Judge Oscar Barrientos of Caloocan City Regional Trial Court Branch 127, also ordered Joey Que, 35, alias Que Hong and Feng Guo, to pay a total of P800,000 in fines.
"This is a big boost to our effort in the fight against the illegal drug menace in the northern part of Metro Manila," NPD-District Anti-Illegal Drugs (DAID) head, Chief Inspector Bartolome "Bong" Tarnate, told The STAR yesterday.
Tarnate said Que’s case was the first "victory" of his unit against big-time drug traffickers operating in the Camanava (Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela) area during his first year as chief of the NPD-DAID.
At around 5:30 a.m. on May 18 last year, NPD-DAID agents, led by SPO1 Brigido Cardino and SPO2 Mario Saddoy, conducted a buy-bust operation at a convenience store at 5th Avenue corner Rizal Avenue Extension in Caloocan City, resulting in the apprehension of Que.
Police seized from the suspect a total of 52.45 grams of shabu placed inside two plastic sachets. The shabu had a street value of P105,000.
During the trial, Que, a resident of Binondo, Manila, denied being a drug pusher, claiming he had only been in the country for three months as a tourist.
The accused claimed he was a victim of a frame-up.
He said that on the evening of May 17, he was walking home after dinner at a cousins’ house when an old model car blocked his path at the corner of Bambang and Tomas Mapua streets in Manila.
Two men from the back seat alighted and forced him inside the car. He was blindfolded, and when it was removed, he found himself inside a police detention cell.
Inside the cell, Que said he was forced to admit ownership of two plastic sachets of shabu.
The court, however, said Que was arrested in the act of committing an offense and that his denial of the accusations was "weak."
"Bare denial and claims of a frame-up cannot be given weight. It is settled that frame-up, like an alibi, is weak because it is easily fabricated, but difficult to prove," the court said in its 17-page decision.
The court also said witnesses had testified "in a candid, sincere and straightforward manner, thus deserving full faith and credit."