The Section 2 of Article III of the Philippine Constitution states that, “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures of whatever nature and for any purpose shall be inviolable, and no search warrant or warrant of arrest shall issue except upon probable cause to be determined personally by the judge after examination under oath or affirmation of the complainant and the witnesses he may produce, and particularly describing the place to be searched and the persons or things to be seized."
This is primarily the violation made by the 300 members of the military and police officers when they attacked the compound of Dr.Velmonte last Feb.6 to seize the 43 health workers being suspected as communist rebels. What they have provided was just a faulty search warrant and not a warrant of arrest which is the real requisite. They are now the so-called "Morong 43"
Regardless of whether the so-called "Morong 43" is part of NPA or not, the point here is that there is a Constitution that is needed to be stringently followed and the mischievous arrest deserves nothing but punishment. Authorities should be the first to observe the law and never violate it.
