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kULL 126: SLAkCn AND SLI2UkL

Sect|on 1. Search warrant def|ned.
A search warrant |s an order |n wr|t|ng |ssued |n the name of the
eop|e of the h|||pp|nes, s|gned by a [udge and d|rected to a peace
off|cer, command|ng h|m to search for persona| property descr|bed
there|n and br|ng |t before the court. (1)

I. Nature of a search warrant
AppllcaLlon for a search warranL ls a speclal [udlclal proceedlng.

Sect|on 2. Court where app||cat|on for search warrant sha|| be f||ed.
An app||cat|on for search warrant sha|| be f||ed w|th the fo||ow|ng:

a) Any court w|th|n whose terr|tor|a| [ur|sd|ct|on a cr|me was
comm|tted.

b) Ior compe|||ng reasons stated |n the app||cat|on, any court w|th|n
the [ud|c|a| reg|on where the cr|me was comm|tted |f the p|ace of the
comm|ss|on of the cr|me |s known, or any court w|th|n the [ud|c|a|
reg|on where the warrant sha|| be enforced.

nowever, |f the cr|m|na| act|on has a|ready been f||ed, the app||cat|on
sha|| on|y be made |n the court where the cr|m|na| act|on |s pend|ng.
(n)

I. Where w||| you app|y for a search warrant?
Genera| ku|e: ?ou musL apply ln Lhe place where Lhe crlme was
commlLLed (rlnclple of 1errlLorlallLy).
Lxcept|on 1: lf Lhere ls a compelllng reason, you may apply ln a
place oLher Lhan where Lhe crlme was commlLLed. So long as
Lhe search warranL ls Lo be enforced ln Lhe same [udlclal reglon.
o Lxample: lf Lhe accused ls a councllor ln Manlla, you
may apply ln Cuezon ClLy.
Lxcept|on 2: lor cerLaln offenses, Lhe search warranL may be
enforced ln Lhe enLlre hlllpplnes.

ll. Can a search warranL applled for ln CC or Manlla be lmplemenLed
ouLslde of lLs LerrlLorlal [urlsdlcLlon?
Genera| ku|e: nC.
Lxcept|ons:
o uangerous urugs AcL
o lnLellecLual roperLy Code
o lllegal possesslon of flrearms
o lllegal gambllng
o Pelnous crlmes
o AMLA
o vlolaLlon of Larlff and cusLoms code
lor Lhese crlmes, you have Lo apply before an execuLlve [udge ln
Manlla or Cuezon ClLy. 1hen lL wlll be effecLlve anywhere.
(Mar|m|a v. eop|e, c|t|ng AM 99-10-09-SC)

Sect|on 3. ersona| property to be se|zed.
A search warrant may be |ssued for the search and se|zure of persona|
property:

(a) Sub[ect of the offense,

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(b) Sto|en or embezz|ed and other proceeds, or fru|ts of the offense, or

(c) Used or |ntended to be used as the means of comm|tt|ng an
offense. (2a)

I. What can be the sub[ect of s search warrant?
1. Sub[ecL of offense
2. SLolen or embezzled or frulLs of Lhe offense
3. used or lnLended Lo be use as Lhe means of commlLLlng Lhe
offense

II. Does the warrant have to spec|fy the quant|ty of drugs?
nC. WhaL ls requlred ls LhaL Lhe ob[ecL of Lhe search be
descrlbed wlLh parLlcularlLy.
o So, an undeLermlned amounL of shabu" ls valld.

III. Suppos|ng a po||ceman had a search warrant for p|rated DVDs but
before enforc|ng |t, he saw a stash of drugs. W||| there be a va||d
search and se|zure of the drugs?
?LS, under Lhe plaln vlew docLrlne.

