Former NPA, 3 others get life terms for drug pushing

A former member of the New People's Army sparrow unit who used to be the most wanted criminal in the country in 1989 was among the six persons convicted by the court yesterday for selling illegal drugs.

Four of the six men convicted - including the former NPA hitman Crizaldy Bravo - were sentenced to life imprisonment, while the two others were just slapped with jail terms ranging from 15 to 16 years and fines that amount to almost half a million pesos.

Regional Trial Court judge Gabriel Ingles slapped Bravo, Ryan Levy Tumulak and Che Fernandez with life imprisonment after the three of them were found guilty of selling 87 grams of shabu during a buy-bust operation conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation on January 15, 2004.

Ingles also sentenced Reynante Barcoma to life imprisonment after he was found guilty beyond reasonable doubt for keeping 12 grams of shabu in his possession on August 14, 2004.

Bravo, Tumulak and Fernandez were arrested by the NBI agents inside a room in an apartelle along San Jose Street while the three were selling shabu to a female NBI agent who acted as a poseur buyer.

The accused tried to convince the court that the NBI agents arrested them in exchange for money, but Ingles junked their argument.

The three were ordered to pay the government a fine of P500,000 each while Barcoma was directed to pay a P400,000 fine.

Barcoma's house in sitio Sambag 4, Guadalupe was searched by the policemen and yielded 12 grams of shabu placed inside two plastic packs.

Another drug user named Fretzel Genodiala of barangay Langtad, Naga was also sentenced to 15 years imprisonment and made to pay a fine of P300,000 for possessing four hand rolled marijuana cigarettes.

Policemen arrested Genodiala while playing with a video karera machine at barangay Langtad on October 24, 2004. After his arrest, Genodiala was frisked and the policemen found the marijuana cigarettes.

Another drug user named Eric Alo was also sentenced to 16 years imprisonment by RTC judge Fortunato de Gracia Jr. after he was found guilty for the two separate charges filed against him for violating the anti-dangerous drugs law in 2001 and 2003.

Policemen found nine grams of shabu from Alo when he was arrested for driving a motorcycle without a crash helmet along V. Rama Avenue on September 27, 2001.

He was released after posting bail but was again arrested for carrying an unlicensed handgun on March 29, 2003. During the arrest, policemen found four packets of shabu on him.

The two separate drug charges filed against Alo was assigned to judge De Gracia. - Rene U. Borromeo