Man convicted for drugs stays in jail

CEBU, Philippines - A man who was convicted for possession of shabu in 2009 will remain in jail after the Court of Appeals (CA) denied his appeal.

Court of Appeals Executive Judge Pampio Abarintos said the Regional Trial Court did not err in its decision to convict Jaime Antonio and in sending him to 15 years in jail. Antonio was also fined P300,000.

“The irregularities alleged to have been committed by the arresting officers were justified. The integrity and the evidentiary value of the seized drug were duly proven to have been properly preserved. Thus, we see sufficient compliance with the required procedure in the custody and control of the confiscated drug,” Abarintos’ decision reads.

In his appeal, Antonio had argued that the police officers failed to comply with the requirements of the law.

The police officers said that around 3:35 a.m. on October 5, 2005, they received a call from a concerned citizen about an armed person in N. Bacalso Street. The person was described as wearing a white t-shirt and black shorts.

Acting on the report, the police officers then proceeded to the area and confiscated an ice-pick and shabu from Antonio’s possession. The police said they found the shabu after a body search.

Antonio had denied the charges and said he was just walking home from a friend’s birthday celebration at Tres de Abril when two men on board a motorcycle asked him about a robbing incident. The two men then allegedly brought him to the police station and, in the afternoon of the same day, he was charged with illegal possession of shabu.

But Abarintos said Antonio’s arrest was lawful when he was first apprehended for a violation of Batas Pambansa Bilang 6 or illegal possession of bladed, pointed or blunt weapons.

Aside from that, Abarintos said he found the statement of the prosecution’s witnesses more credible that Antonio’s allegations.   (FREEMAN)