Life term for female drug pusher

The court yesterday sentenced a female drug pusher to life imprisonment after finding her guilty of selling shabu three years ago.

Regional Trial Court Judge Fortunato de Gracia also slapped Florima Canoy, 24, also known as Marimar in sitio Panting, barangay San Roque-Ciudad, Cebu City, a P500,000 fine for the crime.

Canoy was arrested by elements of the Drug Enforcement Unit of the Cebu City police when she sold a pack of shabu to a poseur-buyer during an operation conducted before midnight of August 9, 2003 along Logarta Street.

The arresting officers claimed that Canoy asked forgiveness from them following her arrest because she was just forced to sell shabu to buy milk for her three young children.

But during her trial, Canoy tried to convince the court that she was just arrested by police even without committing a crime and was forcibly brought to Camp Sotero Gabahug.

Canoy presented before the court a friend to support her defense, but the court did not give her credence.

De Gracia ruled that "the court is convinced and so holds that the prosecution sufficiently discharged its prosecutory functions by ably proving all the elements constitutive of sale of dangerous drugs." - Rene U. Borromeo