Court set to destroy proof in shabu cases

CEBU, Philippines - Pieces of evidence of 58 terminated drug cases and of one ongoing case are set to be destroyed today in a makeshift courtroom of Regional Trial Court Judge Macaundas Hadjirasul outside the Palace of Justice.

The destruction of the evidence is mandatory pursuant to the Republic Act 9165, otherwise known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

One of the terminated cases Hadjirasul cited is the case against Sawaib Magondacan Sultan.

Sultan was charged for a violation of Section 5 (illegal selling of drugs), Article II of RA 9165 for selling shabu. The case was decided on May 16, 2013.

The ongoing case is the one against Grace Badayos Abellana and Liza Daño Tero. The two were charged for illegal possession of drugs.

“Considering that the specimen evidence subject matter of Criminal Case No. CBU-99940 consist of  819.19 grams of shabu, and without objection from any of the parties, and with the manifestation of the prosecution that he has no more witness who needs to identify said evidence and the whole evidence is not necessary in the cross-examination of evidence for the defense, let said evidence be destroyed,” the order reads, adding the court leave enough amount of said evidence as a sample.

Representatives from the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office, Cebu Provincial Prosecutor’s Office, Public Attorney’s Office, Philippine Drugs Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-7, Dangerous Drugs Board, PNP Regional Crime Laboratory Office-7, media, Cebu City Government and Department of Health-7 are expected to witness the proceedings at 9 a.m. today. — (FREEMAN)