fepublic of the Philippines

SUPREME COURT
Manila
FIRST DIVISION
G.R. No. !"#$% &p'il $( $%%)
PEOP*E OF T+E P+I*PPINES( &ppellee(
,s.
ERNESTO PE-& . S&RMIENTO( &ppellant.
R E S O * U T I O N
CORON&( /.0
On &u1ust $2( $%%#( appellant E'nesto Pe3a . Sa'4iento 5as cha'1e6 5ith ,iolation
of Sections " an6 of R& )7"$ in the Re1ional T'ial Cou't 8RTC9 of Ma:ati Cit.(
;'anch 7<# un6e' the follo5in1 Info'4ations0
C'i4inal Case No. %#=#$))
That on o' about the $!th 6a. of &u1ust $%%# in the Cit. of Ma:ati( Philippines( a
place un6e' the >u'is6iction of this +ono'able Cou't( ?appellant@( not bein1 la5full.
autho'iAe6 b. la5( 6i6 then an6 the'e 5illfull.( unla5full. an6 feloniousl. sell(
6eli,e' an6 6ist'ibute ?%.%<@ 1'a4 of 4eta4pheta4ine h.6'ochlo'i6e 8co44onl.
:no5n as shabu9( a 6an1e'ous 6'u1 in consi6e'ation of P$%%( Philippine Cu''enc..
CONTR&RB TO *&C.
C'i4inal Case No. %#=##%%
That on o' about the $!th 6a. of &u1ust $%%# in the Cit. of Ma:ati( Philippines( a
place un6e' the >u'is6iction of this +ono'able Cou't( ?appellant@( not bein1 la5full.
autho'iAe6 to possess an. 6an1e'ous 6'u1 an6 5ithout the co''espon6in1 license o'
p'esc'iption( 6i6 then an6 the'e 5illfull.( unla5full. an6 feloniousl. ha,e in his
possession( 6i'ect custo6. an6 cont'ol ?%.#@ 1'a4 of 4eta4pheta4ine
h.6'ochlo'i6e :no5n as shabu( a 6an1e'ous 6'u1.
CONTR&RB TO *&C.
Upon a''ai1n4ent( appellant plea6e6 not 1uilt..
Du'in1 t'ial( the p'osecution p'esente6 Ro1elio Patacsil( Ro44el Villa'ente an6 PO
+e'be't Ibias( 4e4be's of the Ma:ati &nti=D'u1 &buse Council 8M&D&C9 Cluste' 7(
5ho con6ucte6 the bu.=bust ope'ation 'esultin1 in appellantDs a''est.
&n info'4ant 'epo'te6 to the M&D&C Cluste' 7 hea6 an6 ;a'an1a. RiAal ba'an1a.
chai'pe'son Ric Man6a.u that a ce'tain EGabb.E 5as sellin1 shabu at E. &1uinal6o
St. Pu'suant to this tip( the M&D&C su',e.e6 the a'ea an6 e,entuall. i6entiFe6
Gabb. to be appellant. Thus( Patacsil( Villa'ente an6 Ibias con6ucte6 a bu.=bust
ope'ation on &u1ust $!( $%%#.
Patacsil 8actin1 as poseu'=bu.e'9 an6 the info'4ant app'oache6 the appellant
so4e5he'e in E. &1uinal6o St. The latte' int'o6uce6 the fo'4e' as one in nee6 of
shabu. &ppellant then as:e6 Patacsil ho5 4uch he 5ante6 to bu.. Patacsil ans5e'e6
E6ala5an1 pisoE an6 1a,e appellant t5o 4a':e6 P%% bills. &ppellant then han6e6
hi4 a sachet containin1 a 5hite c'.stalline substance.
The'eafte'( Patacsil si1nale6 Villa'ente an6 PO Ibias that the t'ansaction ha6 been
consu44ate6. Thus( the. app'oache6 Patacsil an6 appellant. PO Ibias
app'ehen6e6 appellant an6 info'4e6 hi4 of his 'i1hts. The'eafte'( he as:e6
appellant to e4pt. his poc:et an6 conseGuentl. 'eco,e'e6 a sachet containin1 a
c'.stalline substance an6 the 4a':e6 P%% bills.
&ppellant 5as the'eafte' b'ou1ht to the M&D&C oHce in ;a'an1a. RiAal. PO Ibias
then tu'ne6 o,e' the sachets an6 4a':e6 bills to the in,esti1ato'. SubseGuentl.( the
Philippine National Police c'i4e labo'ato'. conF'4e6 that the c'.stalline substance
f'o4 the sachets 5as in6ee6 4eta4pheta4ine h.6'ocholo'i6e 8o' shabu9.
Fo' his 6efense( appellant insiste6 that he 5as 4e'el. f'a4e6 up. Chile he an6 his
fa4il. 5e'e ha,in1 lunch on &u1ust $!( $%%#( Patacsil 8acco4panie6 b. an
uni6entiFe6 pe'son9 ba'1e6 into his ho4e an6 Ein,ite6E hi4 to the ba'an1a. hall.
&pp'oIi4atel. %% 4ete's f'o4 his house( Patacsil as:e6 hi4 to i6entif. the
pe'sons 5ho4 he :ne5 sol6 shabu. ;ecause he 5as unable to point to an.one( he
5as the one a''este6.
