16 pushers get life in Bacolod

BACOLOD CITY , Philippines — Judge Raymond Joseph Javier of the Regional Trial Court Branch 52 on Friday convicted 16 detainees facing drug-related charges who were sentenced to life in prison.

Javier disposed of 51 drug-related criminal cases involving 25 accused during the one-day marathon promulgation dubbed as the 5th National Judgement Day.

Aside from the 16 convicted drug pushers who got life in prison, another accused was convicted of a lesser drug-related offense and got 20 years in prison. Five other accused were acquitted and three others were released for insufficiency of evidence.

The convicts who got life imprisonment included Will Belly Mabugay Vinco, Ramon Bico Sancho, Rasty Oberes Espinosa, Brando Tiburcio Balungcas, Joemar Pagunsan Launio, Randy Kilcher Panela Ramirez, Nina Octavio Diosanta, Anthony Jones Asong Ape, Salvador Alcansado Reyes, June Jay TuazonTulmo, Elmer Beltijar Gonzales, Crisanto Glorial Valderama, Rene Boy Dasillo, Jocelyn Suares Gorriceta, Dioren Prado Bandiolo and Suzette Aquilesca Bandiola.

Noli Eba Dega was sentenced to 20 years as he was arrested while in possession of only .015 gram of shabu in Bacolod.

Found not guilty of drug charges were Giovanie Colasisang Altobar, Lloyd Richard Mayol Rubin, Albert Gonora Oñates, Donald Buerba Diamon and Siljonh Parreño Biscocho, who were ordered released by Judge Javier.

Mendoza Rivera, Edgar Fortaleza Navarro and Jr Donesa Posadas were also freed for insufficiency of evidence.

As part of the 44th anniversary of the Office of the Court Administrator of the Supreme Court, all first and second level courts were required to participate in the 5th National Judgment Day or the annual promulgation day in the Bacolod RTC.

This was in compliance with the 10-point agenda of Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta to decongest court dockets and jail facilities through the efficient and speedy administration of justice, a court press statement said.

Meanwhile, police intercepted P2.3 million worth of shabu and arrested two suspected drug pushers on Thursday night in Marilao, Bulacan.

Lt. Col. Amado Mendoza Jr., Marilao police chief, identified the suspects as Ruther Ijalo Morales and Richard Bangayan Bolo, who were nabbed during an entrapment operation in Barangay Loma de Gato around 10:30 pm.

Recovered from the suspects were six large plastic sachets and 12 small plastic sachets of shabu with an estimated street value of P2.3 million, a weighing scale, drugs paraphernalia and marked money.

Some 21 drug suspects were also arrested yesterday during separate anti-illegal drugs operations in the towns of Balagtas, Calumpit, Bocaue, San Ildefonso, Bustos, Guiguinto and the City of San Jose del Monte in Bulacan.

Police recovered from the suspects 80 plastic sachets of shabu, seven plastic sachets of dried marijuana leaves and marked money. – With Ramon Efren Lazaro