By Benjamin Pulta | Philippine News Agency
A Manila regional trial court (RTC) sentenced businessman Mark Taguba and two others to life imprisonment for drug importation in connection with the 600-kilo shabu shipment worth P6.4 billion from China that was seized by authorities in 2017.
In a 37-page decision dated Nov. 18, the Manila RTC Branch 46 found Taguba and co-accused, Eirene Mae Tatad and Dong Yishen (alias Kenneth Dong) guilty beyond reasonable doubt for violation of Section 4 of Republic Act No. 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.
Aside from life imprisonment, they were also ordered to pay a fine of PHP500,000 each.
“Every conviction for a crime should only be handed down after proof beyond reasonable doubt of the guilty of the accused for the crime charged has been adduced. In this case, the prosecution was able to discharge its burden of proving the guilty of accused Taguba, Tatad, and Dong beyond reasonable doubt,” the decision read.
The cases against their other co-accused, Chen Julong (alias Richard Tan or Richard Chen), Li Guangfeng (alias Manny Li), Teejay Marcellana, Chen Imin, Jhu Mingjyun, and Chen Ronghuan, were ordered archived pending their arrest.
The shabu shipment arrived at the Manila International Container Port on May 16, 2017 and transported on May 24, 2017 to a warehouse of Hongfei Logistics in Valenzuela City.
The shipment was tipped off by the Anti-Smuggling Bureau of the China Customs to the Philippines’ Bureau of Customs (BOC), which conducted a controlled delivery and subsequently discovered the illegal drugs during an operation on May 26, 2017.
Tatad was the owner of EMT Trading, the consignee of the shipment.
During the trial, Taguba admitted that he processed and facilitated the entry of the container van through the BOC.
“It is clear from the foregoing that Taguba played a central role in facilitating the importation of the illegal drugs. He processed the importation documents and used his logistics company Golden Logistics, Inc. to arrange for the transport of the container,” the decision read.
“Taguba’s direct involvement in processing and facilitating the shipment’s entry through the Bureau of Customs is a clear overt act in furtherance of the conspiracy.”
As to Tatad, the trial court said she acted as consignee for the shipments which implicated her in the conspiracy as she facilitated the entry of the illegal drugs.
The trial court did not give weight to Dong’s claim that he merely acted as consultant, whose duty was to receive the list of goods of the container from accused Li.
It also dismissed Tatad’s defense that she merely permitted her company to be a consignee for the shipments of Taguba for a fee.
“These defenses, however, cannot outweigh the evidence presented by the prosecution,” the trial court pointed out.
Last September, the Manila RTC Branch 46 found Taguba, Tatad, Dong, and warehouseman Fidel Dee guilty of violation of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act in connection with the same shabu shipment.
They were sentenced to up to 40 years and directed to pay a fine totaling P150 million.