Professional Documents
Culture Documents
(G.R. No. 98060. January 27, 1997) PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. SATURNINA SALAZAR y PALANAS, Accused-Appellant. Decision Panganiban, J.
(G.R. No. 98060. January 27, 1997) PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. SATURNINA SALAZAR y PALANAS, Accused-Appellant. Decision Panganiban, J.
DECISION
PANGANIBAN, J.:
This appeal seeks the reversal of the Decision1 in Criminal Case No.
925 of the Regional Trial Court of Oroquieta City, Branch 13, finding
appellant Saturnina Salazar y Palanas guilty beyond reasonable
doubt of violation of Section 4, Article II of Republic Act No. 6425
(Dangerous Drugs Act of 1972), as amended by Presidential Decree
No. 1675, and imposing upon her the penalty of life imprisonment
and payment of P20,000.00 as fine, with costs.
The Facts
Contrary to law."
Right then and there, Sgt. Cubillan took a five-peso bill with Serial
No. FJ526501 from his billfold, marked it with his initials and
handed it to Cpl. de Guzman. The latter then went to the store and
told the woman seated on the windowsill that he wanted "to
score" 5 ("mag-score nga ako"). 6 The woman nodded. After
indicating that he wanted five (5) sticks of marijuana, Cpl. de
Guzman asked her if what she was about to give him was "genuine"
and gave her the five-peso bill. After the woman gave him five
sticks of marijuana, Cpl. de Guzman unwrapped one stick. He
smelled its contents and at the same time noticed the seeds therein.
He then placed the contraband in his pocket, showed his
identification card to the woman and told her that he was a
NARCOM agent. 7
For their part, Sgt. Cubillan and Cpl. de Guzman executed a joint
affidavit to support the complaint that was to be filed against
appellant. 14
In her own defense, Nena Salazar testified that at around 1:30 p.m.
of August 23, 1988, she was sleeping in the only bedroom of their
house which was separated from the sala by a bamboo divider.
When she heard someone "doing something" in the sala, she stood
up to see what the matter was, but she was met by a big fellow
who, by the identification card he showed her, was named Jimmy
Cubillan. She also identified the other person as de Guzman by his
ID card.
Cubillan held her left hand. She tried to untangle herself from
Cubillan's hold and asked him, "why do you hold my hand, sir?"
Cubillan said, "This is (a) raid, we are looking for something." He
did not, however, show any search warrant, but he asked her where
she had placed the marijuana that she was allegedly selling. She
denied selling the contraband as she was still on probation after she
had been convicted of selling marijuana in 1986. 19chanroblesvirtuallawlibrary
SO ORDERED."
After the parties had filed their respective briefs, appellant, through
the Public Attorney's Office, filed an urgent manifestation and
motion stating that since she was found in possession of five (5)
grams of dried marijuana leaves and eleven (11) sticks of marijuana
which, at.02 gram per stick, would all sum up to less than 6 grams
only and therefore would involve a penalty of only six (6) years, her
appeal should be referred to the Court of Appeals for review. As
legal basis therefor, she cited the Decision in People vs.
Simon 23 and the August 15, 1994 Resolution in G.R. No.
113360, People vs. Margarita Joseco y Magbanua, where the total
weight of the subject illegal drugs was 400 grams. 24 However, in
the Resolution of March 27, 1995, the Court merely noted the said
urgent manifestation and motion. 25 Hence, notwithstanding the
insignificant amount of marijuana involved, the Court itself shall
consider this case. 26 After all, the penalty actually imposed by the
trial court was life imprisonment.