06/06/2025
๐ฆ๐๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ ๐จ๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ฃ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ฟ๐๐ด ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐
In view of its rule-making power, the Supreme Court deems it proper to promulgate the following guidelines supplementary to those set forth in the Montierro ruling, for the guidance of the Bench, the Bar, and the public.
Upon this point, the following comprehensive guidelines shall be observed in plea bargaining in cases involving dangerous drugs:
1. Offers for plea bargaining must be initiated in writing by way of a formal written motion filed by the accused in court.
2. The lesser offense which the accused proposes to plead guilty to must necessarily be included in the offense charged.
3. Upon receipt of the proposal for plea bargaining that is compliant with the provisions of the Plea Bargaining Framework in Drugs Cases, the judge shall order that a drug dependency assessment be administered. If the accused admits drug use, or denies it but is found positive after a drug dependency test, then they shall undergo treatment and rehabilitation for a period of not less than six months. Said period shall be credited to their penalty and the period of their after-care and follow-up program if the penalty is still unserved. If the accused is found negative for drug use/ dependency, then they will be released on time served, otherwise, they will serve his/her sentence in jail minus the counselling period at rehabilitation center.
4. As a rule, plea bargaining requires the mutual agreement of the parties and remains subject to the approval of the court. Regardless of the mutual agreement of the parties, the acceptance of the offer to plead guilty to a lesser offense is not demandable by the accused as a matter of right, but is a matter addressed entirely to the sound discretion of the court. Although the prosecution and the defense may agree to enter into a plea bargain, it does not follow that the courts will automatically approve the proposal. Judges must still exercise sound discretion in granting or denying plea bargaining, taking into .. account the objections raised by the prosecution and other relevant circumstances, including theยท character of the accused.
5. ๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐จ๐๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐จ๐๐๐ช๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ, ๐๐ฃ ๐๐ฉ๐จ ๐๐ค๐ข๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐ค๐ง ๐ค๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ค๐จ๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ช๐จ๐๐โ๐จ ๐ข๐ค๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฅ๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐๐๐ฃ, ๐ง๐๐๐จ๐๐ ๐ค๐ฃ๐ก๐ฎ ๐ ๐๐๐ฌ ๐๐ช๐ฉ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐๐ก๐ก ๐ฅ๐ค๐จ๐จ๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ง๐ค๐ช๐ฃ๐๐จ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ค๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ค๐จ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ข๐ค๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ, ๐๐ฉ ๐ข๐ช๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐ ๐ช๐ฃ๐๐๐ง๐จ๐ฉ๐ค๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐จ๐๐๐ช๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐จ๐ช๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ค๐ช๐ฃ๐๐จ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐ง๐๐๐จ๐๐, ๐จ๐๐ข๐๐ก๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฅ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ฃ๐๐๐ช๐จ ๐๐ค๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐ช๐ก๐.
6. The court shall not allow plea bargaining if the objection to the plea bargaining is valid and supported by evidence to the effect that:
a. the offender is a recidivist, habitual offender, known in the community as a drug addict and a troublemaker, has undergone rehabilitation but had a relapse, or has been charged many times; or
b. when the evidence of guilt is strong.
7. Plea bargaining in drugs cases shall not be allowed when the proposed plea bargain does not conform to the Court-issued Plea Bargaining Framework in Drugs Cases.
8. Judges may overrule the objection of the prosecution if it is based solely on the ground that the accused's plea bargaining proposal is inconsistent with the acceptable plea bargain under any internal rules or guidelines of the DOJ, although in accordance with the Plea Bargaining Framework issued by the Court, if any.
9. If the prosecution objects to the accused's plea bargaining proposal due to the circumstances enumerated in item no. 6, the trial court is mandated to hear the prosecution's objection and rule on the merits thereof. If the trial court finds the objection meritorious, it shall order the continuation of the criminal proceedings. ๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐๐ก ๐๐ค๐ช๐ง๐ฉ ๐จ๐๐๐ก๐ก ๐๐๐๐ง ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ง๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐ฃ๐ฎ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ก๐ก ๐๐ง๐ค๐ช๐ฃ๐๐จ ๐ง๐๐๐จ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐จ๐๐๐ช๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ค๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ค๐จ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ข๐ค๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฅ๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ข๐ช๐จ๐ฉ ๐ง๐ช๐ก๐ ๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ค๐ช๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐ค๐ง๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ก๐ฎ.
