DOJ says minor, 5 others convicted of drug offenses

Six persons, including a girl, have been convicted by Regional Trial Courts (RTC) in Pangasinan and Ilocos Sur provinces of selling illegal drugs, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said yesterday.

In a statement, the DOJ said the successful prosecution of the individuals “underscored anew its support of President Duterte’s thrust” to stop the narcotics trade in the country.

Buy bust

It said the Alaminos City RTC Branch 55 sentenced Mario Mantoyan to life imprisonment and ordered him to pay a fine of P500,000 for selling two plastic sachets containing “shabu” (methamphetamine hydrochloride) to undercover anti-narcotics agents in 2013.

In a separate case, Dagupan City RTC Branch 43 handed down a guilty verdict on a minor after she was caught in possession of shabu which she tried to sell during a sting operation by authorities four years ago.

Due to her age, the court did not order her detention, but directed her to pay a total fine of P800,000.

Instead, the DOJ said the court sent her to the National Training School for Girls in Alabang, Muntinlupa City, for her rehabilitation.

Life sentence

The Dagupan RTC Branch 41 gave out a life imprisonment on Amina Emam and imposed a fine of P800,000 also for selling illegal drugs.

The Lingayen RTC Branch 35 also found Richard Buenaflor guilty of drug trafficking and sent him to prison for life without parole. Like the others, he was ordered to pay a fine of P800,000.

The Narvacan, Ilocos Sur RTC Branch 22 sentenced Alejandro Chan and Hadji Amen to at least 12 years in prison for possession of illegal drugs and ordered them to settle a fine of P300,000 each.