Man meted 15 years for drug possession

A 39-year-old man was sentenced yesterday to 15 years imprisonment by the court after it found him guilty of possessing two packs of shabu three years ago.

Raul Basalo Villarin, a resident of barangay Langtad, Naga, was also slapped with a P300,000 fine by Regional Trial Court Judge Gabriel Ingles for violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.

Ingles rejected Villarin's defense that he was illegally arrested by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency while watching television outside the house of a neighbor on November 15, 2003.

PDEA agents headed by Senior Inspector Alfredo Macabodbod arrested Villarin after he reportedly sold a pack of shabu worth P1,000 to a poseur-buyer. When being frisked later by the authorities, Villarin yielded two more packs of the illegal drug.

But it was not clarified whether the PDEA agents only filed charges for possession of shabu against Villarin when in fact he was also arrested for selling shabu to a poseur-buyer.

It was observed that Villarin's statement was in conflict with the testimonies of his wife, Edna, whom he presented as one of his witnesses.

Villarin said that while he was standing outside the house of his neighbor Lourevic Benolirao, some unidentified persons jumped over the fence and immediately handcuffed him in the presence of his wife.

But Edna testified before the court that she was at her house, some two houses away from Benolirao's house, when police arrested her husband.

She said that when she went to Benolirao's house, her husband was no longer there because the policemen had already brought him to the Naga Police Station.

Villarin tried to convince the court that the policemen wrongfully arrested him and denied their accusation that he sold a pack of shabu to a poseur-buyer.

But Ingles observed Villarin's defense as weak because if his arrest was indeed illegal and the evidence against him was planted, he should have filed charges against his arresting officers.

Ingles ruled that there was no evidence establishing that the arresting officers were inspired by any ill motive against the accused as to falsely impute the crime against him.

"This court, without evidence of ill-motive, cannot readily believe that the arresting officers are so unscrupulous to arrest the accused and plant evidence against him." Ingles' ruling stated. - Rene U. Borromeo/LPM