DEATH FOR MARIJUANA

A Malabon City judge yesterday meted the death penalty to a big-time drug
pusher and a life term to his cohort after they were caught with some 25
kilos of marijuana bricks in a buy-bust operation by police anti-narcotics
operatives in March this year.

Eduardo Limpin, 24, single, jobless, of 42 University Avenue, Potrero,
Malabon, who is to die by legal injection, was also given life imprisonment
for illegal possession of a kilo of dried marijuana leaves.

His co-accused, Ricky America, 32, single, jobless, also of the same place,
was sentenced to life imprisonment for illegal possession of some two kilos
of dried marijuana bricks.

In a 15-page decision, Judge Benjamin Aquino (Branch 72) also directed
Limpin to pay a fine of P15 million for the two cases. America was ordered
to pay a fine of P5 million for his case.

Court records showed that Limpin and America were apprehended by elements of
the Northern Police District-Drug Enforcement Unit during a buy-bust
operation last March 15 in front of their house.

Police managed to close a deal with the accused after a police informant
tipped them off of the duo's illegal activities. Limpin was arrested while
handing over a kilo of dried marijuana worth P1,500 to a police
poseur-buyer.

After a search was made at Limpin's house, some 22 kilos of marijuana
wrapped in newspaper in a styropor box were found by the police team while
two kilos of the prohibited drug were also seized from America.

The two denied the charges in open court with the alibi that they were
framed up by the police and that the dried marijuana, believed to have come
from Mt. Province, was planted on them.

Aquino junked the defense after finding sufficient evidence against the two
to convict them.