A former drug personality in Virac, who once ranked #5 in the police watchlist, has been meted life imprisonment and fined P500,000 for illegal possession of 31 grams of shabu seized from him during a court-ordered search.

Regional Trial Court Branch 42 Presiding Judge Genie Gapas-Agbada found Charlie Tapar Taopo guilty beyond reasonable doubt of violation of Sec. 11 of Republic Act 9165.

For the loaded Cal. 22 Magnum pistol discovered in his sling back along with the six big sachets of shabu, the accused managed to have his plea bargain agreement approved. He was sentenced to a maximum of one year and four months in prison and to pay a P10,000 fine, with the gun confiscated in favor of the government.

It may be recalled that on Feb. 18, 2016, personnel from the Virac MPS, the Catanduanes police and the CIDG unit led by then Insp. Jean Calleja served the warrant on Taopo, then 48, at his home in Gogon Centro.

In his defense, Taopo denied ownership of the illegal drugs and claimed he was framed up by a co-worker who was a police informant. He said a nephew of the policeman sent him to meet a certain Chris to get 15 sachets of drug, of which nine were taken by his co-worker and the other six to be kept in Taopo’s possession for safekeeping.

“Having been caught in flagrante delicto, accused’s identity as possessor of the shabu can no longer be disputed,” the Court stressed, pointing out that Taopo’s bare denial and lack of corroborative evidence cannot prevail over police officers who testified gave straightforward and convincing accounts of the incident.