Amendment or Substitution Of Complaint

Sec.  14. Amendment or substitution. – A complaint or information may be

amended, in form or in substance, without leave of court at any  time  before  the 
accused  enters  his  plea.    After  the  plea  and during the trial, a formal
amendment may only be made with leave of court and and when it can be done
without causing prejudice to the rights of the accused. 
 
However,  any  amendment  before  plea,  which  downgrades  the nature of the
offense charged in or excludes any accused from the complaint  or  information, 
can  be  made  only  upon  motion  by  the prosecutor,  with  notice  to  the 
offended  party  and  with  leave  of court. The court shall state its reasons in
resolving the motion and copies  of  its  order  shall  be  furnished  all  parties, 
especially  the offended party. 
 
If it appears at anytime before judgment that a mistake has been made  in 
charging  the  proper  offense,  the  court  shall  dismiss  the original  complaint 
or  information  upon  the  filing  of  a  new  one charging  the  proper  offense  in 
accordance  with  section  19,  Rule 119, provided the accused shall not be placed
in double jeopardy. The   court   may   require   the   witnesses   to   give   bail  
for   their 
appearance at the trial.

WHEN CAN A COMPLAINT OR INFORMATION BE

AMENDED?
> General  rule:  Before  plea,  a  complaint  or  information  can  be amended in form or
in substance without leave of court

> Exception: if the amendment will downgrade the offense or drop an accused from the
complaint or information.  In such case, the following requisites shall be observed: 
1.    The amendment must be made upon motion of the prosecutor 
2.    With notice to the offended party 
3.    With leave of court 
4.    The court must state its reason in resolving the motion 
5.    Copies  of  the  resolution  should  be  furnished  all  parties, especially the
offended party
> After plea, only FORMAL AMENDMENTS may be made but with the 
leave of court and when it can be done without causing prejudice 
to the rights of the accused 
 

WHEN CAN A COMPLAINT OR INFORMATION BE

SUBSTITUTED?
A complaint or information may be substituted if:  
1.    At any time before judgment it appears that a mistake has been made in charging
the proper offense, and

2.    The accused cannot be convicted of the offense charged or of any other offense
necessarily included therein

3.    Provided that he will not be placed in double jeopardy 

 

WHEN ARE THE RIGHTS OF THE ACCUSED MAY BE

PREJUDICED BY AN AMENDMENT?
The  rights  of  the  accused  may  be  prejudiced  by  an  amendment  in  the following
circumstances: 
1.    When  the  defense  which  he  had  under  the  original  information would no
longer be available 
2.    When  any  evidence  which  he  had  under  the  original  information would no
longer be available 
3.    When  any  evidence  which  he  had  under  the  original  information would no
longer be applicable to the amended information 
 

WHAT ARE SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENTS?

> Amendments involving the recital of facts constituting the offense and determinative of
the jurisdiction of the court 
> All other matters are merely of form 
> After plea, substantial amendments are prohibited 
 

WHEN CAN THERE BE AN AMENDMENT?

> BEFORE PLEA, a complaint or information can be amended in form or in substance 
without leave of court, except if the amendment will downgrade the offense or drop an
accused from the complaint or information.  In such a case, the following requisites
must be observed:  
1. Must be made upon motion of the prosecutor  
2. With notice to the offended party  
3. With leave of court  
4. The court must state its reason in resolving the motion  
5.  Copies  of  the  resolution  should  be  furnished  all  parties, especially the offended
party  
 
> AFTER  PLEA,  only  formal  amendments  may  be  made  only  with leave of court
and when it can be done without  causing prejudice to the rights of the accused. 
 

WHAT IS A SUBSTITUTION?
> A  complaint  or  information  may  be  substituted  if  at  any  time before  judgment, 
it  appears  that  a  mistake  has  been  made  in charging the proper offense, and the
accused cannot be convicted 
of the offense charged or of any other offense necessarily included therein, provided
that he will not be placed in double jeopardy. 

WHAT  ARE  THE  DISTINCTIONS  BETWEEN  AN 

AMENDMENT  AND  A SUBSTITUTION?
1.  Amendment  may  involve  either  formal  or  substantial  changes,  while substitution
necessarily involves a substantial change.  
2.  Amendment  before  plea  can  be  effected  without  leave  of  court,  but
substitution  is  always  done  with  leave  of  court  since  it  involves  the dismissal of
the original complaint.  
3.  Where  the  amendment  is  only  as  to  form,  there  is  no need  for  a  new
preliminary  investigation  or  plea;  in  substitution,  another  preliminary investigation
and plea is required.  
4. An amended information refers to the same offense charged or to one, which
necessarily includes or is necessarily included in the original charge, hence  substantial 
amendments  after  plea  cannot  be  made  over  the objection of the accused. 
Substitution requires that the new information is for a different offense which does not
include or is not necessarily included in the original charge.

