THE Supreme Court has upheld the imposition of the penalty of imprisonment against persons found guilty of illegal possession and use of false bank notes.
In a decision of the 2nd Division promulgated on Aug. 23, 2023, the court upheld the decision of the Court of Appeals and the Bukidnon Regional Trial Court Branch 11 which found petitioner Allan Gacasan guilty of illegal possession and use of false bank notes.
The court said in 2018, Gacasan possessed a total of P112,500 in counterfeit money which he delivered to a policeman disguising as a buyer.
Gacasan said in his defense that he was resting in a waiting shed when an individual threw the fake money at the bench where he was sitting on.
He also questioned the integrity of the bank notes as there were supposed breaks in the chain of custody of the seized items.
But the Supreme Court said the petition of Gacasan for a reversal of his guilty verdict lacked merit.
“From a careful reading of the narration of facts and the evidence, the prosecution adequately established Gacasan’s guilt beyond reasonable doubt,” the court said in the decision penned by Associate Justice Jhosep Lopez.
The court said all the elements of illegal possession and use of false bank notes were present in the case of Gacasan.
His defense that he was framed up was also not given credence by the court.
“Thus, with his acceptance of the payment for the marked money, Gacasan cannot feign ignorance of the contents of the envelope which he handed over to the poseur buyer,” the Supreme Court said.
Gacasan was sentenced to suffer imprisonment of eight to 10 years and ordered to pay a fine of P10,000. (ABS-CBN News)
