Man gets life term for keeping shabu

The court yesterday convicted a resident of barangay Basak-San Nicolas and sentenced him to life imprisonment for keeping 17 grams of shabu inside his house in Villa San Antonio, Tabada Street on September 6, 2003. Regional Trial Court judge Fortunato de Gracia, Jr. ruled that 35-year-old Gregorio Jumao-as is guilty beyond reasonable doubt for violating the provisions of the Dangerous Drugs Act.

The house of Jumao-as was raided and searched by the elements of the Regional Intelligence and Investigation Division by virtue of a search warrant issued by RTC Judge Soliver Peras.

The raiders found the three packs of shabu on top of a table. They arrested Jumao-as and charged him in court for violating Section 11, Article II of Republic Act 9165.

Aside from the drugs, the raiders also found some shabu-sniffing paraphernalia beside the illegal drugs that prompted the policemen to file a separate complaint for violation of Section 12, Article II of the Dangerous Drugs law.

The accused claimed that the shabu and the drug-sniffing paraphernalia were just planted by the raiders, but the court rejected his defense because he failed to substantiate it with proof.

De Gracia ruled that even if the accused strongly asserted that the policemen planted the evidence, he did not proceed to file a case against them despite the fact that planting of evidence is a heinous crime. Aside from life imprisonment, Jumao-as was also meted a jail term of two years and 11 months for keeping drug-sniffing paraphernalia, and a fine of P510,000 for violating the dangerous drugs law. - Rene U. Borromeo/MEEV