MANILA — A Tagaytay City Regional Trial Court has sentenced a Canadian national to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of illegal drug charges linked to a ₱9.5-billion shabu seizure in Batangas two years ago, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said.

PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr. welcomed the ruling, saying it reflects the effectiveness of a rules-based law enforcement approach.

“This case highlights that our anti-illegal drugs campaign is not only measured by arrests and seizures but also by successful convictions. The suspect was arrested without loss of life, evidence was preserved, and the judicial process ultimately resulted in a conviction, reflecting the effectiveness of a rules-based approach to law enforcement,” Nartatez said.

The case stemmed from the arrest of Thomas Gordon O’Quinn on May 16, 2024, inside a wellness resort in Tagaytay City. Authorities linked him to a prior interdiction in Alitagtag, Batangas, where around 1.4 tons of suspected shabu worth about ₱9.5 billion was seized a month earlier.

Court records showed that the driver of the van carrying the drugs identified several individuals involved in the operation, including a foreign national using the alias “James Toby Martin.”

Investigators later determined that the identity was allegedly falsified and used by O’Quinn. Authorities also confirmed through the Philippine Center for Transnational Crime that Interpol had issued a Red Notice against him for drug-related offenses in the United States.

Police said surveillance operations were conducted after intelligence reports showed O’Quinn frequently visited a wellness resort in Tagaytay for detox therapy, leading to his arrest.

During the operation, authorities recovered two vacuum-sealed sachets of suspected shabu, a sachet of suspected cocaine, tablets believed to be illegal drugs, and 14 identification cards bearing different names but the same photograph, according to court findings.

In a 19-page decision dated May 29, the Tagaytay RTC Branch 135 found O’Quinn guilty of two counts of illegal possession of dangerous drugs under Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

He was sentenced to life imprisonment and fined ₱500,000 for possession of 45 grams of shabu, and another life sentence with a ₱10-million fine for possession of 81.65 grams of cocaine.

“The court finds that the chain of custody over the seized dangerous drugs remained unbroken, and the integrity and evidentiary value of the corpus delicti have been properly preserved,” Presiding Judge Andy S. De Vera said.

The court also noted that O’Quinn was the sole occupant of the villa where the drugs were found and failed to present any legal authority for possession, establishing intent to possess.

For his part, Nartatez ordered police units to maintain operational momentum and strengthen coordination with the Bureau of Immigration and international partners, while commending those involved in the operation.

“The successful prosecution of a suspect linked to one of the country’s largest drug seizures sends a strong message that drug syndicates will be held accountable under the rule of law,” he said.

“We will continue working with our local and international partners to ensure that those involved in the illegal drug trade are brought before the courts and held accountable,” he added.