MANILA, Philippines--Two men caught sniffing methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu in a pot session almost nine years ago were sentenced to up to two years in jail by a Pasig court.

However, the accused?Fernando Salinas and Fernando Serino?were not around as their sentence was read last Wednesday as both had jumped bail and were thus convicted ?in absentia? by Judge Maria Teresa Cruz-San Gabriel of the Pasig Regional Trial Court Branch 151.

The two were found guilty of violating Section 16, Article 3 of Republic Act 6425, or the Dangerous Drugs Act, and sentenced to suffer from six months to two years in prison.

Their coaccused, Lido Dapilaga, earlier pleaded ?guilty? to the charge, and was thus sentenced separately.

Court records showed that Salinas, Serino and Dapilaga were caught by a team of narcotics agents in a pot session on Aug. 30, 2001, in Salinas? house at Villa Alfonso, Bambang.

A team led by PO3 Rolando Baltazar, acting on a tip, found the group sniffing ?shabu? and promptly arrested them, court documents showed.

Upon posting bail, Salinas repeatedly failed to show up in the scheduled hearings.

Serino, on the other hand, showed up during trial and testified that the three of them were only having a drinking session when the policemen came.