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Validity of Arrest in Robbery Case

The Supreme Court of the Philippines ruled that the warrantless arrest of Tirso Acol and Pio Boses was valid. Percival Tan and passengers on his jeepney had been robbed at gunpoint. They reported the crime and provided a description of the robbers. When a police team located four men matching the description, one wearing the stolen jacket, the men fled but Acol and Boses were apprehended. They were found to be illegally carrying firearms. The Court found the arrest was lawful as the police had knowledge of facts indicating Acol and Boses committed the robbery, and the search that revealed the firearms was valid as incident to the lawful arrest.

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671 views1 page

Validity of Arrest in Robbery Case

The Supreme Court of the Philippines ruled that the warrantless arrest of Tirso Acol and Pio Boses was valid. Percival Tan and passengers on his jeepney had been robbed at gunpoint. They reported the crime and provided a description of the robbers. When a police team located four men matching the description, one wearing the stolen jacket, the men fled but Acol and Boses were apprehended. They were found to be illegally carrying firearms. The Court found the arrest was lawful as the police had knowledge of facts indicating Acol and Boses committed the robbery, and the search that revealed the firearms was valid as incident to the lawful arrest.

Uploaded by

May Angelica Teneza
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
  • Issue
  • Facts
  • Ruling

PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES vs.

TIRSO ACOL and PIO BOSES


G.R. Nos. 106288-89
May 17, 1994

FACTS:
Percival Tan was driving his jeepney when two men boarded the vehicle in Cubao. As
they cross Pasay Road, the two wayfarers, together with two other companions, announced
a hold-up. Percival Tan was instructed to continue driving toMagallanes interchange where
the other passengers were stripped of their personal belongings, including the jacket of
passenger Rene Araneta. The robbers dismounted at the Shell Gas Station near the
Magallanes Commercial Center. Percival Tan and his passengers went to Fort Bonifacio to
report the crime. A CAPCOM team was formed to track down the culprits and Rene
Aranetawent with [Link] saw four persons, one of whom was wearing his stolen jacket,
walking casually towards Fort Bonifacio; he told the police authorities to waylay said
persons. After the CAPCOM officers introduced themselves, the four men scampered to
different directions but three of them, namely, TirsoAcol, PioBoses, and Albert Blanco, were
apprehended. TirsoAcol and PioBoses were each found in possession of an unlicensed .38
caliber revolver with bullets. After the arrest, the three men were brought to Fort Bonifacio
and were identified by Percival Tan and the passengers as the hold-uppers. Acol and Boses
denied the charges alleging that they were arrested without cause and wereforced to admit
ownership of guns which were shown to them.

ISSUE:
Was there a valid arrest, search and seizure?

RULING:
Yes. The warrantless arrest fall within the purview of Section 5(b) of Rule 113 which
serves as an exception to the requisite warrant prior to arrest:

When an offense has in fact been committed, and the arresting officer has personal
knowledge of facts indicating that the person to be arrested has committed it;

because the police team was formed and dispatched to look for the persons responsible for
the crime on account of the information related by Percival Tan and Rene Araneta that they
had just been robbed. And since accused’s arrest was lawful, it follows that the search made
incidental thereto was valid. Moreover, the unlicensed firearms were found when the police
team apprehended the accused for the robbery and not for illegal possession of firearms
and [Link] Justice Padilla had indicated in Cruz:

. . . When, in pursuing an illegal action or in the commission of a criminal offense, the


offending police officers should happen to discover a criminal offense being
committed by any person, they are not precluded from performing their duties as
police officers for the apprehension of the guilty person and the taking of the corpus
delicti.

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