Pp vs. Padillo Crim. Case No.

20081 and 20082

June 24, 2019

Witness: Brgy Kag. Santas Aranas

For the State: Prosecutor Aida I. Digaum-Langcamon
For the Accused: Atty. Rainero Z. Bautista

This witness is presented to establish that she is a barangay kagawad

of Union, Poblacion, Dauis, Bohol; that on 23 March, 2017, she and
Barangay Kagawad Melberto Salugsugan witnessed the conduct of
inventory of drug evidence from accused Michael Padillo during the buy
bust operation conducted on said date; she will testify the conduct of
inventory; she will identify documents she signed relative to that inventory
and she will testify on other allied matters.

DIRECT EXAMINATION ON BARANGAY KAGAWAD SANTAS

ARANAS BY PROSECUTOR AIDA DIGAUM LANGCAMON

During the direct examination, the witness stated that she was once a
barangay kagawad in Poblacion, Dauis in the year 2016 and 2017 and on
March 23, 2017 she was still a kagawad. In the afternoon of that day, she
said that they were in the barangay hall of Poblacion, Dauis and a policeman
came for a kagawad witness. I was told that I will be the one to witness
because I am a member of the Barangay Drug Council (BADAC). The
witness however could not recall who was that police officer but he was able
to know that he was a police officer because that was what Barangay
Captain Ramiro Cimafranca Jr. told them that a police officer was there
requesting a witness for a buy bust. The witness went to the place where
there were PDEA together with the other Barangay Kagawad Melberto
Salugsugan. The witness said they went to Totolan but it is still part of
Poblacion where particularly the Inahan sa Kanunayng Panabang Chapel
was situated. The witness further said that they went there using the vehicle
of Melberto Salugsugan. When they arrived in that place, they saw the shabu
being placed on a small table outside the chapel and there were PDEA,
someone from the radio and a handcuffed Michael Padillo was there seated.
Padillo was seated near the grills of the closed door of the chapel about an
arm length to the table where the shabu was placed. When asked why
Padillo was handcuffed, the witness said she did not know because when
they arrived, he was already handcuffed. The witness said she knew who
was the subject of the buy bust because they were told by the PDEA that it
was Michael Padillo. When asked if she know the one from the media, she
said that she did not know the name but she knew it was from the media
because that is how it should be in the buy bust and she further said that
there was also a photographer but no outsider was allowed to take pictures.
The witness said, when asked what were done to the shabu placed on
the table, that the PDEA was listing, there was also a large one. It was the
first time that the witness saw a shabu and that there were markings that
looked like flag containing how many grams and amount. The witness also
said that pictures were taken at the time that she was there on the shabu and
she also signed a document. The witness identified a document (Exhibit E-
Trading) as the same document that she signed during the time that she were
at the chapel of Inahan sa Kanunayng Panabang relative to the buy bust
operation of Michael Padillo. The witness added that the documents
contained the correct description of the shabu, the money used by the PDEA,
cellular phone and Honda motorcycle and further identified the P500 used in
the buy bust.
The witness affirmed that she saw a one heat-sealed plastic transparent
cellophane, a P500 bill and a cellular phone all placed in the table, and also a
motorcycle placed at the side of the road near the chapel. The witness
however, did not know that Padillo did used that motorcycle because when
she arrived it was already there.

The witness identified the signature after the name Barangay

Kagawad Santas Aranas as her signature. She also identified a signature on
the space provided and the position corresponding to the name and position
of Barangay Kagawad Melberto Salugsugan as Salugsugan’s signature as he
was also made to sign. The witness signed the document first then
Salugsugan signed after. The witness affirmed before the honorable Court
that she had seen the item Exhibit “E-Trading” for the prosecution. The
witness later on identified another document (Exhibit F-Possession) and said
that the items were all on the table referring to the items listed in the
document. She identified her signature and the signature of Melberto
Salugsugan who signed after her on that document.

The witness was made to identify 8 pictures which were all positively
identified by her. The first picture (Exhibit I-5) was identified as the chapel
of Inahan sa Kanunayng Panabang. The second picture was identified by the
witness as a picture showing the PDEA who were there and was pointing to
the items on the table which were the same items listed in the two
documents identified by her. The third picture (Exhibit I-4) was identified by
the witness as the P500 bill as the money used in buying. In the fourth, fifth
and sixth (Exhibit I-2) pictures, the witness identified Kagawad Melberto
Salugsugan , one from PDEA, the accused and herself. The seventh (Exhibit
I) and eighth (Exhibit I-3) pictures were identified as the items that were on
the table. The witness then identified and pointed Michael Padillo inside the
courtroom. The prosecution then ended the direct examination.

CROSS-EXAMINATION ON BARANGAY KAGAWAD SANTAS

ARANAS BY ATTY. RAINERO Z. BAUTISTA

The defense started the cross examination by asking the witness if the
original of her being a participant in the particular document she signed is
the invitation of the police officer to which the witness answered that it is
the Barangay Captain. According to the witness, they were told by the
Barangay Captain that she will be the one to witness because she was a
member of the BADAC and the Peace and order Council and that the others
declined. The witness also said that she did able to witness the alleged items
lying on the table and that she affixed her signature twice. However, the
witness said that she was not given a copy of the Inventory by the police
officers after the conduct of the inventory. The defense then ended the cross-
examination.