What to do when flagged down by cops?

[badsekktor]

I dont know if this should belong to this section... mods pakilipat na lang kung saan appropriate yun thread.

Ask ko lang kung ano SOP ng mga pulis sa pag-flag down ng motorist?

Yesterday, Friday the 13th, I was with my fiancee at papaluwas kami ng manila so sa may balintawak cloverleaf na kami papa-akyat papunta monumento then pinara kami ng 2 pulis(yun isa may m16 pa at nakaupo sa may hood ng patrol car) so ako naman tumabi ako in front of their patrol then binaba ko yun bintana tapos tinanong ko yun pulis kung ano violation ko then sabi nya tint daw so sinabi ko sa kanya kasi sa fiancee ko yun at syempre babae yun driver so kelangan medyo tinted talaga (sa fiancee ko talaga yun sasakyan) tapos hiningan ako ng licensya at rehistro ng sasakyan saka tinanong kung may baril na dala at pinababa ako ng sasakyan (medyo nakaumang na rin yun kasama nya na naka m16) since wala naman ako alam na violation at walang ginagawang illegal eh di bumaba ako while yun m16 ng kasama nya eh nakatutok sakin (i cant blame them, malaki kasi ako eh!) tapos kinakapkapan ako nung kasama nya. binigay ko yun lisensya ko tapos nakita nila na may hand gun license ako. nung makita nila yun medyo bumait sila sa kin (bakit kaya?) then thorough search sila sa sasakyan which is ok lang naman since i am not really fond of bringing guns (baka makadisgrasya pa) tapos habang nagsesearch eh kinukwentuhan ako nung pulis telling me that i should get a PTC dahil sa dami na daw ng kriminal ngayon pero sabi ko mahigpit ang crame at kailangan ng police report na may threat ka sa buhay mo. sabi nung isang pulis "barilin mo yun gate mo then pagawa ka ng report".

Di ko masasabi na rant eto pero gusto ko lang maliwanagan. paano ba dapat ang gagawin kapag pinara ka ng pulis at gusto i-search sasakyan mo?
Wala naman kasi nakalagay na checkpoint dun at dalawa lang sila. Di rin naman sila LTO or traffic enforcer... kinabahan nga ako after makaalis kami kasi pwede sila mag-plant ng kung ano sa sasakyan, the way the police conducted the search medyo di malabo mangyari yun. Siguro pumayag lang ako since "in good faith" at tiwala ako sa kanila dahil wala naman ako ginagawa kalokohan.

[bankai]

hmm

yang BALINTAWAK CLOVERLEAF na yan ay ubod ng dameng buwaya! nanjan ang mga MMDA na species ng buwaya, QC Traffic Enforcer na buwaya at mga Pulis na buwaya, tsk, laging madameng nahuhuli jan, maling liko mu lng ayan na sila sa harap mu pumapara, in searching the vehicle dapat yung kita lang ng naked eyes ang titignan, lalo na kung walang silang search warrant. And also habang nag search sila dapat nakatingin ka din for assurance na wala silang ilalagay sa oto mo na masama. We were told na kung sakali meron makita sila (which is di naman sayo at planted yun) dapat di mo hawakan para la finger print mo yung item, atleast may defense kpa rin khit sabihin nila na nakita sa loob ng oto mo yun. Nagongotong lng mga hinayupak na yan sa BALINTAWAK CLOVERLEAF.

jan pala ako nahuli nung wednesday lng at kinuha license ko, may thread na din ako about "tubos ng license."

ang dame ko pa story tungkol sa mga huli na yan na experience ko kasama mga barkada ko sa ibat ibang places.

[Syuryuken]

Napansin ko lang pag nasa bandang kanan yun laging pinapara pag-akyat mo pero pag nasa kaliwang banda parang wala silang nakikita.

