2 get life for selling 20 kilos of marijuana

MANILA, Philippines — Two men were sentenced to life in prison by a court in Benguet for selling nearly 20 kilos of dried marijuana in March, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency announced yesterday.

The PDEA said Roldan Jacinto and Rocky Jet Bagoling were found by the Regional Trial Court Branch 8 in La Trinidad guilty of violating Section 5, Article 2 of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

In its Sept. 24 decision, the court sentenced both men to life imprisonment and ordered each to pay a P500,000 fine.

The case stemmed from a March 3 drug sting in Barangay Betag in La Trinidad, which yielded 19,894.82 grams of dried marijuana leaves, stalks and fruiting tops valued at P2.38 million.

PDEA Director General Isagani Nerez said the conviction showed that the agency pursues drug cases beyond arrests and seizures.

“We will pursue the sellers, build the cases properly and work to ensure that those responsible are held accountable in court,” Nerez said.

He added that that PDEA would continue coordinating with prosecutors and courts to ensure drug cases are pursued without unnecessary delay while respecting due process.