G.R. No. 229102 - PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, V. PHILIP MAMANGON Y ESPIRITU, ACCUSED-.

Ruling

Accordingly, they were received and examined by Forensic Chemist, Police Senior Inspector Elisa G. Reyes (FC Reyes), who confirmed that they contained methylamphetamine hydrochloride , a dangerous drug. [11] In his defense, Mamangon denied the allegations against him. He maintained that at around four (4) o'clock in the afternoon of February 19, 2009, he was with his cousin, Moises Mamangon, in Dagupan Street, Tondo, Manila, when PO2 Jayson Magbitang (PO2 Magbitang) suddenly approached and asked them if they saw a person running towards their direction. When Mamangon answered in the negative, another police officer arrived, asked for his name, and frisked him. Mamangon claimed that PO2 Magbitang then invited him to the police station for "verification." However, upon their arrival, he was allegedly placed inside the detention cell and was brought out the following day, only to have his pictures taken with the seized items. Mamangon clarified that while he knew PO2 Magbitang to be a police officer, he did not know PO3 Guzman until the latter testified in court. [12] The RTC Ruling In a Decision [13] dated September 17, 2012, the RTC found Mamangon guilty beyond reasonable doubt of violating Sections 5 and 11 (3), Article II of RA 9165 and respectively sentenced him as follows: (a) in Crim. Case No. 09-266829, to suffer the penalty of life imprisonment and to pay a fine of P500,000.00, with costs; and (b) in Crim. Case No. 09-266830, to suffer the penalty of imprisonment of twelve (12) years and one (1) day, as minimum, to fifteen (15) years, as maximum, and to pay a fine of P300,000.00, with costs. [14] It held that the prosecution proved with moral certainty all the necessary elements of the crimes of illegal sale and illegal possession of dangerous drugs. On the contrary, Mamangon's unsubstantiated defense of denial failed to overcome the positive testimonies of witnesses, who had no ill-motive to testify falsely against him. [15] Furthermore, the RTC found that the identity of the corpus delicti was competently established by the prosecution, as the integrity and evidentiary value of the dangerous drugs were shown to have been preserved from the time they were seized from Mamangon until they were submitted to the forensic chemist for examination up to the time they were offered in evidence. [16] Aggrieved, Mamangon appealed [17] to the CA. The CA Ruling In a Decision [18] dated November 27, 2015, the CA affirmed the ruling of the RTC, [19] holding that the prosecution adequately proved all the elements of the crimes charged. [20] Further, the CA ruled that the chain of custody rule was complied with: first , PO3 Guzman immediately marked the confiscated illegal drugs at the place of arrest and delivered them to PO2 Dela Cruz for further investigation and documentation; second , PO2 Dela Cruz conducted an inventory of the seized drugs in the presence of Mamangon and the other police officers; third , after the inventory, PO2 Dela Cruz brought th