BY FELIPE CELINO
ROXAS City — A tricycle driver in this capital city was doomed to languish in jail for a maximum of 28 years.
Antonio Amarillo alias “Tony Panot” of Sitio Hiropay, Arnaldo Boulevard, was charged with violation of Section 11, Article II of Republic Act (RA) 9165 or the “Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.”
He was found “guilty beyond reasonable doubt” of possessing 2.752 grams of shabu, as stated in a 20-page decision of Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 17 Executive Judge Edward Contreras dated October 3 and promulgated November 7 this year.
The court sentenced him to an imprisonment of 12 years and one day to 14 years and eight months, and ordered him to pay a P600,000 fine.
Amarillo was meted the same penalties for possessing 1.212 grams of marijuana.
Joint elements of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the 604th Philippine National Police Provincial Mobile Group caught Amarillo possessing the illegal substances when they raided his house on June 21, 2006.
They were armed with a search warrant issued by RTC Branch 18 Judge Charlito Fantilanan.
They also recovered drug paraphernalia such as glass tooters and a bundle of cigarette papers, and a mobile phone.
Amarillo, 46, strongly denied owning the recovered items. He claimed that the authorities “planted” them in his house. He told the court that he, his wife and their three children were in their living room during the raid.
“After careful review and evaluation of the evidence on record, the court finds, and so holds, that the prosecution has clearly shown and established that the accused was caught in possession without authority of 2.752 grams of shabu, and 1.212 grams of dried marijuana leaves, and paraphernalia for or intended for consuming dangerous drugs,” the court said.
The specimens of suspected shabu and marijuana recovered from the accused were found positive for dangerous drugs, as testified to by the forensic chemist, it said.
“The court was persuaded that the requirements in the chain of custody of the subject drugs have been complied with, and thus there is no question that the items presented in court were the very items recovered from the accused,” it stressed.
Amarillo was detained in the Capiz Rehabilitation Center. The court issued no bail for his temporary liberty.
