A drug peddler who was listed number two among the top 10 drug personalities of the police in Silay City last year was sentenced to a maximum of 20 years of imprisonment, for violation of Section 11, Article 2 of RA 9165, or the Comprehensive Drug Act of 2002.

Silay Regional Trial Court Judge Felipe Banzon, in a five-page decision dated Feb. 23, also ordered Richard Hechanova, who was found guilty of the crime beyond any reasonable doubt, to pay a fine of P300,000.

Banzon also ordered his remittance to the National Penitentiary in Muntinlupa.

Court records show that Hechanova was arrested during a raid at his residence in Brgy. Bonifacio, Silay City, on Feb. 15 last year, on the strength of a search warrant issued by Banzon.

The raid conducted by a team of Silay policemen led by SPO1 Dante Victor Escorpion and witnessed by Brgy. Capt. Diego Hinolan, yielded 47 sticks of marijuana cigarets, weighing 4.14 grams.

Hechanova who denied ownership of the confiscated items, claimed that they were "planted" by traffic enforcer Anthony Sabadisto.

Banzon, however, said he did not find any proof of the accusation of Hechanova against Sabadisto.

"Denial is an intrinsically weak defense which must be buttressed by strong evidence of non-culpability to merit credibility," the judge said.

"Unsubstantiated denials merit no weight in law and cannot be given greater evidentiary value over the testimony of credible witnesses who testified on affirmative matters," Banzon also stressed.*GPB

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