Court defers arraignment of Kenyan "drug courier"

CEBU, Philippines - The Regional Trial Court has deferred the arraignment of the suspected Kenyan drug mule because she has no lawyer to defend her.

RTC Branch 25 Judge Toribio Quiwag in Lapu-Lapu City ordered to move the arraignment of Asha Atieno Ogutu, 24, on Friday to allow her lawyer to be present.

Quiwag would have appointed a counsel de-officio to represent Ogutu in the arraignment but the latter refused to accept it.

Ogutu said she will wait for her lawyer who is reportedly arriving on Friday prompting the court to move the arraignment on the same day.

Ogutu said the Kenyan consulate office in Manila is sending a lawyer to assist her.

Ogutu is facing criminal charges for violation of Section 5 of the Republic Act 9164 otherwise known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 after three kilos of shabu were found in her luggage upon arrival at the Mactan Cebu International Airport last week.

The two packs of shabu weighing 1.5 kilos each pack were placed in the lining of her trolley bag.

Operatives of the National Bureau of Investigation were tipped off by their Manila office about Ogutu’s arrival at 4:20 p.m. on board Qatar Airways flight QR656 from Doha, Qatar.

Ogutu earlier claimed innocence of the illegal drugs in her luggage saying the bag was only given to her.

She said a certain Josh approached and told her that her backpack didn’t look good, so he replaced it with a suitcase where the shabu was found.

A provincial legislator warned the public not to trust anybody asking them to bring something without knowing what is inside.

PB Member Carmen Remedios Durano-Meca, who chairs the committee on dangerous drugs, said that the case of Ogutu is a lesson to be learned by others.

“That’s a lesson learned on her part. Diha nakit-an sa iya, manubag gyud siya para careful sad ang uban ba nga mo come in diri. Wa ‘ta kahibawo tinuod ba iya gisulti,” Meca said.

Meca lauded the NBI and other law enforcement agents for their efforts resulting to the arrest of the suspected drug courier.

“Maski limited sila og resources but still they are doing their jobs,” Meca said. — (FREEMAN)