NEWSFLASH

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ACE VERGEL GETS 6 YEARS FOR ICE AND GRASS

Quezon City, Oct. 31, 1998 - A Quezon City court yesterday sentenced actor Ace Vergel to six years imprisonment for possession of prohibited drugs (shabu or ice) and marijuana, which were confiscated from him by government agents.

The drugs were seized during a raid on the actor's house at 9 Atok St., Banawe, Quezon City by operatives of the National Bureau of Investigation three years ago, following a tip from Vergel's maid that he had been selling illegal drugs.

In her 22-page decision, Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 102 Judge Perlita Tirona sentenced Vergel, who is Ace York Aguilar in real life, to imprisonment from four months to four years for the shabu case, and from two months to two years for possession of marijuana.

The agents seized in Vergel's house 37 grams of shabu and .64 grams of dried marijuana leaves. Judge Tirona gave little credence to his claim that he was not in his house during the raid, and that he was framed by the maid, .

Vergel's counsel, Rodolfo Mapili, said his client was still on provisional liberty on bail. Although the court sentences were "probationable," an application for probation was out of the question, Mapili said. Mapili said he and his client may seek probation only after the decision is made final by the Supreme Court.

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