WHAT  IS  THE  TEST  TO  DETERMINE  IF  WHAT  IS 

NEEDED  IS AMENDMENT OR SUBSTITUTION?
> Whether  the  new  offense  necessarily  includes  or  is  necessarily included  in  the 
original  charge,  or  is  an  attempt  to  commit  the same or frustration thereof 
 

IS THERE A NEED FOR SUBSTITUTION OR AMENDMENT

WHEN THE ORIGINAL  CRIME  CHARGED  IS  ROBBERY 
BUT  IT  WAS  LATER FOUND OUT THAT THE CRIME
SHOULD BE THEFT?
> No since theft and robbery are similar in their elements, it is only the existence of
certain aggravating or qualifying circumstances in robbery that makes the difference 

RULE 113 - ARREST

Section  1.  Definition  of  arrest.  –  Arrest  is  the  taking  of  a  person into 
custody  in  order  that  he  may  be  bound  to  answer  for  the commission of an
offense.

WHAT IS ARREST?
> Arrest is the taking of a person into custody in order that he may be bound to answer
for the commission of the offense 
 

IS THERE HOUSE ARREST IN OUR JURISDICTION?

> Yes.    Under  Article  88  of  the  RPC,  when  there  are  offenses punishable  with 
arresto  mayor,  one  can  be  given  house  arrest under certain conditions.

WHAT IS THE ISSUE REGARDING ERAP?  WHY DID HE

APPLY AND WAS GRANTED HOUSE ARREST?
> Erap first filed a petition for bail but was denied 
> Plunder is a non-bailable offense 
> The bail being denied, the natural consequence is detention 
> He applied for house arrest given the circumstances of his person and medical
reasons 
 
Sec. 2. Arrest; how made. – An arrest is made by an actual restraint of a person to
be arrested, or by his submission to the custody of the person making the arrest. 
 
No violence or unnecessary force shall be used in making an arrest. The person
arrested shall not be subject to a greater restraint than is necessary for his detention. 
 

HOW ARREST IS MADE?

> An  arrest  is  made  by  an  actual  restraint  of  the  person  to  be arrested or by his
submission to the custody of the person making the arrest 
 

WHAT  DOES  IT  MEAN  WHEN  JURISPRUDENCE  SAYS 

THAT  THE OFFICER IN MAKING THE ARREST, MUST
“STAND HIS GROUND”?
> It  means  that  the  officer  may  use  such  force  as  is  reasonably necessary to
effect the arrest

WHEN IS AN ARREST WITHOUT WARRANT

LAWFUL?
> A peace officer or private person may arrest without warrant:
1.    When,  in  his  presence,  the  person  to  be  arrested  has committed, is actually committing, or is
attempting to commit an offense;

2.    When  an  offense  has  just  been  committed  and  he  has probable  cause  to  believe  based  on 
personal  knowledge  of facts  or  circumstances  that  the  person  to  be  arrested  has committed it; and

3.    When  the  person  to  be  arrested  is  a  prisoner  who  has escaped  from  a  penal  establishment 
or  place  where  he  is serving  final  judgment  or  is  temporarily  confined  while  his case is pending, or
has escaped while being transferred from one confinement to another.

4.    In hot pursuit 

A  POLICE  OFFICER  WAS  CHASING  A  PERSON  WHO 

HAD  JUST COMMITTED  AN  OFFENSE.    THE  PERSON 
WENT  INSIDE  A  HOUSE, SO  THE  POLICE  OFFICER 
FOLLOWED.    INSIDE  THE  HOUSE,  THE POLICE  
OFFICER   SAW   DRUGS   LYING   AROUND. CAN  HE
CONFISCATE THE DRUGS AND USE THEM AS EVIDENCE?
> Yes.    The  plain  view  doctrine  is  applicable  to  this  case  because there was a valid prior intrusion. 
The police officer inadvertently discovered  the  evidence,  he  had  a  right  to  be  there,  and  the
evidence was immediately apparent. 

WHAT IF THE OFFICER MERELY PEEKS THROUGH THE

WINDOW OF THE HOUSE AND SEES THE DRUGS, CAN HE
CONFISCATE THEM AND USE THEM AS EVIDENCE?
> He can confiscate them, without prejudice though to his liability for violation of domicile. 
> He cannot use them as evidence because the seizure cannot be justified  under  the  plain  view 
doctrine,  there  being  no  previous valid intrusion. 

WHAT IS THE EFFECT IF A WARRANTLESS ARREST IS

ILLEGAL?
> It  doesn't  render  void  all  other  proceedings,  including  those leading to the conviction of the
accused nor can the state deprived of its right to convict the guilty when all the facts of record point 
to his culpability 

Sec. 5. Arrest without warrant; when lawful. – A peace officer or a private person may, without a
warrant, arrest a person: 
(a)   When,   in   his   presence,   the   person   to   be   arrested   has committed,  is  actually 
committing,  or  is  attempting  to  commit  an offense; 

(b) When an offense has just been committed and he has probable cause   to   believe   based  
on   personal   knowledge   of   facts   or circumstances that the person to be arrested has
committed it; and 

(c) When the person to be arrested is a prisoner who has escaped from  a  penal  establishment 
or  place  where  he  is  serving  final judgment  or  is  temporarily  confined  while  his  case  is 
pending,  or has  escaped  while  being  transferred  from  one  confinement  to another. 

In  cases  falling  under  paragraphs  (a)  and  (b)  above,  the  person arrested  without  a  warrant 
shall  be  forthwith  delivered  to  the nearest  police  station  or  jail  and  shall  be  proceeded 
against  in accordance with section 7 of Rule 112.