Sect|on 4. kequ|s|tes for |ssu|ng search warrant.
A search warrant sha|| not |ssue except upon probab|e cause |n
connect|on w|th one spec|f|c offense to be determ|ned persona||y by
the [udge after exam|nat|on under oath or aff|rmat|on of the
comp|a|nant and the w|tnesses he may produce, and part|cu|ar|y
descr|b|ng the p|ace to be searched and the th|ngs to be se|zed wh|ch
may be anywhere |n the h|||pp|nes. (3a)

I. kequ|s|tes of Search Warrant
1. robable Cause
o lL ls Lhe [udge, noL Lhe prosecuLor, who deLermlnes
probable cause.
o CLher lnsLances where probable cause ls needed:
l. rellmlnary lnvesLlgaLlon
ll. WarranLless arresLs (crlme [usL been
commlLLed)
lll. WarranL of arresL
lv. Search and selzures
2. ersonal examlnaLlon of Lhe [udge
o 1he [udge should personally examlne Lhe cllenL and Lhe
wlLnesses LhaL may be produced by Lhe appllcanL.
o MusL do so by searchlng quesLlons.
3. LxamlnaLlon of Lhe complalnanL and wlLnesses under oaLh.
(Sect|on S)
o 1he appllcanL musL have personal knowledge of Lhe
facLs. A search warranL cannoL be lssued on hearsay
sLaLemenLs of Lhe appllcanL.
4. 1he warranL musL descrlbe wlLh sufflclenL parLlcularlLy Lhe lLems
Lo be selzed and Lhe place Lo be selzed.
o arLlcularlLy ! LhaL wlll allow Lhe lmplemenLlng offlcer
Lo reasonably deLermlne Lhe place Lo be searched and
Lhe lLems Lo be selzed.
o 8aLlonale for need of parLlcularlLy:
l. 8eadlly ldenLlfy Lhe properLles Lo be selzed
ll. Leave Lhe pollce wlLh no dlscreLlon regardlng
whaL ls Lo be selzed and Lhus prevenL
unreasonable searches and selzures
o lace
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l. lf whaL was searched was Lhe wrong aparLmenL,
Lhe search, l.e. [usL Lhe lmplemenLaLlon, ls
lnvalld. 8u1 Lhe warranL ls valld.
ll. WhaL lf no way Lo descrlbe wlLh parLlcularlLy
(llke ln a provlnce)? osslble Lo saykM30" !
accepLable. 8u1 won'L apply Lo clLles or
munlclpallLles slnce Lhere are have sLreeL
names.
o lLems ! 8uL lL ls nC1 requlred LhaL Lhe Lhlngs Lo be
selzed musL be descrlbed ln preclse and mlnuLe deLall.
l. 1esL: wheLher Lhe Lhlngs descrlbed are llmlLed
Lo Lhose whlch bear dlrecL relaLlon Lo Lhe
offense for whlch Lhe warranL ls lssued.
ll. Shabu" even wlLhouL Lhe amounL ls sufflclenL.
3. 1he warranL musL be for one offense only
o Pence, when Lhe search warranL was lssued for robbery,
buL Lhe lnformaLlon for robbery was quashed. 1he lLems
selzed Lhrough sald search warranL CAnnC1 be used for
re-flllng lnformaLlon of quallfled LhefL based on Lhe
same case. (Sy 1an v. Sy 1|ong)
l. ?ou need Lo procure a new search warranL.
o ALLy. 1ranqull ! 8uL, lf Lhere are Lwo separaLe cases
perLalnlng Lo one parLlcular properLy, and LhaL properLy
was already selzed by a search warranL ln one case,
Lhen Lhe properLy need only be ldenLlfled Lo be used ln
Lhe second case.
ll. Cun was used Lo klll LlllbeLh. lL was also used ln
anoLher occaslon Lo rob a bank. lL was selzed ln
a search warranL connecLed Lo Lhe murder case
of LlllbeLh. lf an lnformaLlon for robbery were Lo
be flled ln Lhe fuLure, no need for anoLher
search warranL Lo geL Lhe gun, lL need only be
ldenLlfled.

