Niño Muhlach posts bail, released

A Quezon City judge on Friday afternoon ordered the temporary release of actor Niño Muhlach from police custody after posting a P200,000-bail on drug possession charges filed against him. Radio station dzBB reported Muhlach went to the sala of QC regional trial court Executive Judge Thelma Ponferrada about 3 p.m. He was accompanied by three members of the Bicutan Regional Police Office although he was not handcuffed. The case of Muhlach, Angelo Jose in real life, will be raffled off Monday. The actor posted bail Friday morning but he was not released immediately as they had to wait for the decision of the court. On Thursday, the National Capital Region Police Office charged Muhlach with violation of Section 11 Article 11 of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. Two policemen earlier claimed they arrested Muhlach after the Anti-Illegal Drugs Branch-RPIOU received information that an "illegal drug activity being proliferated by a certain Niño" would take place at Shopwise mall in Libis, Quezon City. Conducting surveillance operations at the food court, they noticed a woman passing an object under the table to a male companion. They were able to apprehend Muhlach, but the woman escaped. The Philippine National Police (PNP) Crime Laboratory confirmed that the "white crystalline substance" confiscated from Muhlach was indeed shabu. Laboratory analysts for the Southern Police District (SPD) reported that the plastic sachet found in Muhlach's possession contained 1.9 grams of the prohibited substance. "Qualitative examination conducted on the abovestated specimen gave positive result to the tests for metamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu), a dangerous drug," the PNP Crime Laboratory said in its report. Senior Inspector Abraham Verde Tecson, chief of the Physical Science Section, signed the document as the test examiner. - GMANews.TV