Chavit's problem: How to convince HK court that son is a drug user

The camp of Ilocos Sur Rep. Ronald Singson is currently finding ways to convince the Hong Kong court, where he is facing a drug trafficking case, that he is a drug user and not a trafficker, his father said Wednesday night. Singson, arrested July last year for carrying 26.1 grams of cocaine and two tablets of Valium at the Chek Lap Kok International Airport, is set to plead guilty to drug possession on Monday, Jan. 31. According to Singson’s father, Ilocos Sur Governor Luis “Chavit" Singson, who is in Hong Kong, his son had tested negative in all the drug tests he took while in China’s special administrative region. “Ang problema nga namin ngayon, kung paano ipapakita sa korte na gumamit siya ng droga. Lahat kasi ng drug tests na kinuha niya rito, nag-negative," the elder Singson told GMANews.TV in a phone interview. (Our problem is how to convince the court that my son is only a drug user when he was tested negative in all the drug tests he took here.)

User, not a trafficker Chavit reiterated that his son, although a user, does not peddle illegal drugs. “Hindi naman talaga siya trafficker, pero inamin naman niya rito na gumamit siya talaga (He's not a trafficker, he's just a user)," he said. Ronald himself admitted to reporters in Hong Kong on Wednesday that he “used to" take illegal drugs. Governor Singson, however, admitted that he is not sure whether the Hong Kong court will accept his son’s admission, and allow him to enter a guilty plea for drug possession. He said their counsel is still determining their next moves when the court proceedings resume on Jan. 31. Rep. Singson was expected to plead guilty to drug possession on Wednesday, but was not able to after the judge handling his drug case inhibited himself and reset the court proceedings. HK ordinance on drugs Under Section 8 of Hong Kong’s drug trafficking ordinance, a person must have illegal drugs “in his possession" and must “smoke, inhale, ingest or inject a dangerous drug" to be guilty of drug possession. A person who pleads guilty to drug possession shall be summarily convicted to a fine of $100,000 (more or less P4.4 million) and imprisonment for three years, according to the ordinance. Section 4 of the same ordinance meanwhile states that a person who admits to drug trafficking shall be fined $500,000 (more or less P22 million) and imprisonment for three years. A person who will be convicted for drug trafficking, on the other hand, shall be fined $5,000,000 (more or less P220 million) and imprisonment for life. — KBK/RSJ, GMANews.TV