Judge Roberto Diokno of the Regional Trial Court of Makati found Andrew Ibeck Manamalon guilty of violating Section 3, Article 2 of Republic Act No. 6425.
A total of 246.35 grams of cocaine was imported into the country through a parcel which arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Postal Office in October 1998. Personnel from the Bureau of Customs inspected the parcel to determine the duties to be levied and discovered a doll on top of plastic flowers inside the box.
Customs examiner Arnulfo Ravelo also noticed traces of powder spilling out from the side of the box and immediately sent the package to his superior.
A test was conducted by chemists on the powdery substance which revealed that it was cocaine. The customs officials decided to wait for the recipient, Merlyn Basa, to collect the parcel to effect an arrest.
A day after, Basa came to claim the package and was accosted by security personnel. It was revealed that Basa was just an alias used by a claimant whose real name was Evangeline Golez.
Upon interrogation, Golez admitted that she was asked to collect the package using a spurious identity by her husband Manamalon and his friend Peter Ike Nanaobodo.
On the same day, a raid was conducted by the Narcotics Command of the Philippine National Police on the residence of the suspects which led to the arrest of the two Nigerians.
Both suspects pleaded not guilty during the trial and accused the police of planting the cocaine inside their condominium.
Upon reviewing the evidence and testimonies of the witnesses, Judge Diokno found that the two accused were indeed the real consignees of the cocaine which was imported from Brazil.
On Sept. 8, however, the warden of the Makati City Jail informed the court that Ninaobodo had died.
Golez, on the other hand, was given immunity for turning state witness against her husband. Only Manamalon was sentenced to life imprisonment and was ordered to pay a penalty of P3 million.
Meanwhile, an electrician, distraught after being abandoned by his wife, hanged himself last Thursday night in his house in Sta. Cruz, Manila.
Reports reaching the Homicide Section of the Western Police District identified the victim as Mario Salamat, 47, of 2242 Severino Reyes St., Sta. Cruz.
Police said Salamat was found by a neighbor hanging from a nylon cord tied to a beam in the bathroom of his house. Homicide investigator Senior Police Officer 4 Rodolfo Rival said Salamat had been despondent after his wife Irma left him earlier this year.
Investigation showed that prior to his suicide, Salamat was seen drinking by his neighbors. At about 5 p.m., he was seen closing the door of his house from inside. About an hour later, a neighbor, Arturo Fedelino went to the victim’s house to get an electric fan that he had earlier sent for repairs. Fedelino became suspicious when the victim failed to answer the door. – Mike Frialde