2 Chinese get 30 years for shabu smuggling

MANILA, Philippines - Two Chinese siblings were convicted of up to 30 years in prison and were ordered to pay a fine of P10 million after a Quezon City court found them guilty of transporting more than 330 kilos of shabu into the country in 2001.

In a 41-page decision dated Dec. 12 and released to the media yesterday, Regional Trial Court Branch 79 Judge Nadine Jessica Corazon Fama found Edwin Chua and William Chua guilty beyond reasonable doubt of violating the Dangerous Drugs Act of 1972.

She sentenced them to reclusion perpetua, or at least 30 years in prison, after which they become eligible for pardon.

The violation was filed in connection with the 1972 law – and not the more recent Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Law of 2002 – as the arrest happened on Nov. 15, 2001 in Zambales.

The case was originally filed in an RTC in Iba, but was later transferred to Quezon City following a motion for transfer and the subsequent approval of the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, the case against a third suspect – identified as Henry Tamayo Tan – was archived in after he escaped from his cell in Camp Crame in October 2002.

The case was filed after the accused were arrested by elements of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) intercepted two Asian utility vehicles – one driven by Tan, while the other carrying the Chuas – during an operation to intercept reported large shipments of illegal drugs.