Woman sentenced to life in prison over ₱34-M Cebu City buy-bust in 2024

CEBU CITY, Philippines — A Cebu City court has sentenced a woman to life in prison after finding her guilty of selling and possessing nearly five kilograms of shabu during a buy-bust operation in 2024. Authorities had valued the stash at ₱34 million.

In a press release, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said that the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 57 in Cebu City convicted the woman, identified as Maria Christine Gonzales Abarquez, alias Tinang. The court found enough evidence she sold and possessed illegal drugs. Both are penalized under the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

According to PDEA, the conviction stemmed from a 22-page decision dated July 9, 2026.

Guilty of sale, possession

The court found her guilty of illegally selling 996.30 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride, locally known as shabu, and possessing an additional 3,991.26 grams.

For the two offenses, the court sentenced her to life imprisonment and ordered her to pay a ₱500,000 fine for each offense.

Court records PDEA cited showed that operatives of PDEA Regional Office 7 arrested the woman during a buy-bust operation at 4:50 p.m. on Oct. 11, 2024, along Cokaliong Street in Barangay Carreta, Cebu City.

Arrested in 2024 buy-bust

At the time of the arrest, PDEA identified Abarquez as an unemployed resident of Barangay Cogon Pardo, Cebu City.

Authorities initially reported recovering approximately five kilograms of suspected shabu with an estimated street value of ₱34 million. They also found a cellular phone and other items.

PDEA-7 spokesperson Leia Alcantara earlier said that investigators had conducted a two-month case build-up against Abarquez based on information from a confidential informant.

She also said that the suspect allegedly sourced the illegal drugs from a supplier based in the National Capital Region.

PDEA said that the conviction followed the presentation of evidence before the court, resulting in Abarquez being found guilty of both the sale and possession charges under the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.

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