Arrest without warrant

Isang araw, ako at ang kumpare kong pulis na si SPO4 Brandon Villegas ay sumakay ng bus. Magkalapit kami ng opisina at bahay kaya araw-araw ay sabay kami sa pag-uwi. Naka-sibilyan siya.

Makalipas ang 10 minuto, tatlong kalalakihang may mga baril ang nagdeklara ng holdap. Nagdesisyon si Pareng Brandon na lapitan ang mga holdaper at nagpakilalang pulis. Subalit binaril siya ng lider ngunit hindi tumama. Gumanti si Pareng Brandon at napatay ang lider. Tumakas ang isa sa mga holdaper at hinuli ni Pareng Brandon ang natirang isa pa. Dinala sa presinto. Ikinanta nito ang lahat ng impormasyon tungkol sa tumakas na kasamang si Tikboy. Nahuli si Tikboy.

Gustong magreklamo ni Tikboy dahil inaresto raw siya ni Pareng Brandon ng walang warrant of arrest. May karapatan ba si Pareng Brandon na arestuhin si Tikboy kahit walang arrest warrant? –Julio David ng Pateros

May karapatan si Brandon na gawin ‘yon. Nakalagay sa Section 5 of Rule 113 of the Revised Rules of Court that a peace officer or a private person may, without warrant, arrest a person when: (a) When, in his presence, the person to be arrested has committed, is actually committing, or is attempting to commit an offense; (b) When an offense has just been committed and he has probable cause to believe based on personal knowledge of facts or circumstances that the person to be arrested has committed it; and (c) When the person to be arrested is a prisoner who has escaped from a penal establishment or place where he is serving final judgment or is temporarily confined while his case is pending, or has escaped while being transferred from one confinement to another.

Sa kaso ni Tikboy, wala siyang karapatang magreklamo dahil ang pag-aresto sa kanya ay naaayon sa Letter (A) of Section 5 of Rule 113 of Rules of Court. Dahil nang magsagawa ng holdap ang grupo nila ni Tikboy ay nanduon at nakita ito ni SPO4 Brandon. In effect, the crime was committed in his presence. Dahil dito hindi kailangan ng arrest warrant ni SPO4 Brandon para habulin at arestuhin si Tikboy.