People v. Comprado

Summary

This Supreme Court case involved the illegal possession of 3,200 grams of marijuana under RA 9165. Police officers, acting on a tip from a confidential informant, set up a checkpoint and searched bus passenger Renante Comprado's backpack, discovering the drugs. The RTC and CA convicted Comprado, finding the search valid. However, the Supreme Court reversed, holding that the warrantless arrest and search were illegal. The Court ruled that without the informant's tip, Comprado exhibited no suspicious behavior that would justify a stop-and-frisk or warrantless arrest under the in flagrante delicto or hot pursuit exceptions. The search could not be classified as a valid moving vehicle search since it targeted a specific person rather than the vehicle itself. Applying the exclusionary rule, the Court found the marijuana evidence inadmissible and acquitted Comprado, emphasizing that constitutional rights against unreasonable searches and seizures must be strictly protected even in drug enforcement operations.