10. If an accused applies for probation in offenses punishable under Republic Act No. 9165, other than for illegal drug trafficking or pushing under Section 5 in relation to Section 24 thereof, then the law on probation shall apply.
11. ๐๐๐๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐จ๐๐๐ช๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐๐จ ๐ง๐๐๐จ๐๐ ๐ข๐ช๐ก๐ฉ๐๐ฅ๐ก๐ ๐๐ง๐ค๐ช๐ฃ๐๐จ ๐๐ฃ ๐๐ฉ๐จ ๐ค๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ค๐จ๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ, ๐๐ช๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐๐ก ๐๐ค๐ช๐ง๐ฉ ๐ค๐ฃ๐ก๐ฎ ๐ง๐ช๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐ค๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ช๐ฉ ๐ฌ๐๐จ ๐จ๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ง๐๐๐๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ง๐๐จ๐ฉ, ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ก๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐ค๐ช๐ง๐ฉ ๐ค๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐๐จ ๐พ๐ค๐ช๐ง๐ฉ ๐จ๐๐๐ก๐ก ๐๐๐ง๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐๐ก ๐๐ค๐ช๐ง๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ง๐ช๐ก๐ ๐ค๐ฃ ๐จ๐ช๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ช๐๐จ ๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐๐ค๐ง๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฅ๐ก๐๐จ ๐๐ฃ ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐๐ง๐ง๐ค ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐จ ๐๐๐จ๐.
12. ๐๐๐๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ค๐ง๐๐จ ๐๐๐๐ค๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ก๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐ค๐ช๐ง๐ฉ ๐ค๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐๐จ ๐พ๐ค๐ช๐ง๐ฉ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐ค๐ข๐ฅ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ฉ ๐๐๐ก๐ก๐จ ๐๐ฃ ๐๐ฃ๐ฎ ๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐จ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ง๐๐ค๐จ, ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐๐ก ๐๐ค๐ช๐ง๐ฉ ๐จ๐๐๐ก๐ก ๐๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ง๐ช๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ ๐ค๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ข๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ง ๐๐ค๐ก๐ก๐ค๐ฌ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฅ๐ก๐๐จ ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ฌ๐ฃ ๐๐ฃ ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐๐ง๐ง๐ค ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐จ ๐๐๐จ๐.
13. ๐ผ๐จ ๐ ๐ง๐๐จ๐ช๐ก๐ฉ ๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ง๐๐๐ค๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ง๐ช๐ก๐, ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐๐ก ๐๐ค๐ช๐ง๐ฉ ๐ค๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ก๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐ค๐ช๐ง๐ฉ ๐๐๐จ ๐ง๐ช๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ง๐ง๐๐๐ฉ๐ก๐ฎ ๐ค๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ช๐, ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ง๐ง๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ช๐๐๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐จ๐๐๐ก๐ก ๐๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ค๐ง ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐ข๐๐, ๐๐จ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ ๐ข๐๐ฎ ๐๐.
14. ๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐จ๐๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ค๐ฉ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐๐ก ๐๐ค๐ช๐ง๐ฉ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ก๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐ค๐ช๐ง๐ฉ ๐ง๐ช๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐ค๐ง๐ง๐๐๐ฉ๐ก๐ฎ ๐ค๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ช๐ (๐.๐., ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐๐ค๐ง๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐๐ง๐ง๐ค), ๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ช๐๐๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐จ๐๐๐ก๐ก ๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฎ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐พ๐ค๐ช๐ง๐ฉ ๐๐๐ง๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐๐ก ๐๐ค๐ช๐ง๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ก๐ก๐ค๐ฌ ๐ฅ๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ช๐จ๐๐โ๐จ, ๐๐๐จ๐, ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ง๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ง ๐ ๐๐ช๐๐ก๐ฉ๐ฎ ๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐๐๐ค๐ง๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ก๐ฎ.
READ Full Text of the Decision in Rodulfo Ferraren Aquino a.k.a. โYoyonโ v. People of the Philippines, G.R. No. 259094 January 28, 2025.
