A drug pusher was sentenced to life imprisonment and ordered to pay half a million pesos to the government as fine after having been found guilty of selling illegal drugs.
Regional Trial Court Judge Meinrado Paredes convicted Nick Lubido Gumapak for violating Section 5 Article II of Republic Act 9165 otherwise known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.
Gumapak was arrested by elements of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group at the back of Naga Municipal Hall almost two years ago during a buy bust operation after he sold two packs of shabu weighing 6.42 grams to an undercover agent.
The police asset used wads of paper with two P500 bills as marked money. The negotiation was for the asset to buy shabu worth P15,000 from Gumapak.
Gumapak and the asset agreed that the drugs will be delivered at the back of what was then Municipal Hall of Naga in the afternoon of November 18, 2005. Gumapak was arrested during the operation, but he denied the charges.
He said he was only asked to pick up a sealed package at Gaisano Tabunok and was told to deliver it to Naga by a certain Arlene and her boyfriend whom he admitted in court he knew them of as drug pushers.
According to Gumapak, he was only surprised when he was arrested upon reaching Naga. The court, however, did not give weight to Gumapak’s defense.
Paredes said Gumapak was positively identified by the police asset as the one who sold the packs of shabu. The court likewise said the operation was done in broad daylight and that the arresting officers do not have ill motive to testify against him.
Besides, Paredes said the police enjoy the presumption of regularity in the performance of their functions. — Fred P. Languido/MEEV