WARRANT OF ARREST

Category: Criminal Procedure

WHAT IS A WARRANT OF ARREST?

> Legal  process  issued  by  a  competent  authority,  directing  the arrest of a person or persons upon grounds stated therein
 

WHEN MAY A WARRANT OF ARREST BE ISSUED?

> If issued by the RTC,
1.    Within  ten  (10)  days  from  the  filing  of  the  complaint  or information, the judge shall personally evaluate the resolution of the prosecutor and its supporting evidence.  
2.    He  may  immediately  dismiss  the  case  if  the  evidence  on record clearly fails to establish probable cause.  
3.    If he finds probable cause, he shall issue a warrant of arrest, or  a  commitment  order  if  the  accused  has  already  been arrested pursuant to a warrant issued by the MTC judge who conducted   the   preliminary   investigation   or   when   the complaint  or  information  was  filed  pursuant  to  section  7  of this Rule.  
o      Pangay v. Ganay modified this rule by providing that investigating judges’ power to order the arrest of the accused  is  limited  to  instances   where  there  is necessity  for  placing  him  in  custody  in  order  not  to frustrate the ends of justice

4.    In  case  of  doubt  on  the  existence  of  probable  cause,  the judge   may   order   the   prosecutor   to   present   additional evidence within five (5) days from notice and the issue must be resolved by the court within thirty (30) days from the filing of the complaint of information.
5.    If  the  warrant  of  arrest  is  issued  by  the  MTC  and  if  the preliminary  investigation  was  conducted  by  the  prosecutor, the same procedure as above is followed
 

WHEN IS A WARRANT OF ARREST NOT NECESSARY?

> A warrant of arrest is not necessary in the following instances:
1.    When the accused is already in detention issued by the MTC
2.    When  the  accused  was  arrested  by  virtue  of  a  lawful  arrest without warrant
3.    When the penalty is of a fine only
4.    Those covered by a summary procedure 
 

WHAT ARE THE PRINCIPLES GOVERNING THE FINDING OF PROBABLE CAUSE FOR THE ISSUANCE OF A WARRANT OF ARREST?

> There  is  a  distinction  between  the  objective  of  determining probable  cause  as  done  by  the  prosecutor  and  that  done  by  the judge—the  prosecutor  determines  it  for  the  purpose  of  filing  the complaint  or  information;  while  the  judge  determines  it  for  the purpose of issuing a warrant of arrest to determine whether there is a necessity of placing the accused under immediate custody in
order not to frustrate the ends of justice

> Since the objectives are different, the judge shouldn't  rely solely on the report of the prosecutor in finding probable cause to justify the issuance of warrant of arrest

> He must decide independently and must have supporting evidence other than the prosecutor’s bare report