In a 6ecision 6ate6 /anua'. $7( $%%"( the RTC hel6 that the p'osecution p'o,e6
appellant ,iolate6 Sections " an6 of R& )7" be.on6 'easonable 6oubt.< The
M&D&C ope'ati,es establishe6 the i6entities of the poseu' bu.e' an6 appellant an6
that an ille1al 6'u1 5as sol6 b. appellant to the poseu' bu.e' fo' a ce'tain
consi6e'ation. Mo'eo,e'( the. 5e'e able to sho5 that appellant 5as not autho'iAe6
to possess the ille1al 6'u1. Thus0
C+EREFORE( in ,ie5 of the fo'e1oin1( >u614ent is 'en6e'e6 a1ainst ?appellant@
ERNESTO PE3& . S&RMIENTO alias EG&;;BE as follo5s0
. Fin6in1 hi4( GUI*TB be.on6 'easonable 6oubt of the c'i4e of ,iolation of Section
" of R& )7" 8C'i4inal Case No. %#=#$))9 an6 sentencin1 hi4 to suJe' the penalt.
of life i4p'ison4ent an6 to pa. a Fne of P"%%(%%%K
$. Fin6in1 hi4( GUI*TB be.on6 'easonable 6oubt of the c'i4e of ,iolation of Section
of R& )7" 8C'i4inal Case No. %#=##%%9 an6 consi6e'in1 that 4iniscule Guantit.
of shabu in,ol,e6 5hich is %.%# 1'a4s sentencin1 hi4 to suJe' the penalt. of
t5el,e .ea's an6 6a. an6 a Fne of P#%%(%%%.
The ;'anch Cle': of Cou't is 6i'ecte6 to t'ans4it to the Philippine D'u1 Enfo'ce4ent
&1enc. 8PDE&9 the one plastic sachet of shabu 8%.%<9 1'a4 sub>ect 4atte' of
C'i4inal Case No. %#=#$)) an6 the one plastic sachet 8%.%#9 1'a4 sub>ect of
C'i4inal Case No. %#=##%% fo' sai6 a1enc.Ds app'op'iate 6isposition.
SO ORDERED.
The Cou't of &ppeals 8C&9( on inte'4e6iate appellate 'e,ie5(" aH'4e6 the RTC
6ecision in toto.7
Ce aH'4 the Fn6in1s of the RTC an6 the C& but 4o6if. the penalt. in C'i4inal
Case No. %#=##%%.
The'e is no 'eason to 6istu'b the factual Fn6in1s of the RTC as aH'4e6 b. the C&.
The p'osecution establishe6 be.on6 6oubt that appellant sol6 shabu to the poseu'
bu.e' fo' a consi6e'ation an6 that he ha6 anothe' sachet of the sai6 substance in
his possession.
Nonetheless( 5e 4o6if. the penalt. in C'i4inal Case No. %#=##%% 8fo' ,iolation of
Section of R& )7"9 since the cou'ts a Guo faile6 to appl. the In6ete'4inate
Sentence *a5 an6 i4pose6 a st'ai1ht penalt. of $ .ea's an6 6a. on appellant.
The sai6 p'o,ision p'o,i6es that0
Section . Possession of Dan1e'ous D'u1s.
I I I I I I I I I
Othe'5ise( if the Guantit. in,ol,e6 is less than the fo'e1oin1 Guantities( the
penalties shall be 1'a6uate6 as follo5s0
I I I I I I I I I
8#9 I4p'ison4ent of t5el,e 8$9 .ea's an6 one 89 6a. to t5ent. 8$%9 .ea's an6 a
Fne 'an1in1 f'o4 Th'ee hun6'e6 thousan6 pesos 8P#%%(%%%9 to Fou' hun6'e6
thousan6 pesos 8P<%%(%%%9( if the Guantities of 6an1e'ous 6'u1s a'e less than F,e
8"9 1'a4s of opiu4( 4o'phine( he'oin( cocaine o' cocaine h.6'ochlo'i6e( 4a'i>uana
'esin o' 4a'i>uana 'esin oil( 4eta4pheta4ine h.6'ochlo'i6e o' EshabuE o' othe'
6an1e'ous 6'u1s such as( but not li4ite6 to MDM& o' Eecstac.(E PM&( TM&( *SD(
G+; an6 those si4ila'l. 6esi1ne6 o' ne5l. int'o6uce6 6'u1s an6 thei' 6e'i,ati,es(
5ithout ha,in1 an. the'apeutic ,alue o' if the Guantit. possesses is fa' behin6
the'apeutic 'eGui'e4entsK o' less than th'ee hun6'e6 8#%%9 1'a4s of 4a'i>uana.
8e4phasis supplie69
&ppellant shoul6 suJe' i4p'ison4ent fo' a 4ini4u4 of $ .ea's an6 6a. to a
4aIi4u4 of $% .ea's.
C+EREFORE( the /ul. $"( $%%7 6ecision of the Cou't of &ppeals in C&=G.R. CR=+.C.
No. %%!% is he'eb. MODIFIED. &ppellant E'nesto Pe3a . Sa'4iento is sentence6 to
suJe' the penalt. of life i4p'ison4ent an6 pa. a Fne of P"%%(%%% in C'i4inal Case
No. %#=#$)). +e is sentence6 to suJe' i4p'ison4ent fo' a 4ini4u4 of $ .ea's an6
6a. to a 4aIi4u4 of $% .ea's an6 to pa. a Fne of P#%%(%%% in C'i4inal Case No.
%#=##%%.
SO ORDERED.