A COURT in Zamboanga City has sentenced to life imprisonment a Chinese drug personality and his Filipino cohort for operating a clandestine methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu, laboratory in Zamboanga City.
Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Director General Isidro Lapeña said Judge Eric Elumba of Zamboanga City, Regional Trial Court Ninth Judicial Region (RTC) branch 13, convicted Wan Yi Qui Yang, with aliases Andy Yang, Yang Wen Yi, Andy Yu, and Hipolito Calica, a Chinese national; and Benjamin Jamora, for violation of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
The Chinese and the Filipino were found guilty specifically for the violation of Section 8 or manufacture of dangerous drugs and/or controlled precursors and essential chemicals. The court ordered them to pay a fine of P10 million with subsidiary imprisonment.
"I am very pleased with the decision of Judge Elumba for ensuring that justice is promptly served. Also, congratulations are in order to the barangay officials and local police, who conducted the initiative that paved the way to the discovery of the shabu lab in Sitio Calibato, Barangay Lamisahan, Zambaonga City," Lapeña said.
On February 22, 2008, Barangay Lamisahan officials and local police discovered the clandestine shabu laboratory after persistent complaints of a foul odor emitting from a two-hectare compound in the neighborhood.
When the operating team entered the building, 16 liters of liquid methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu, 173.3 kilograms of ephedrine and other controlled precursors and essential chemicals (CPECs) and several laboratory equipment, were found.
Arrested during the operation were Edgar Rico, Israel Dancel and Rudyard Payton.
Investigation revealed that the place is owned by Yang, with Jamora as its caretaker. Yang surrendered on February 27, 2008 in Cebu City. He claimed that the suspects arrested earlier had no involvement at all and admitted responsibility over the clandestine laboratory.
Before the prosecution rested its case, Jamora was arrested three years later.
Co-accused in the case Rico, Dancel and Payton, who died while in detention, were found not guilty. (SDR/Sunnex)