SC: No ‘plain view’ required for searches during lawful arrests

2026-02-25 - 09:33

MANILA, Philippines — Items seized during a lawful warrantless arrest are admissible as evidence even if they were not initially visible to the arresting officers, the Supreme Court clarified in a decision made public Wednesday. In a Decision penned by Associate Justice Ricardo R. Rosario, the SC’s First Division affirmed the conviction of Jeryl Bautista