JUDGE SENTENCES TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT MAN FOUND GUILTY OF POSSESSING SHABU

A 19-year-old man was sentenced to life imprisonment or a maximum of
40 years in jail after he was found guilty of possessing over 200
grams of shabu (hydrochloride methamphetamine) in Quiapo, Manila four
years ago.

In his nine-page decision, Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 41
Judge Rodolfo Ponferrada found accused Hassan Mama Mauna, a native of
Marawi City and a resident of 645 Carlos Palanca St., Quiapo, guilty
beyond reasonable doubt of shabu possession.

Ponferrada said Mauna was meted the life sentence for violation of
Section 16, Article III of the Revised Penal Code and also ordered to
pay a fine of P500,000.

Court records show on March 13, 2000, around 3:45 p.m., anti-drugs
police officers from the Western Police District (WPD) Station 3 were
patrolling along Carlos Palanca Street, Quiapo when they spotted Mauna
smoking a cigarette while on board a passenger jeepney.

The police team flagged down the jeepney and confronted Mauna for
violating City Ordinance 7748 which prohibits smoking inside jeepneys.

When the police officers searched the belongings of Mauna, they found
in his possession five plastic sachets containing shabu.

During trial, Mauna said he was arrested while standing near the main
gate of the Moslem Center eating a chicken barbecue and not smoking
inside a jeepney. He added the police officers also divested him of
P150,000 which was given to him by his uncle to be delivered to the
latter's mother in Marawi City.

The court, however, ruled "lack of ill-motive of said police officers
and the presumption of regularity in the performance of their duty
convinced the court of the truth of the allegations in the information
filed in court."

"Dura lex sed lex. The law is hard but it is the law. This is as it
should be, especially considering the strong drive of the government
against the drug menace in our society," Judge Ponferrada said.