People vs. Alunday

The Government (P) vs. Marijuana Grower (D)
GR 181546, September 3, 2008	[T]

Summary: A suspected marijuana plantation was the subject of a raiding operation when the alleged marijuana grower was caught cutting and gathering marijuana. Further, when taken to a nearby hut, an unlicensed firearm was found.

Rule of Law: A peace officer or a private person may, without a warrant, arrest a person when, in his presence, the person to be arrested has committed, is actually committing, or is attempting to commit an offense.

Facts: The Intelligence Section of the Police Provincial Office of the Mountain Province received a report from a confidential informant that there was an existing marijuana plantation within the vicinity of Mt. Churyon. After a series of validations, the existence of the subject plantation was finally confirmed.

The Police Director ordered a contingent of policemen to the subject plantation and upon arriving at the area saw Ricardo Alunday (D) cutting and gathering marijuana leaves. The police took Alunday (D) to the hut where they saw a woman, an M16 riffle and some dried marijuana leaves.

Issues: Is the warrantless arrest valid?

Ruling: Yes. A peace officer or a private person may, without a warrant, arrest a person when, in his presence, the person to be arrested has committed, is actually committing, or is attempting to commit, an offense. Section 5(a) of Rule 113 of the Rules of Court refers to arrest in flagrante delicto.

Furthermore, the Court has consistently ruled that any objection involving a warrant of arrest or the procedure for the acquisition by the court of jurisdiction over the person of the accused must be made before he enters his plea; otherwise, the objection is deemed waived. We have also ruled that an accused may be estopped from assailing the illegality of his arrest if he fails to move for the quashing of the information against him before his arraignment. And since the legality of an arrest affects only the jurisdiction of the court over the person of the accused, any defect in the arrest of the accused may be deemed cured when he voluntarily submits to the jurisdiction of the trial court. We have also held in a number of cases that the illegal arrest of an accused is not a sufficient cause for setting aside a valid judgment rendered upon a sufficient complaint after a trial free from error; such arrest does not negate the validity of the conviction of the accused.

Herein, Alunday (D) went into arraignment and entered a plea of not guilty. Thereafter, he actively participated in his trial. He raised the additional issue of irregularity of his arrest only during his appeal to this Court. He is, therefore, deemed to have waived such alleged defect by submitting himself to the jurisdiction of the court by his counsel-assisted plea during his arraignment; by his actively participating in the trial and by not raising the objection before his arraignment.