Baguio ‘drug den operator’ gets 2 years

BAGUIO CITY , Philippines — A local court has convicted three persons who were arrested in a raid on an apartment in this city that police said was used as a drug den in October last year.

In a ruling issued yesterday, Baguio City Regional Trial Court Branch 61 Judge Lilybeth Sindayen-Libiran sentenced Cristina Escopete to two years in prison.

Steven Donne Halili was sentenced to a year’s imprisonment.

The court ordered Escopete, Halili and Jason Prodon to pay a fine of P10,000 and undergo drug rehabilitation for six months.

The three were charged with sale of illegal drugs.

Their sentences were reduced after Escopete and Halili pleaded guilty to drug possession during trial.

The three were apprehended on Oct. 22 at an apartment in a three-story building in Purok 8, Bakakeng Norte, which was allegedly used as a drug den and drug distribution operations hub.

Anti-narcotics agents said a gram of shabu was seized from Escopete while seven sachets of shabu and a miniature weighing scale were recovered from Halili.

Illegal drugs valued at P40,000 and drug paraphernalia were recovered at the scene.

Court records show that Prodon, a Wi-Fi cable installer, negotiated with the building owner to rent the apartment for P6,000 a month.

Building owner Josephine Laroco told authorities that motorcycle-riding men were seen arriving and leaving the apartment at night.

Meanwhile, marijuana plants worth P5 million were uprooted and destroyed in Tinglayan, Kalinga on Thursday.

In Cavite, Lourie Anthony Lorenzo, Jalil Omar, Kenneth Cristobal and Criselda Nagal were apprehended for alleged possession of shabu worth P448,500 in  a sting in Barangay Zapote IV in Bacoor.

Police said shabu worth P377,000 was recovered from Relly Nave and Aldrin Tibay in a drug sting in Purok Narra, Barangay Isabang in Lucena City in Quezon. — Emmanuel Tupas, Ed Amoroso