[badsekktor]

to tell you honestly ilan beses na din ako napapara pero yun isa ay checkpoint sa may chinese... medyo arrogant yun isang pulis na mukhang bagito dahil bata pa. humingi na lang ng pasensya yun mga kasama nya ( buti na lang... may pagka bastos kasi yun pagtatanong nya eh). once naman sa may valenzuela, naka-bike ako noon at third eh eto.... ok lang naman sa kin yun eh. para lang sa security natin. gusto ko lang naman malaman yun mga dapat gawin. lahat naman ng instances eh wala sila mahanap na butas lalo na yun huli, grabe yun search nila! ako talaga pinababa tapos hinanapan yun buong sasakyan pati yun busina chineck kung may wang wang.... sori sila wala sila mahanap sa kin kaya lang yun lang talaga pinag-alala ko kung nag-plant sila ng "evidence" di ko kagad naisip yun.... mahirap naman kasi pag di ka pumayag. baka barilin pa kami

[bbt]

according to a lawyer friend of mine, cops aren't allowed to search your car unless they have a warrant. they can shine a light through the windows and look at what's in plain sight, but that's as far as they can go.

[yebo]

^^^^
korekek! dapat ang sagot pag pinababa ka ng car e "ano reason officer? meron ba kayo nakikita na dapat e bumaba ako ng kotse?" dapat merong probable cause bago ka pababain ng kotse ng pulis. tapos sa search naman kung wala naman visible evidence ng wrongdoing e you have the right to ask for a search warrant. otherwise even if they find any evidence (planted or otherwise) inadmissible sa korte yun. you can also remind them of the law against illegal searches.

[mikey177]

Searches at checkpoints are limited to what is in plain view. You can politely but firmly assert your rights when they "ask" you to step out of your car or open interior compartments. Unless there is probable cause, they cannot legally compel you to submit to a thorough search.

It's also best to have a friend who is a lawyer whom you can easily contact in case they insist on detaining you because you refused to comply, in which case you can file a complaint against them. This is one reason I carry a digicam everyday that can also record video --it's a great tool for recording evidence of wrongdoings.

P.S.

May bagong ruling na ba yung MMDA o TMG tungkol sa mga dark tint? Ano na ba status quo dito?

[mikey177]

Question for our lawyer friends:

While I was at Rex Book Store I bought a copy of Justice Oscar Herrera's Handbook on Arrest, Search and Seizure. Do the cases discussed therein provide a good overview of what is legal and illegal with regard to police searches? Or, can you recommend another book to serve as a guide for us ordinary citizens at checkpoints when confronted with abusive law enforcers such as the ones encountered by badsekktor?

[mazdamazda]

mukhang may dragnet operation kapag ganun.

mahilig sila maglagay ng mga impromptu checkpoints sa mga chokepoints.

pero dapat hindi ka na bumaba ng vehicle (unless escort mo sila para buksan ung trunk). gawin mo... buksan mo agad ung interior light and bintana. so kita ka agad nila and pakita na wala ka namang tinatago.

[Chip]

medyo nakakatakot nga yang ginawa sa yo. kung ako cguro yon, bababa din ako. buti at di ka pinag-tripan

just to be clear, how do you politely yet firmly assert na illegal yung pinapagawa nila sayo? medyo tactless and straight to the point kasi ako, baka pag-initan pa ako ng pulis hehe

[bbt]

just to be clear, how do you politely yet firmly assert na illegal yung pinapagawa nila sayo? medyo tactless and straight to the point kasi ako, baka pag-initan pa ako ng pulis hehe

yun din iniisip ko eh. baka lalo ka lang pag initan kung tumanggi ka...

[swimstroke]

Sa Katipunan area meron din, sa gilid ng Ateneo. Random, mga ~9 ng gabi madalas. Mukhang tint din ang issue kung bakit pinapara. Nung medyo madilim kasi tint nung dala ko inilawan pero hindi naman pinara. Yung mga uber dilim, nasa tabi ng kalsada. Hindi man hinuhuli, hassle parin, kaya baka pabaklas na namin yung medyo madilim na tint nung isa, time for replacement naman na. :D

[k2tingx]

yun din iniisip ko eh. baka lalo ka lang pag initan kung tumanggi ka...

well this is sadly true.. kahit na may karapatan ka na mag tanong about search warrant, if they find you prying.. they normally over-reacted..ang result lalong tumatagal, minsan ikaw pa ang mapapasama.. just try to cooperate willingly, and kung wala naman tayong itinatago, they will find it hard to victimize us..

