Judge acquits 3 of drug raps, tells them to 'behave'

MANILA, Philippines - A Parañaque judge acquitted three persons of drug pushing charges Thursday and told them to “behave and start over again.”

Regional Trial Court Branch 259 Judge Danilo Suarez dismissed the separate cases against Benjamin Cajipo, Carmelito Atizon Camacho, and Robert Siatan due to the police’s failure to properly preserve the evidence against them.

“Stay away from sinister friends… Stay away from the influence of illegal drugs. It will only ruin your life,” he told them during the promulgation of the cases Thursday.

Suarez also told Cajipo to go back to his family and look for a decent job. Cajipo nodded in response.

The suspects were thrown in jail after they were caught carrying minute amounts of shabu in separate drug busts in 2006 and 2007.

Siatan has been detained for four years for the possession of 0.02 gram of shabu. Cajipo and Camacho, meanwhile, have been jailed for three years for selling 0.01 and 0.05 grams of shabu, respectively.

Suarez stressed that to strengthen a case against suspected drug peddlers, police officers must comply with the rules on preserving the evidence as stated under Republic Act 9165 or the Dangerous Drugs Act.

Under the law, authorities must immediately mark and photograph the evidence in the presence of the suspect upon the arrest in order to remove doubts that the evidence was planted.

Suarez ordered the immediate release of Siaton, Cajipo and Camacho.