BAGUIO CITY – Three drug personalities who were caught transporting dried marijuana leaves in Baguio city in 2020 were meted with life imprisonment by the Regional Trial Court-First Judicial Region, Branch 61 on Aug. 3, here.

In her 18-page decision, Judge Lilybeth Sindayen-Libiran convicted Manuel Sanchez Balbuena, 22, a native of Balagtas, Bulacan, residing in Sunnyside Fairview, Tacay Road, Baguio City; Kasmir Vince del Mundo Gile and Keihl Gio Paraan Baniqued, all from Baguio city.

The accused were also fined P500,000 and will undergo a rehabilitation program.

Based on the information, on December 6, 2020, the Baguio City Police Office-Station 2 personnel received information regarding a certain Baguio City-bound SUV that was said to be carrying marijuana from the neighboring town of La Trinidad, Benguet.

The police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency personnel immediately set up a checkpoint at the border at around 9:30 p.m. and when they saw the approaching vehicle, they signal to stop, but the driver ignored it and instead ran quickly towards the direction of Baguio City.

The fleeing vehicle was intercepted at the Quarantine Checkpoint of Lower Magsaysay, Happy Homes and the police asked the driver and passenger to roll down the car window.

While the police were looking inside the vehicle they found four pipes covered with green wrappers and asked the owner of the vehicle to open the pipes for verification and they found suspected dried marijuana plants.

The police also found three pieces of marijuana stems in tubular forms placed inside the suspects’ bag.

Recovered from the suspects were seven tubular marijuana stalks weighing more than seven kilos with standard drug price of P840,000, a black cellphone and two black backpacks that were used.