The Court of Appeals Third Division dismissed a petition by former lawmaker Arnolfo Teves Jr. seeking to nullify search warrants and suppress evidence from a 2023 raid. The ruling, promulgated on April 8, 2026, affirmed that the lower court committed no grave abuse of discretion. It stems from a raid at his residence in Bayawan City, Negros Oriental.
MANILA, Philippines — The Court of Appeals (CA) Third Division dismissed former lawmaker Arnolfo Teves Jr.'s petition for certiorari against orders from the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Manila, Branch 12, dated August 28, 2025, and October 2, 2025.
Those orders denied his omnibus motion to quash two search warrants and suppress evidence seized during a March 10, 2023, raid at his property in Barangay Malabugas, Bayawan City. The warrants targeted violations of the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act and the Law on Explosives. Authorities uncovered M14 and M16 rifles, an M203 grenade launcher, hand grenades, and thousands of rounds of ammunition.
Teves challenged the warrants' validity, claiming no probable cause due to the "deceitful and perjured testimony" of witness Gemuel Hobro, who said he worked for the Teves family for 14 years in a "liquidation squad." He also argued the search exceeded scope, limited to three bedrooms marked with an "X" on a sketch map.
The CA found no merit in Teves' arguments. A trial judge's probable cause determination deserves great deference, and Hobro was personally examined, making his testimony non-hearsay. "These alleged inconsistencies, however, did not refer to the material facts and requisites pertinent to the issuance of a search warrant, i.e., the existence of an item that is the subject of a criminal activity and that it will be found in the place to be searched," the ruling stated.
The "X" marks described the premises, not restricting internal areas. "The petitioner, however, failed to adduce evidence that the officers who enforced the search warrant were aware in advance that the cabinets inside the petitioner’s residence contained the subsequently seized firearms, ammunitions, and explosives," the court added.
