SC affirms acquittal of Lawrence Wang

The Supreme Court has affirmed the acquittal of Hong Kong businessman Lawrence Wang who was arrested in 1996 by agents of the Public Assistance and Reaction Against Crime (PARAC) in Manila for allegedly trafficking 29 kilos of shabu or methamphetamine hydrochloride.

Wang was acquitted by Manila Regional Trial Court (MTC) Branch 18 presiding Judge Perfecto Laguio Jr. of the consolidated charges of violation of the Dangerous Drugs Act, illegal possession of firearms and violation of the Comelec gun ban for lack of evidence.

The lower court ruled that the pieces of evidence taken by the police are inadmissible as evidence as the search conducted was done without a search warrant.

In its 58-page decision promulgated last March 16, the First Division of the high court denied the instant petition filed by state lawyers to have the case reviewed.

Records showed that on May 16, 1996 PARAC agents Senior Inspector Lucio Margallo, Inspector Cielito Coronel and SPO3 Reynaldo Cristobal arrested SPO2 Vergel de Dios, Rogelio Anoble and a certain Arellano for possession of shabu.

During questioning, the source of the drugs was identified as Redentor Teck, alias Frank and Joseph Junio.

At 11 pm. that day, Teck and Junio were arrested in an entrapment operation as they were about to deliver shabu to De Dios. Under questioning, Teck and Junio disclosed that they were working as talent manager and gym instructor, respectively, of Glamour Modelling Agency owned by Wang.

Though they did not disclose their source of the shabu, they told the police about a scheduled shabu delivery early in the morning of May 17, 1996 and that Wang could be found at the Maria Orosa Apartment in Malate.

The police then decided to look for Wang with Coronel and his men proceeding to the Maria Orosa Apartment to conduct a surveillance operation and it was here that Wang was reportedly arrested without a warrant.