Woman meted 12 years in jail for selling shabu

CEBU – A woman from barangay Labangon has to spend 12 years in jail after she was found guilty by a Cebu court for possession of shabu.

Lyn Ann Cabase had previously pleaded not guilty to possession and intent to sell 0.56 grams of the illegal drug.

Cabase was arrested by police last December 20, 2005 after she was allegedly seen by a female police officer sitting on a bench holding packets of shabu.

The arresting officer, PO3 Vilma Abayan said that they were conducting a saturation drive against all kinds of illegal activities in A. Lopez St. when she saw the accused sitting on a bench holding the said illegal drugs.

But the neighbors of the accused refuted the policewoman’s statement saying Cabase was inside her house when she was arrested.

Demuell Quijano said he was selling barbeque when he saw Cabase outside her house with nothing in her hands.

When the accused entered her house, Quijano said he heard banging on the door and later overheard that Cabase had been arrested.

Another neighbor, Estrella Orqullo said that the arresting officers entered the house of the accused and arrested her.

In her testimony, Cabase said that she was cooking when the arresting officers entered her house and arrested her. She claimed she did not know anything about the shabu and that she was only asked by the arresting officers of numbers of her shabu “employer”.

The accused however failed to give any evidence to prove that the arresting officers had ill motives against her and why she was singled out.

Because of the spontaneity of the prosecution on the arrest of Cabase, Regional Trial Court Branch 58 judge Gabriel Ingles sentenced Cabase to 12 years imprisonment and ordered her to pay a fine of P300,000. — Jasmin R. Uy/WAB (THE FREEMAN)