G.

R.No.1
969
66:P
EOP
LEVS
.MAONGCO

Facts:Al vinCa rpi

owa sapprehende dforilleg
al possessionofda nge rousdr ug( sha bu)dur i
ngthec onductof
specia loperat
ion.Whe nhewa sa skeda boutthes our ceoft hes habu,het oldt hepol ic
et hatitwa sMichael
Ma ong c o.There a
fte
r,polic
eof fi
cersc onduc t
eda nope r
a t
ioni nvolvingCa rpi obuy ingtwo( 2)“bulto”of
shabuf romMa ong c
o.The reaft
er,thepol iceoffic
erswe ntt ot hepla cewhe reMa ong c
owa swa it
ingandwa s
appre hende dafterthelatte
rshowe dtheone( 1)“ bulto”ofs habu.Ar ugaya skedwhe retheot her“bult
o”
wa s,Ma ongcos aidthatitwa sinthepos sess
ionofP hansBa nda l
iwhowa swa i
tingi nJoll
ibee,Pantra
nco
Branc h.The reafter
,theywe nttot hatpla ceandMa ong cot oldthepol ic
eof ficer
st hatBa ndaliwaswe ari
nga
bluet -shirt
.Ve nerOng ,apolicof f
icer,approac hedBa nda l
i andde ma ndedf romt hel at
tertheot herhal
fof
thedr ug sordered.Ba ndal
ivolunta r
il
yha nde dov eras ache to fshabu.The n,Ba nda liwasa ppri
sedofhi s
viol
a ti
ona ndofhi scons t
it
utionalrights.Thes e i
zeds habuwa sprope rl
ypr eserve dinac cora
da ncewith
Section2 1(a
)oft heI mplementingRul esofRA9 165.Ma ong coa ndBa ndali,thepe t
it
ioner,we r
ebot h
charg edf orvi
ola t
ionofS ect
ion5 ,Ar ti
cleIIofRA9 16 5( Compr ehens i
veDa ngerousDr ugAc t
oof2 00
2).The
peti
tione r
sall
eg edthe r
ewa snol egit
ima tebuy -bustope r
ationbe c
a usethe rewa snoa ctualsaleof
dang erousdr ugi ntheope r
ationc onduc tedbypol iceof fi
cers.

I
ssue:Whethe
rornott
hepet
it
ione
rsmayst
il
lbehel
dcr
imi
nal
l
yli
abl
eunde
rSe
cti
on5
,Ar
ti
cl
eIIofRA9
165
e
ve nift
her
ewasnoleg
it
ima
tebuy-bus
tope
rat
ion.

Ruli
ng :
TheS upremeCour tr
uledintheaffi
rmativ
e.Well
-se
ttl
edinj
uris
prudencethatthecri
meofill
egal
s a
le
ofda nger
ousdr ugsnec ess
ari
lyincl
udesthecrimeofil
l
egalposs
ess
ionofdangerousdrugs.Thesamerul
ing
ma ya l
sobea ppli
edtot heotheractspenal
ize
dunde rArt
ic
leII
,Sect
ion5ofRe publi
cAc tNo.9165because
fortheaccusedt obea bletotra
de,administ
er,dis
pens
e,del
iver
,gi
veawa yt
oa nother,di
str
ibut
e,di
spat
ch
i
nt ransi
t,ortra
ns por
ta nydange r
ousdrug,hemus tnec
essa
ril
ybeinposses
sionofs a
iddrugs.Thus
,sti
ll
,
thepe t
it
ionerarehe l
dliable
.