2 get life terms for selling shabu

Regional Trial Court Branch 10 presiding judge Soliver Peras meted a man and a woman a life term for peddling shabu.

Alma Juzan and Tady Cabilao were arrested by authorities on September 30, 2002 for selling a packet of shabu weighing .03 grams to a poseur-buyer.

Marvin Martinez of the Vice Control Section said that he, PO3 Ismael Gandionco and PO2 Vilma Abayan conducted a buy-bust operation on the evening of that day in General Gines Street, where Juzan was their target. Juzan was placed under surveillance two days before the said operation.

Martinez, who was the poseur-buyer, said when he got to the area he was approached by Cabilao who asked him if he wanted to buy shabu. He told Cabilao he wanted to buy P100 worth of shabu.

Cabilao then went to Juzan who immediately got the item and handed it to Martinez, who then signaled to his companions to arrest the two suspects. The police found several paper bills when they frisked Cabilao, and found shabu hidden inside Juzan's bra.

In her defense, Juzan told the court that she was a resident of Manila and was only having a vacation here. She said she was playing tong-its with her friends at that time when police arrived and arrested her and Cabilao, who was also playing with another person on another table.

The other players, she said, had escaped and it was only she and Cabilao who were brought to the police station. But before they got there, Juzan alleged the police officers asked P40, 000 from them as bail bond. And since she did not have the money they were brought to Camp Sotero Cabahug.

But Peras found Juzan's testimony having "no weight in law and cannot be given greater evidentiary value" as none of those players she mentioned were presented in court. Her testimony, according to Peras, also ran in contrast with Cabilao's who mentioned two more players not mentioned by Juzan.

Peras was convinced by the testimony of Martinez who said that he saw the two accused walking together before the transaction took place.

"The participation of both accused in the sale of dangerous drugs is clear and the combination of their particular acts consummated the sale," the decision read.

Peras believes that the prosecution "has satisfactorily and clearly proven the basic elements of the crime illegal sale of dangerous drugs" especially with the presence of the evidence, the packet of shabu sold to the poseur-buyer.

Thus, Peras sentenced Cabilao and Juzan to suffer a penalty of life imprisonment and to pay P500, 000 each. - Liv G. Campo