Court sends ex-convict to prison for marijuana
The court yesterday sentenced an ex-convict to 15-year imprisonment and ordered him to pay a fine of P300,000 after he was found guilty for possession of three sticks of hand-rolled marijuana cigarettes almost two years ago.
Regional Trial Court judge Gabriel Ingles ruled that the sticks of marijuana cigarettes were seized from Rodulfo T. Catalona in a body search that authorities conducted on him when he was arrested for stealing a motorcycle’s crash helmet.
Kalubihan barangay tanods Raul Perlostratos and Danilo Binolo-ac testified in court that they arrested Catalona on
The 38-year-old Catalona admitted that he stole the helmet that was hanged on a parked motorcycle but he denied that the sticks of marijuana cigarettes were not his because these were taken only from the stolen helmet itself.
The tanods however insisted that they found the marijuana sticks from the wallet of Catalona and not from the helmet as what he stated.
Judge Ingles gave more credence to the testimonies of the tanods considering that Catalona had admitted stealing the helmet and that the accused had a record of conviction for robbery in the past.
“Hence, between him and the tanods, the tanods are more credible. The court cannot believe the testimony of the accused that the tanods planted the marijuana so that he will serve a longer sentence,” Judge Ingles ruled. — Rene U. Borromeo/RAE
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