Canadian gets life sentence for selling drugs in Philippines

  • Page Views 4025
  • A Canadian man has been sentenced to life imprisonment in the Philippines for selling 160 tablets of the illegal drug ecstasy.

    Jeremy Eaton, 34, was also ordered to pay a fine of 500,000 pesos ($10,000).

    Eaton was arrested in a raid in June 2016 in the financial district of Makati.

    Eaton had insisted on his innocence.

    “I walked into the building, I was jumped from behind, told I’m arrested,” he told reporters shortly after his arrest.

    “I was searched. I had nothing on my body. I never had anything. I think I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

    The court decision, dated August 31, 2016, said his denial could “easily be concocted and is a common and standard defense ploy”.

    “We are aware of a Canadian citizen being sentenced to life in prison in the Philippines,” Kristine Racicot, a spokeswoman for Global Affairs Canada, said in a written statement.

    “Canadian consular officials are providing consular services to the individual and the family.

    “To protect the privacy of the individual concerned, further details on this case cannot be released,” according to the Global Affairs Canada spokeswoman.

    Eaton was arrested along with Australian Damian Berg, who also denied selling ecstasy. Berg has been acquitted.

    According to Philippine police, the Canadian man’s swift prosecution is part of President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war.

    They said Eaton’s prosecution, done in just three months, was part of Duterte’s aggressive campaign against illegal drugs. The crackdown has left more than 3,000 people dead and sparked global condemnation for alleged extrajudicial killings.

    “The judiciary has expedited the prosecution of drug cases, and police are now more active so drug cases are really resolved quickly,” Enrico Rigor, legal head of the national police’s anti-illegal drugs group.

    Drug cases in the Philippines usually take several years to resolve, Rigor added.

    Duterte, 71, won the May elections on a promise to eradicate the drug menace by killing tens of thousands of criminals to prevent the Philippines from becoming a narco-state.

    The Embassy of the Philippines in Ottawa said it had no comment, referring all queries to officials in Manila.

     

    Share

    New Posts Recently publish post More

    • 24 September 2023
      6 days ago No comment

      Kumukuti-kutitap: Paskong Pinoy Shines in New Westminster

      Vancouver, BC – September 16, 2023 – Christmas comes early in Metro Vancouver as the Filipino- Canadian community will be in for a treat to the first Kumukuti-kutitap: Paskong Pinoy 2023. The main event will highlight the Parol-Making Workshop to be hosted by the New Westminster Philippine Festival Society. ...

    • 24 September 2023
      6 days ago No comment

      2 Filipino films playing at VIFF

      This year, 2 films telling stories of Filipino characters are playing at the upcoming Vancouver International Film Festival. Paris Zarcilla’s Raging Grace and Seán Devlin’s Asog will be shown during the 42nd edition of VIFF! The Vancouver International Film Festival is one of the 5 largest film festivals in ...

    • 24 September 2023
      6 days ago No comment

      B.C. moves to increase housing supply, deliver more homes faster

      New measures are coming to B.C. that will help create more housing as the Province speeds up permitting and helps build more secondary suites for rent. “People in our province deserve a decent place to live they can actually afford to rent or buy, but a chronic housing shortage ...

    • 24 September 2023
      6 days ago No comment

      Netflix Philippines drops first-ever Station ID

      Netflix Philippines drops first-ever Station ID featuring Donny Pangilinan, Belle Mariano, other stars Netflix Philippines is celebrating Christmas early this year as the streaming service released its Christmas-themed Station ID via its social media channels on Monday, September 18. The video—titled “Kumukutikutitap ang Mga Bituin sa Brgy. Netflix!“— features ...

    • 24 September 2023
      6 days ago No comment

      “Senior High” now available for free and on-demand in US, Canada, Europe, Middle East, and Australia

      Available only on ABS-CBN Entertainment’s YouTube channel Mondays will always be on a high as viewers worldwide can now enjoy binge-watching ABS-CBN’s trending mystery-thriller series, “Senior High” starring Andrea Brillantes, which is now available for free and on-demand only on ABS-CBN Entertainment’s YouTube channel. Kapamilyas in the US, Canada, ...

    %d bloggers like this: