CA upholds search warrants vs Teves case

The Court of Appeals (CA) has affirmed the legality of search warrants issued against former lawmaker Arnolfo Teves Jr., rejecting his attempt to suppress evidence seized during a 2023 raid on his Negros Oriental residence.

In a ruling promulgated 8 April, the court’s Third Division dismissed Teves’ petition for certiorari. The court found no “grave abuse of discretion” by the trial court that previously upheld the warrants and admitted the seized weapons as evidence.

The appellate court disclosed that a judge’s determination of probable cause is entitled to “great deference” and should only be overturned in cases of clear and serious misappreciation of facts, which it found were absent in this case.

The ruling stemmed from a 10 March 2023, operation at Teves’ property in Bayawan City. During the raid, law enforcement executed two warrants linked to alleged violations of firearms and explosives laws.

Authorities reported recovering a significant cache, including M14 and M16 rifles, an M203 grenade launcher, hand grenades and thousands of rounds of ammunition hidden throughout the house.

The decision affirms earlier orders from the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 12, which in August 2025 denied Teves’ motion to quash the warrants. Teves elevated the case to the appellate court after his motion for reconsideration was denied in October 2025.

Teves argued the warrants were invalid, claiming they were based on false testimony from a witness who alleged he was part of a “liquidation squad” for the Teves family. He also contended that the police exceeded their authority by searching the entire residence instead of specific rooms marked on a sketch.

The CA rejected those claims, saying that the witness had been personally examined by the issuing judge, making the testimony direct. The court added that minor inconsistencies in the witness’ background did not change the material facts required to issue a warrant.

Regarding the scope of the search, the court ruled the warrants covered the entire residential structure. It explained that markings on a sketch map were intended to identify the premises, not to limit the officers’ movements inside.

The court further cited there was no evidence that law enforcement had prior knowledge of exactly where the illegal items were hidden. The ruling ensures the evidence obtained during the 2023 raid remains admissible in the ongoing legal proceedings against the former congressman.