Judge Abraham B. Borretta

Drug den operator gets life sentence
Manila Standard
29 May 2008 | 11:00 PM

A drug den operator was meted out life imprisonment in the second batch of promulgation on the case of the so-called shabu tiangge raided by authorities in Pasig City two years ago.

Pasig Regional Trial Court Branch 154 Judge Abraham Borreta also ordered Ruben Tan Olandia to pay P2 million as penalty for his offense.

Along with Olandia, Carlito de los Santos and Dominador Ordono got 20 years for possession of shabu and were ordered to pay P1 million each.

Edwin Cueto, Florencio Cariaga, Eric Mencias, Romeo de Guzman, Rosario Paraiso, Lilibeth Pulma, Merline de Guzman and Nenita Pumatong were sentenced to 13 years for drug use and ordered to pay P500,000 each.

But Borreta acquitted Exan Aiza for lack of evidence together with Mark Anthony Lampera, Vener de Castro, Jose Alejandro and Adolfo Nuez for lack of positive identification.

All the accused were arrested during a raid by anti-drug operatives who rounded up at least 300 people including women and children inside the Mayapa Compound in Barangay Sto. Tomas near city hall.

The propertys alleged owner, Amin Imam Boratong, is under the custody of the Department of Justice.

Borreta, who is also hearing Boratongs for violating the comprehensive anti-drug law, said in his decision that Olandia was found guilty due to the testimonies of state witness Sherylaira Pace.

Olandia failed to controvert or refute the claim of Pace that he had a tarimahan [drug den] inside the [shabu] compound.

The convicted drug users were also directed to undergo rehabilitation.