Baguio court sentences 2 to life over P6.7M marijuana haul

BAGUIO CITY — A local court has sentenced two men to life imprisonment for selling 57 kilograms of marijuana worth an estimated ₱6.7 million.

In a decision dated 28 July, the Regional Trial Court Branch 61 found Daryl Collera and Arnold Atonen guilty beyond reasonable doubt of violating Section 5, Article II of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

The court also ordered each of the convicts to pay a ₱500,000 fine.

Collera and Atonen were arrested during a buy-bust operation conducted on April 26, 2023, in Camp 7, Baguio City.

The operation was carried out by personnel from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Region III, PDEA Cordillera, and Station 8 of the Baguio City Police Office.

Authorities seized 57 kilograms of dried marijuana leaves, with a standard drug market value of ₱6.7 million.