The Regional Trial Court Branch 30 in Negros Oriental sentenced Friday five individuals to life imprisonment, three of whom for violation of Section 5, and two for violation of Section 11 of Republic Act 9165, otherwise known as the Comprehensive Drugs Act of 2002.
Two others were sentenced a maximum of 14 years and one day, and one was acquitted for insufficiency of evidence.
RTC Branch 30 Presiding Judge Rafael Crescencio Tan Jr. identified the five as Marlyn Bandoquillo who was arrested on Oct. 7, 2015 with more than 19.77 grams of shabu; Ramil Caburnay, arrested on Sept. 9, 2015 with 0.05 grams of shabu; Joeson Aguilar, arrested on Aug.18, 2015 with 5.19 grams of shabu; Rosemarie Melon arrested following a search warrant on Sept. 11, 2015 with 182.28 grams of shabu; and Fernando Artus who was busted on Aug. 26, 2015 with 0.06 grams of shabu.
Artus and Caburnay each had an additional sentence of 14 years and one day maximum for having in their possession more sachets of shabu after the buy-bust operation.
The Court also slapped a maximum 14 years and one day each against Jovelyn Quintao and Junieben Laurean for illegal possession of shabu in separate anti drugs operation in Dumaguete in 2015.
Melon was fined P1 million for having in her possession 182.28 grams of shabu; a total of P900,000 each for Artus and Caburnay; P500,000 for Aguilar; and P400,000 each for Bandoquillo, Quintao, and Laurean.
Only Joven Romano, Sr. was acquitted based on reasonable doubt.
Judge Tan said he acquitted Romano because the Court could not believe that inspite of the surveillance mentioned by the police, the suspect continued to keep a lot of shabu; and that when the police was able to conduct a test buy of 0.05 grams, they were only able to find one sachet weighing 0.01 gram.
It was the opinion of the Court that the evidence against Romano was planted during a simultaneous drug raid in sitio Canday-ong, barangay Calidagan.
The Presiding Judge enjoined the Prosecution to carefully investigate and study the evidences presented if it was necessary to file the case in court, stressing that it would be a waste of people’s resources, time, money, and effort if the evidences would not stand in court.
In an interview, Romano maintained that he did nothing wrong, and expressed gratitude to his counsel Jason Bandal of the Public Attorney’s Office, and to the Presiding Judge for saving his life. He said his acquittal was the best gift he has received. It was his 54th birthday. (Juancho Gallarde/PNA)