Sect|on S. Lxam|nat|on of comp|a|nant, record.
1he [udge must, before |ssu|ng the warrant, persona||y exam|ne |n the
form of search|ng quest|ons and answers, |n wr|t|ng and under oath,
the comp|a|nant and the w|tnesses he may produce on facts
persona||y known to them and attach to the record the|r sworn
statements, together w|th the aff|dav|ts subm|tted. (4a)

Sect|on 6. Issuance and form of search warrant.
If the [udge |s sat|sf|ed of the ex|stence of facts upon wh|ch the
app||cat|on |s based or that there |s probab|e cause to be||eve that
they ex|st, he sha|| |ssue the warrant, wh|ch must be substant|a||y |n
the form prescr|bed by these ku|es. (Sa)

Sect|on 7. k|ght to break door or w|ndow to effect search.
1he off|cer, |f refused adm|ttance to the p|ace of d|rected search after
g|v|ng not|ce of h|s purpose and author|ty, may break open any outer
or |nner door or w|ndow of a house or any part of a house or anyth|ng
there|n to execute the warrant or ||berate h|mse|f or any person
|awfu||y a|d|ng h|m when un|awfu||y deta|ned there|n. (6)

Sect|on 8. Search of house, room, or prem|ses to be made |n presence
of two w|tnesses.
No search of a house, room, or any other prem|ses sha|| be made
except |n the presence of the |awfu| occupant thereof or any member
of h|s fam||y or |n the absence of the |atter, two w|tnesses of suff|c|ent
age and d|scret|on res|d|ng |n the same |oca||ty. (7a)
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Sect|on 9. 1|me of mak|ng search.
1he warrant must d|rect that |t be served |n the day t|me, un|ess the
aff|dav|t asserts that the property |s on the person or |n the p|ace
ordered to be searched, |n wh|ch case a d|rect|on may be |nserted that
|t be served at any t|me of the day or n|ght. (8a)

I. Imp|ementat|on of the Search Warrant
A. 1|me of Imp|ementat|on (Sect|on 9)
Genera| ku|e: lL ls lmplemenLed ln day-Llme
o ln conLrasL Lo an arresL warranL whlch may be
lmplemenLed elLher day or nlghL.
Lxcept|on: ossesslon of Lhe Lhlng ls wlLh Lhe person Lo be
searched.

8. Who Must 8e resent Dur|ng Imp|ementat|on (Sect|on 8)
1wo-w|tness ku|e ! 1he warranL need noL be glven as long as
Lhe search ls conducLed ln Lhe presence of Lwo wlLnesses from
Lhe communlLy.
1he 2-wlLness rule applles only Lo:
o Searches made under auLhorlLy of a search warranL o of
a house, room or oLher premlses
o Where Lhe occupanL or hls famlly ls absenL.
uoes Lhe 2-wlLness rule apply Lo selzure of dangerous drugs?
o nC. lollow Set|onc 21 of the DDA.
o u|ncot v. eop|e ! drugs were selzed vla a buy-busL
operaLlon and was noL selzed lnslde a house.

C. kece|pt Conta|n|ng Items Se|zed (Sect|on 11)
ueLalled recelpL should be glven
1. lL musL be glven Lo Lhe lawful occupanL.
2. lf occupanL ls absenL, lL musL be lefL aL Lhe place where Lhe
selzed properLy was found. nC1 glven Lo Lhe Lwo wlLnesses!

II. Dangerous Drugs Act
Chaln of cusLody musL be esLabllshed
o lallure Lo esLabllsh Lhe chaln of cusLody would render
Lhe evldence lnadmlsslble.
o normally, Lhe lnvenLory can be done ln Lhe courL or
pollce sLaLlon, 8u1 ln uuA cases, Lhe lnvenLory musL be
made aL Lhe scene of Lhe crlme.
PCWLvL8, recenL [urlsprudence esLabllshed LhaL even lf Lhe
chaln of cusLody ls noL sLrlcLly followed, Lhe evldence may sLlll
be admlsslble provlded LhaL lLs lnLegrlLy ls proven Lo have been
preserved.
o eop|e v. De Leon ! Lhe cops dld noL follow Sect|on 21
of DDA Lo Lhe leLLer buL Lhe courL admlLLed Lhe drugs
because Lhe lnLegrlLy of Lhe procedure was esLabllshed
subsLanLlally.

