Filipina returns home after landmark ruling changes Drug Law
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Alma Nudo Atenza, a Filipino national, departed Malaysia for her home country after serving 12 years in prison.
Atenza’s case became central to a legal challenge against Section 37A of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. In 2014, authorities arrested Atenza at Kuala Lumpur International Airport after finding 2,556.4g of methamphetamine in her possession and a court initially sentenced her to death.
The Federal Court later overturned the law in 2019, finding that it violated constitutional protections guaranteeing personal liberty and equality before the law. Section 37A had allowed prosecutors to build a drug-trafficking case using two presumptions, reducing the evidence needed to convict someone. The court’s decision commuted Atenza’s sentence to 18 years, and she received an early release due to remission.
Atenza expressed gratitude to the prison staff and regret for her actions, hoping to reunite with her son in Manila. The ruling did not legalize drug trafficking but limited the use of presumptions in criminal cases, strengthening safeguards for the accused.
