It took almost eight years for the court to decide on the fate of the 11 persons accused of operating a mega shabu laboratory in Mandaue City. Regional Trial Court Judge Marilyn Yap sentenced the accused to life imprisonment after finding them guilty of manufacturing the illegal drugs.
A day before she took her oath as the new associate justice of the Court of Appeals, Yap seemingly wanted to leave a legacy that Cebuanos will never forget. She knew the expectations of the public and that those pieces of obvious evidence would only mean clear conviction of the accused.
For handing out punishment to members of a bigtime drug syndicate, she will undoubtedly go down in history as a fearless woman who overcame great challenges just to see to it that justice is properly dispensed.
It may have taken almost eight years for the high-profile case to come to a close, but at least Yap made the right decision based on the vital evidence presented and the testimonies of parties involved.
The conviction of the accused, most of who are foreign nationals, is another victory in the seemingly never-ending fight against illegal drugs. It happened just after a Kenyan drug mule was sentenced to life in prison for bringing shabu in her baggage while trying to enter Cebu for a holiday trip.
Asha Atieno Ogutu had claimed innocence of the crime, repeatedly saying she did not own the illegal drugs confiscated from her at the airport. But the fact that the contraband was seized from her possession had left no doubt about her liability. Justice was swift and Ogutu paid the price.
Let the cases of the “Shabu 11” and Ogutu serve as a warning against those who continue to involve in the illegal drug business. The arm of the law will eventually catch them no matter how powerful they are.
The authorities have now gained the upper hand in the campaign against illegal drugs. And they should continue seizing the momentum by intensifying offensives to eradicate the menace.