People v. Lacson

Summary

This criminal case involved the warrantless arrest of three individuals during a police patrol operation in Taguig City on October 7, 2013, during the election period. Police officers seized a hand grenade, firearm, and ammunition from the accused, leading to charges for illegal possession of explosives, firearms, and violation of election gun ban. The Regional Trial Court convicted two accused, which the Court of Appeals affirmed. However, the Supreme Court reversed the conviction, ruling that the warrantless arrests were invalid as they did not fall under recognized exceptions (in flagrante delicto or valid stop-and-frisk). The Court emphasized that merely appearing suspicious and attempting to flee cannot justify warrantless arrest. Applying the constitutional exclusionary rule, the seized evidence was deemed inadmissible, resulting in acquittal. The case reinforces constitutional protections against unreasonable search and seizure while clarifying the distinction between jurisdictional waiver and evidence admissibility challenges in criminal prosecutions.