10 get life terms for manufacturing shabu

MANILA, Philippines - Seven Chinese nationals and three Filipinos were sentenced to life imprisonment after a Quezon City trial court found them guilty of manufacturing methamphetamine hydrochloride otherwise known as shabu. In a 42-page decision issued by Branch 78 presiding judge Fernando Sagun, Jr, Man Chuck Li, Willy Ang and Jimmy Chua were found guilty beyond reasonable doubt of the crime of violation of Section 11, Article ll of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002) and sentenced them to life imprisonment. The three - Li, Ang and Chua - were also sentenced to another life imprisonment for violation of Section 8, Article ll of RA 9165. Also convicted for violation of Section 11, Article ll of RA 9165 were Tom Chua, Lai Nar Li, Concepcion Andahon, Jessilyn Lamosa and Jamil Maramanay. Accused Sally Ong, on the other hand, was convicted and sentenced to serve two life terms after she was found guilty of violations of Sections 8 & 11, Article ll of RA 9165. Court records show that the Li, Ang and Chua were arrested during a police raid conducted on July 18, 2002 in a clandestine laboratory located at No. 75-C Salvador Street, Xavierville Estate Subdivision, Loyola Heights, QC. During the operation, the operatives armed with s search warrant recovered 28 plastic bags of shabu, precursor materials and several equipments for the manufacture of shabu. A follow-up operation conducted against another suspected drug laboratory located at No. 15 B. Gonzales Street, Xavierville Subdivision, Phase 1 Loyola Heights resulted in the arrest of the others. Police also recovered from the second house at three small plastic bags of suspected shabu. A total of about 40,584.82 grams of shabu and 949,772.65 grams of ephedrine were confiscated at the house on Salvador Street while another 3,845.4 grams of shabu were seized at the house on Gonzales street. During the hearing, the accused denied the allegations against them saying that they were only framed-up and that the evidence presented by the prosecution were planted by the police authorities. But Sagun junked the defense saying that the court could not consider the angle of frame-up or planting of evidence considering the volume of the prohibited drugs seized. “Finding sufficient evidence supporting the illegal possession and manufacture of dangerous drugs and the controlled precursors as the case may be through their conspiracy, the presumption of innocence enjoyed by accused has been overcome by proof beyond reasonable doubt. The prosecution has satisfactorily discharged its obligation to prove the guilt of accused beyond reasonable moral certainty," Judge Sagun added. The court also ordered accused Li, Ang , Chua and Ong to pay the fine of P9.5-million each while the other accused were ordered to pay the fine of P4.5-million each. - GMANews.TV