Sect|on 10. Va||d|ty of search warrant.
A search warrant sha|| be va||d for ten (10) days from |ts date.
1hereafter, |t sha|| be vo|d. (9)

Sect|on 11. kece|pt for the property se|zed.
1he off|cer se|z|ng property under the warrant must g|ve a deta||ed
rece|pt for the same to the |awfu| occupant of the prem|ses |n whose
presence the search and se|zure were made, or |n the absence of such
occupant, must, |n the presence of at |east two w|tnesses of suff|c|ent
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age and d|scret|on res|d|ng |n the same |oca||ty, |eave a rece|pt |n the
p|ace |n wh|ch he found the se|zed property. (10a)

Sect|on 12. De||very of property and |nventory thereof to court, return
and proceed|ngs thereon.
(a) 1he off|cer must forthw|th de||ver the property se|zed to the [udge
who |ssued the warrant, together w|th a true |nventory thereof du|y
ver|f|ed under oath.

(b) 1en (10) days after |ssuance of the search warrant, the |ssu|ng
[udge sha|| ascerta|n |f the return has been made, and |f none, sha||
summon the person to whqom the warrant was |ssued and requ|re
h|m to exp|a|n why no return was made. If the return has been made,
the [udge sha|| ascerta|n whether Sect|on 11 of th|s ku|e has been
comp||ed w|th and sha|| requ|re that the property se|zed be de||vered
to h|m. 1he [udge sha|| see to |t that subSect|on (a) hereof has been
comp||ed w|th.

(c) 1he return on the search warrant sha|| be f||ed and kept by the
custod|an of the |og book on search warrants who sha|| enter there|n
the date of the return, the resu|t, and other act|ons of the [udge.

A v|o|at|on of th|s Sect|on sha|| const|tute contempt of court. (11a)

Sect|on 13. Search |nc|dent to |awfu| arrest.
A person |awfu||y arrested may be searched for dangerous weapons or
anyth|ng wh|ch may have been used or const|tute proof |n the
comm|ss|on of an offense w|thout a search warrant. (12a)


I. o|nt
valld arresL 8LlC8L warranLless search.
lor as long as Lhe search ls conLemporaneous wlLh Lhe arresL,
Lhen lL wlll be valld.

Sect|on 14. Mot|on to quash a search warrant or to suppress ev|dence,
where to f||e.
A mot|on to quash a search warrant and]or to suppress ev|dence
obta|ned thereby may be f||ed |n and acted upon on|y by the court
where the act|on has been |nst|tuted. If no cr|m|na| act|on has been
|nst|tuted, the mot|on may be f||ed |n and reso|ved by the court that
|ssued the search warrant. nowever, |f such court fa||ed to reso|ve the
mot|on and a cr|m|na| case |s subsequent|y f||ed |n another court, the
mot|on sha|| be reso|ved by the |atter court. (n)

I. Mot|on to uash a Search Warrant or Suppress Lv|dence
M1 ! 1hls ls flled once a search warranL has been lssued.
o When: before lmplemenLaLlon of search warranL.
MSL ! lf Lhe lLems have been selzed, buL you don'L wanL Lhem
Lo be presenLed ln CourL, you flle a moLlon Lo suppress
evldence.
o When: afLer lmplemenLaLlon buL before presenLaLlon of
selzed lLems ln courL.

II. Where to I||e
Genera| ku|e: 1hese moLlons are flled ln Lhe CourL LhaL lssued
Lhe warranL
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Lxcept|on: Where a crlmlnal case has already been flled ln
relaLlon Lo Lhe search warranL, you flle lL ln Lhe courL where Lhe
acLlon ls pendlng.