[k2tingx]

Napansin ko lang pag nasa bandang kanan yun laging pinapara pag-akyat mo pero pag nasa kaliwang banda parang wala silang nakikita.

pansin ko rin to, so this is a good tip, para maiwasan ang mga ganitong hassles... one more thing , pag may napansin kang kotong-cops, dont look at them, pretend you see nothing... diretso lang, pero tigil lang pag pinara.. baka habulin ka ng bala...

[bbt]

but on the other hand, mahirap na din bumaba ng kotse especially in the middle of the night because of safety reasons... also, you never, baka instead of "searching," they are actually planting evidence para lalo kang mapa bayad.

and also, as a matter of principle, bakit ka naman papayag magpa search kung wala namang probable cause.

[russpogi]

When flagged down, I usually wave at them and go my own way!

[BoEinG_747]

When flagged down, I usually wave at them and go my own way!

Hi Fansss

baba bintana agad din ako at park light lang during stop ,
bukas na ilaw sa loob

at kilos normal lang wag mukhang takot or ninerbiyos kahit wala ka dala

para maiwasan mag duda ang mga Pulis

[tsupermario]

as pointed out in a previous post, warrantless searches in checkpoints are limited to what is in plain view. according to case law, there should also be probable cause. for a more thorough search, a search warrant is required.

re Justice Herrera, afaik he is one of the recognized authorities in remedial law. the topic on warrantless searches and seizures are under remedial and political law.

[mikey177]

I found this flyer (it's in PDF) while Googling the PNP web site: http://www.pnp.gov.ph/down/content/p...heckpoint2.pdf

Although it pertains to PNP-Comelec checkpoints, I believe the pointers in it are applicable to common police checkpoints as well.

take note of the last paragraph in the flyer: "Persons and motorists passing the checkpoints are presumed innocent of any crime, not to be subjected to unreasonable searches and seizures, and to be respected and immune from all kinds of abuses, misbehavior and misconduct." [SIZE="1"](emphasis mine)[/SIZE]

So, dim your headlights, come to a full stop and roll down your window 2/3 of the way. Turn on your cabin lights and stay calm. But if the police ask you to open any compartments or alight from the vehicle, ask first if you did anything wrong. Kung wala syang masabi na "probable cause" kung bakit ka pinapababa, huwag kang pumayag. Kung mag-insist sya, sabihin mo, "Eh bakit ka nag-i-insist, may search warrant ka ba?"

I know it's very, very difficult to politely decline a cop, especially if one fears that it will only aggravate the situation or make you a target for further abuses, but these are our civil rights we are talking about. Kung di natin ipagtatanggol ang karapatan natin sa mga maliit na bagay, lalo lang magiging laganap ang mga pag-aabuso. Today, if we allow them to conduct illegal searches in our vehicles, what will stop them from doing the same when we are in the safety of our homes in the future?

[badsekktor]

The search was done around 8:30 am so baka hindi checkpoint yun. napababa na rin ako since i dont want to start an argument lalo na kasama ko fiancee ko and the other police guy is pointing his m16 rifle at our vehicle kahit na fully down na yun driver's side windows. pagkababa ko ng sasakyan talagang full body search ginawa sa kin saka chineck yun sasakyan pati yun ilalim pati yun mga compartments saka yun toolbox ng pajero... buti na lang malamig ulo ko...
pero honestly ok lang sa kin yun nangyari dahil after awhile naging mabait na rin yun mga pulis at hindi ako hinanapan ng butas.... unlike yun ibang mga TMG na nagtatago after ng intersection tapos huhulihin ka pag ikaw yun nasa huli at sasabihin sayo eh beating the red light... tsk tsk tsk......