Man gets 12 years for selling shabu

Cebu - The Regional Trial Court has sentenced a man to 12 years imprisonment after he was found guilty of selling shabu in January 2007.

RTC Branch 58 Presiding Judge Gabriel Ingles also ordered Richard Bacalla to pay a fine of P300,000. 

Bacalla was arrested during a foot patrol conducted by the policemen on the dawn of January 27.

PO2 Felizardo Gallego, in his testimony, said that he was with two other police officers conducting a roving patrol when they met Bacalla in a small alley.

The police officers asked Bacalla what he was carrying but the accused allegedly attempted to run but was later arrested.

Gallego said he saw a pack of shabu in Bacalla’s hands during the arrest.

The accusation was however denied by Bacalla, who said that in the evening of the said date, he was installing a computer in the house of a certain Joan Chua and finished the job at about 1 a.m.

Bacalla admitted that while walking in an alley, he met two men who were allegedly carrying a firearm. When he raised his hand, he added that he was suddenly handcuffed.

The accused said that the police never found anything in his possession and further alleged that the police demanded P150,000 for his release.

But the court said Bacalla’s denial is considered a weak defense because it can easily be concocted and is the usual defense used by drug suspects.

Ingles said that the officers appear to have been not motivated by any prior ill will or malice against the accused to invent stories against him.

The court give credence to the testimonies of the two officers who stood by their statements despite the cross examination. — Jasmin R. Uy/WAB (THE FREEMAN)