By JEAN FERNANDO, with additional report from Dhel Nazario
The Parañaque City Regional Trial Court found guilty five individuals accused of selling party drugs that caused numerous deaths at the Forever Summer concert held at the Mall of Asia some two years ago.
Based on the 37-page decision of Parañaque RTC Judge Danilo Suarez of Branch 259, Marc David Deen, Seergeoh Villanueva, Erika Dianne Valbuena, Thomas Lee Martin Halili and Martin Angelo Dimacali are guilty of causing the death of Ariel Leal, 22; Lance Garcia, 36; Bianca Fontejon, 18; Eric Anthony Miller, 33; and Ken Migawa, 18.
Deen and Villanueva were sentenced to life imprisonment, while their co-accused were sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Suarez also ordered Deen and Villanueva to pay the family of the victims R5-million each while Valbuena, Halili and Dimacali were ordered to pay the families P500,000 each.
Prior, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested Deen and Villanueva following a buy-bust operation in Parañaque.
The three other suspects were collared in a subsequent operation at Azure Residences.
All the accused admitted to being present at the concert.
Upon their arrest, the five were found in possession of cannabinol, ketamine, clonazepam, shabu, cocaine, marijuana, and ecstasy, among others.
The NBI found the suspects responsible in selling ecstasy to the five who died at the concert as with 18 others who were rushed to a hospital.
Suarez ordered the immediate transfer of Deen, Villanueva, Halili and Dimacali to the New Bilibid Prison.
He also ordered the transfer of Valbuena to the Women’s Correctional Facility in Mandaluyong City.
