THE ten persons arrested for transporting P11 billion worth of shabu will face charges after the Department of Justice decided to file criminal charges against them.
In a statement issued on Friday, March 25, the DOJ identified those to be charged as Alvin Ibardo, Jaymart Gallardo, Reynante Alpuerto, Jenard Samson, Jamelanie Samson, Mark Bryan Abonita, Marvin Gallardo, Dante Mannoso, Eugene Roger Bandoma, and Kennedy Abonita.
They were held criminally liable “for violation of Section 5, Article II of Republic Act No. 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002) for transporting 1,680.563 kilograms of methamphetamine hydrochloride,” known as shabu.
The cases will be filed against them before the regional trial court (RTC) in Infanta, Quezon.
“After evaluation of the evidence, the Panel of Prosecutors found that the arrest of the respondents to be valid,” the Office of the Prosecutor General (OPG) of the DOJ said.
“Also, there is sufficient evidence to hold respondents for trial,” it said.
“All the respondents were apprehended while on board the suspected vehicles plying along National Highway, Infanta, Quezon. The vehicles were loaded with several sacks of tea bags containing methamphetamine hydrochloride, as determined in the laboratory examination report,” it added.
The OPG said the operation in Infanta town was conducted after “the NBI Task Force Against Illegal Drugs conducted an investigation based on an information that illegal drugs would arrive in the Philippine through the shores of Quezon Province, within the first quarter of the year 2022, through a network of bankeros (boat men), who would receive illegal drugs from a ship for transfer to the coast of Quezon Province,” while, “another group would transport the contraband by land to an unidentified location.”
It said that records showed that the NBI conducted a careful casing and surveillance at the area and “identified that the group would go to Infanta, Quezon to transport the contraband using commuter vans.”
