power of search hereinabove given shall extend to the removal of any false
bottom, partition, bulkhead or other obstruction, so far as may be necessary to
enable the officer to discover whether any dutiable or forfeitable articles may be
concealed therein.
No proceeding herein shall give rise to any claim for the damage thereby caused to
article or vessel or aircraft.
SECTION 2211. Right to Search Vehicles, Beasts and Persons. It shall also be lawful
for a person exercising authority as aforesaid to open and examine any box, trunk,
envelope or other container, wherever found where he has reasonable cause to
suspect the presence therein of dutiable or prohibited article or articles introduced
into the Philippines contrary to law, and likewise to stop, search and examine any
vehicle, beast or person reasonably suspected of holding or conveying such article as
aforesaid.

SECTION 2212. Search of Persons Arriving From Foreign Countries. All persons
coming into the Philippines from foreign countries shall be liable to detention and
search by the customs authorities under such regulations as may be prescribed
relative thereto.
Female inspectors may be employed for the examination and search of persons of
their own sex.
(PART 2 ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEEDINGS)
SECTION 2301. Warrant for Detention of Property Bond. Upon making any
seizure, the Collector shall issue a warrant for the detention of the property; and if
the owner or importer desires to secure the release of the property for legitimate use,
the Collector may surrender it upon the filing of a sufficient bond, in an amount to be
fixed by him, conditioned for the payment of the appraised value of the article and/or
any fine, expenses and costs which may be adjudged in the case: Provided, That
articles the importation of which is prohibited by law shall not be released under
bond.
SECTION 2302. Report of Seizure To Commissioner and Auditor. When a seizure is
made for any cause, the Collector of the district wherein the seizure is effected shall
immediately make report thereof to the Commissioner and to the Auditor General.
SECTION 2303. Notification to Owner or Importer. The Collector shall give the
owner or importer of the property or his agent a written notice of the seizure and
shall give him an opportunity to be heard in reference to the delinquency which was
the occasion of such seizure.
For the purpose of giving such notice and of all other proceedings in the matter of
such seizure, the importer, consignee or person holding the bill of lading shall be
deemed to be the owner of the article included in the bill.
For the same purpose, agent shall be deemed to include not only any agent in fact
of the owner of the seized property but also any person having responsible
possession of the property at the (missing) of the seizure, if the owner or his agent in
fact is unknown or cannot be reached.
SECTION 2304. Notification to Unknown Owner. Notice to an unknown owner shall
be effected by posting a notice for fifteen days in the public corridor of the
customhouse of the district in which the seizure was made, and, in the discretion of
the Commissioner, by publication in a newspaper or by such other means as he shall
consider desirable.
REP ACT 6235 (1971) ANTI-HIJACKING LAW
Section 9. Every ticket issued to a passenger by the airline or air carrier concerned
shall contain among others the following condition printed thereon: "Holder hereof
and his hand-carried luggage(s) are subject to search for, and seizure of, prohibited
materials or substances. Holder refusing to be searched shall not be allowed to board
the aircraft," which shall constitute a part of the contract between the passenger and
the air carrier.