Eliseo Ruel Rioja

FACT CHECK: Kailangan ng konteksto ang warrantless arrest order ng Comelec

Sa isang mapanligaw na Facebook post, pinalutang sa isang artcard ang bahagi ng pahayag ni Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairperson George Garcia sa isang radio interview na “Mang-aresto tayo ng mga tao kahit walang warrant of arrest.”

Article (news)

ABS-CBN Research and Verification Unit

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/174705732861720250512_Garcia Warrantless Arrest_main.png" style="width:500px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div> Sa isang mapanligaw na Facebook post, pinalutang sa isang artcard ang bahagi ng pahayag ni Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairperson George Garcia sa isang radio interview na “Mang-aresto tayo ng mga tao kahit walang warrant of arrest.”Kinakailangan nito ng konteksto.Bagama’t totoong ipinag-uutos ng Comelec ang warrantless arrest ngayong halalan, pinahihintulutan lamang ang mga kawani ng Philippine National Police at National Bureau of Investigation na gawin ito kung mahuhuli ang isang tao na gumagawa ng aktong maituturing na vote-buying, vote-selling, at abuse of state resources.Ito ay alinsunod sa Section 14(h) at 15(c) ng <a href="https://comelec.gov.ph/php-tpls-attachments/2025NLE/Resolutions/com_res11104.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Comelec Resolution No. 11104</a> na inilabas noong Enero 28, 2025.Naaayon din ang polisiyang ito sa <a href="https://lawphil.net/courts/rules/rc_110-127_crim.html#:~:text=Section%205.%20Arrest,one%20confinement%20to%20another." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Section 5 Rule 113</a> ng Revised Rules of Criminal Procedure na naglalatag sa batayan ng warrantless arrest.“A peace officer or a private person may, without a warrant, arrest a person... (a) When, in his presence, the person to be arrested has committed, is actually committing, or is attempting to commit an offense,” mababasa sa probisyon.Itinuturing na criminal liability ng <a href="https://elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph/thebookshelf/showdocs/2/53271#:~:text=SECTION%20261.,a%20political%20party." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Omnibus Election Code of the Philippines</a> ang election offense na vote-buying at selling.Nakapagtamo na ng mahigit 1K likes, 422 comments, at 66 shares ang naturang Facebook post.<div style="text-align:center">Kung kayo’y may alam na kahina-hinalang social media page, group, account, o website, artikulo, larawan, o impormasyong ipinapakalat sa mga messaging app, maaring makipag-ugnayan sa aming email factcheck@abs-cbn.com o X account <a href="https://x.com/abscbnfactcheck" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@abscbnfactcheck</a>.</div>

Sa isang mapanligaw na Facebook post, pinalutang sa isang artcard ang bahagi ng pahayag ni Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairperson George Garcia sa isang radio interview na “Mang-aresto tayo ng mga tao kahit walang warrant of arrest.”