Pubdate: Tue, 25 Nov 2003
Source: Mindanao Times (Philippines)
Copyright: 2003 Mindanao Times.
Contact:  http://www.mindanaotimes.com.ph/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2980
Author: Romeo R. Braceros Jr., Staff Writer

DEATH FOR PUSHER

5th Person Meted The Death Penalty By Drug Court

THE REGIONAL Trial Court (RTC) convicted a big-time pusher from Matina, 
Davao City to die by lethal injection for possessing 70.796 grams of shabu 
during a raid by police operatives inside his house last February. In her 
19-page decision, Judge Adoracion Avisado of the special drug court RTC 
Branch 9 also directed Joel Jairal, 36, to pay seven million pesos to the 
government for his pending R.A. 9165 case (Comprehensive Drugs Act of 
2002). Jairal is the 5th person sentenced by the court to death for drugs.

Avisado said the prosecution panel have successfully proven the guilt of 
Jairal beyond reasonable doubt.

She said no mitigating circumstances that would warrant a reduced penalty 
for the accused was seen in the case.

The judge also slapped another 24 years jailterm and P450,000 monetary 
penalty to the detained accused to his separate but similar two other cases 
of R.A. 9165.

Based on court records, combined elements of the Heinous Crime and 
Investigation Section (HCIS) headed by P/Sr. Insp. Fulgencio Pavo and 
Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) raided the house of Jairal around 
2:30 p.m. of February 25.

In the presence of the media and some barangay officials, the raiding team 
were able to recover 70.799 grams of shabu, 4.9 grams of dried marijuana 
leaves, and shabu paraphernalia in the raid.

A urine test conducted by the Philippine National Police (PNP) crime 
laboratory yielded positive result for the big-time pusher. Aided by his 
lawyer, Jairal denied the charges against him.

Jairal asserted that the police just fabricated the charges against him and 
even robbed him of his valuables on the supposed raid.

He said his hands were already tied up when he was presented to the media 
and barangay officials.

The accused defended that prior to his arrest he was busy attending to his 
live-in partner who gave birth to a local clinic along Bonifacio Street.

However, Avisado did not buy his defense and ruled to convict him to his 
three drug charges.(RBJ)
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart