32. People Vs. Peralta.docx

Valenton, Francis Angelo T.

Criminal Law 2

1S People vs. Peralta (G.R. No. 173472)

Facts: The appellee is the People of the Philippines. The appellant is Elmer Peralta. In the case at bar, the District Drug Enforcement Group (DDEG) received reports of the appellant to have been drug pushing in Makati. Hence, the DDEG stage a buy bust operation with SP01 Sangalang as poseur buyer. The informant introduced P01 Sangalang to the appellant, and told the appellant that Sangalang was a dance instructor in need of shabu for himself so they could endure long nights. Sangalang gave Peralta P500 for a sachet of shabu. Later on, Sangalang arrested Peralta/ Sangalang took the marked money from him and brough him to police station. The shabu was alaso marked AS-1-210702, and was taken to PNP Crime Laboratory for testing. The herein appellant said that the buy bust operation was fake. It was corroborated by the witness that they saw that police officers force entered the house and searched the house. Contrary to what the police officers are saying. The RTC nonetheless held him guilty for violation of Section 5 of RA 9615.

Issue: Whether or not the prosecution presented ample proof that the police officers involved caught Peralta at his home peddling dangerous drugs.

Held: The Supreme Court said that the prosecution was not able to preserve the integrity of the dangerous drugs that was alleged to have been confiscated from the appellant. They added that the prosecution failed to show the chain of custody, as no evidence when the sachet of shabu was marked. Hence, since the evidence’s integrity was flawed, the presumption of innocence cannot be overturned.