People v. Estolano

Summary

Hermie Estolano was charged with illegal possession of hand grenade allegedly found during police checkpoint operation. The RTC and CA convicted him based on police testimonies and certification of no license. However, the Supreme Court reversed the conviction and acquitted Estolano, ruling that the warrantless search during the checkpoint was invalid. The Court found no probable cause justified the extensive body search, as traffic violations only warrant license confiscation under RA 4136. The prosecution failed to prove the checkpoint operation actually occurred as required procedures were not followed. With the hand grenade inadmissible as evidence due to illegal search, no evidence remained to support conviction, requiring acquittal under presumption of innocence.