3 Chinese nationals get life for drugs in Batangas

CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna, Philippines — Three Chinese nationals have been sentenced to life in prison by a trial court in Batangas for trafficking shabu with an estimated street value of P3.41 million. In a 35-page ruling dated Aug. 17 and made public by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) yesterday, the Tanauan City Regional Trial Court Branch 83 found the defendants – A Ming, Yan Xing Xue and Ko Xiao Ya – guilty for violating Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. Aside from prison terms, the court ordered the defendants to pay a fine of P500,000. The Chinese nationals were arrested at the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road Tollway in May 2024, following a pursuit operation in Barangay San Andres in Malvar town. A few minutes before the chase, the Chinese men sold 502.6 grams of shabu to a police poseur buyer in nearby Barangay Santiago. However, the suspects drew their guns after sensing they were dealing with an anti-narcotics agent. The Chinese nationals fled in their vehicle, but pursuing police officers cornered them at the Malvar tollway following an exchange of fire. PDEA director general Isagani Nerez said the ruling will serve as a reminder to officers that every lawful operation matters, and that justice can be achieved when authorities do their job correctly from beginning to end. “We want the public to know that when an arrest is made, the case will not simply disappear. This conviction gives that assurance,” Nerez said. He lauded the courts and the Department of Justice for their commitment to ensure that drug offenders are put behind bars.