Pubdate: 24 Jul 2004
Source: Manila Bulletin (The Philippines)
Contact:  http://www.mb.com.ph/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/906
Author: Mars W. Mosqueda Jr.
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

CEBU RTC JUDGE IMPOSES LIFE JAIL TERM ON TWO DRUG PUSHERS

CEBU CITY -- A Regional Trial Court judge here has sentenced to life 
imprisonment two big-time pushers after it found the accused guilty of 
selling nearly 200 grams of "shabu" about two years ago.

Aside from imposing the life sentence, RTC Judge Fortunato de Gracia Jr. 
also ordered  Noel Prajes, 32, and Alipa Mala, 22, who were arrested during 
an  entrapment operation by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on 
Sept. 4, 2002, to pay a fine of half-million pesos.

The NBI alleged the accused connived in selling  195.65 grams of "shabu" to 
its agents in barangay Kinasang-an, Pardo, Cebu City.

Prajes and Mala operated  in Cebu City and in southern towns, the NBI said.

The arrest was made a day after NBI agents arrested Reynaldo Sabayton, who 
divulged the operation of Prajes.

Prajes told the court that he used to sniff "shabu" when he was still 
driving a taxicab so he would not fall asleep. He denied the lawmen seized 
from him almost 200 grams of shabu, claiming that the quantity he handed 
over to the poseur-buyer was worth only R50,000.

He said he had tested positive for the fluorescent powder dusted on the 
money used for the "buy-bust" operation because the agents slapped his 
knuckles with the bills after his arrest.

A certain Magdalena Abarquez testified in defense of Mala. She  said that 
before the arrest, Mala was playing cards  near Prajes' place but was 
pulled inside and was  prevented from leaving the house. He was then 
arrested  by the NBI.

Sabayton, who was presented as a hostile witness for  the defense, said 
that shortly after the NBI operatives planted shabu on him, they asked for 
a "gift," in the form of names of persons they would  arrest in exchange 
for his freedom.

Anxious, he said, he pinpointed to Prajes, a sniffing buddy.

He corroborated Prajes' claim that the latter actually did not hold the 
money, claiming that the NBI did not keep its promise and he has not been 
released from jail.
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