2 drug suspects in Or. Mindoro each get life imprisonment

CALAPAN CITY – Two men arrested, who were arrested by agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in separate anti-illegal drugs operations in Oriental Mindoro in 2008 and 2009, were found guilty of narcotic drugs’ possession and trafficking and sentenced to life imprisonment by a regional trial court judge here.

In a statement officially released here on December 10 by PDEA, through its national head Undersecretary Jose S. Gutierrez Jr., said Edwin S. Sanchez, alias “Dada,” and Judith Ceriales were each given a life term by Judge Manuel C. Luna Jr., of Calapan City RTC Branch 39.

Judge Luna found both Sanchez and Ceriales guilty for violating Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Based on the records of PDEA office here, which were given worth and made basis by the court in its judgement, Sanchez was arrested at around 3:30 p.m. of August 10, 2008 by members of the PDEA Region Office 4B, after the said accused sold 0.215 grams of shabu (methampthamine hydrochloride acid) to an undercover officer in Sitio Calawang, Brgy. Lumangbayan, this city.

Indeed, Sanchez was found guilty of violating Section 5 of RA 9165 and was sentenced to life imprisonment and the judge also ordered the former to pay a P50,000-fine.
On the other hand, PDEA stated Ceriales was arrested in an entrapment operation in Brgy. Poblacion, Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro which were conducted on April 8, 2009 by the said anti-illegal drugs operatives.

Confiscated from her possession was a transparent plastic sachet containing five red and round tablets of methylenedioxymethamphetamine, commonly known as the designer drug called “Ecstasy,” with a total weight of 2.1831 grams.

Aside from life sentence, the accused woman was ordered to pay a fine of P500,000.(By JUANCHO R. MAHUSAY)