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SUPREMECOURTREPORTSANNOTATEDVOLUME312
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CaseTitle:
EDWINCADUA,petitioner,vs.
COURTOFAPPEALSandPEOPLE
OFTHEPHILIPPINES,
respondents.

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Citation:312SCRA703

VOL.312,AUGUST19,1999

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703

Caduavs.CourtofAppeals

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G.R.No.123123.August19,1999.

EDWIN CADUA, petitioner, vs. COURT OF APPEALS and

PEOPLEOFTHEPHILIPPINES,respondents.
Criminal Law Illegal Possession of Firearms Witnesses In the
absenceofanyclearshowingthatthetrialcourtoverlooked,misunderstood
or misapplied some facts or circumstances of weight or substance which
could have affected the result of the case, its findings on the credibility of
witnesses are entitled to the highest degree of respect and will not be
disturbed on appeal.From a careful study of the records of this case, we
findnocogentreasontodisturbthefindingsbythetrialcourtasaffirmedby
the appellate court. Petitioners declaration that the police officers trumped
up a charge of illegal possession just so that they would not go home
emptyhanded is far from persuasive. Findings of the trial court as to the
credibilityofthetestimoniesoftheprosecutionandthelonetestimonyofthe
defense deserve, in our view, great weight. Jurisprudence has consistently
heldthat,intheabsenceofanyclearshowingthatthetrialcourtoverlooked,
misunderstood or misapplied some facts or circumstances of weight or
substancewhichcouldhaveaffectedtheresultofthecase,itsfindingsonthe
credibilityofwit
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*SECONDDIVISION.

704

704

SUPREMECOURTREPORTSANNOTATED
Caduavs.CourtofAppeals

nessesareentitledtothehighestdegreeofrespectandwillnotbedisturbed
onappeal.Furthermore,thepresumptionofregularityintheperformanceof
official duty strengthens the foregoing doctrine on the credibility of
witnesses.Theuncorroboratedclaimoftheaccusedthathehadbeenframed
is,toourmind,selfservingaswellasbaseless.
Same Same Arrests and Seizures Words and Phrases Personal
knowledge of facts, in arrests without warrant must be based upon
probable cause, which means an actual belief or reasonable grounds of
suspicion.The findings of the trial court, accepted by the appellate court,
show the pertinence of paragraphs (a) and (b) of Section 5 abovecited.
Throughpolicedispatchtothesceneofacrimereportandinthepresenceof
complainants,itwasascertainedthatarobberyhadjustbeencommitted,and
the arresting officers had personal knowledge that petitioner was directly
implicated as a suspect. As explained by a respected authority on criminal
procedure: It has been ruled that personal knowledge of facts, in arrests
withoutwarrantmustbebaseduponprobablecause,whichmeansanactual
belieforreasonablegroundsofsuspicion....Peaceofficersmaypursueand
arrest without warrant any person found in suspicious places or under
suspicious circumstances reasonably tending to show that such person has
committed,orisabouttocommit,anycrimeorbreachofthepeace.Probable
causeforanarrestwithoutwarrantissuchareasonablegroundofsuspicion
supportedbycircumstancessufficientlystronginthemselvesastowarranta
reasonable man in believing the accused to be guilty. Besides reasonable
ground of suspicion, action in good faith is another protective bulwark for

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