The court yesterday sentenced a drug pusher to life imprisonment and a drug user to 15 years in jail but ordered the release of four other drug suspects because the prosecution failed to prove their guilt.
Regional Trial Court Branch 58 judge Gabriel Ingles found Reynante Sadili and Jose Boldero guilty beyond reasonable doubt for violating the government’s anti-dangerous drugs law.
Sadili, of sitio Holy Name, barangay Mabolo, was arrested by the police during a buy-bust operation in sitio Waling-waling, Mabolo, on November 6, 2006 where Sadili allegedly sold a small pack of shabu to a poseur-buyer.
Sadili was also fined half a million pesos for violating the law that prohibits the selling of shabu.
Boldero was also arrested by the police for having a small plastic pack of shabu attached it to a lighter with scotch tape, which he quickly threw to the ground when he noticed the approaching policemen who were patrolling the area that time.
Aside from the 15-year sentence, Boldero was also fined P300,000.
“Da, mao na’y leksyon sa mga moapil og binuang. Giguba g’yod nila ang ilang kaugmaon,” one court observer said.
Those who were acquitted were Sherwin Labus, Honorato Rubia, Melvin Ramirez and Arvin Ramirez.
Labus, a painter from barangay Pit-os was arrested by a security guard for allegedly smoking marijuana at Ma. Luisa Village on the evening of August 31, 2005.
The failure of the prosecution to present the guard who arrested Labus for cross-examination caused the acquittal of the accused because the law gives the accused of a case the right to cross-examine his accusers.
The three other accused were acquitted because the prosecution also failed to establish that they were in possession of drug paraphernalia when they were arrested in barangay Calamba on October 1, 2005. – Rene U. Borromeo/BRP