By Brian Campued
The seized “shabu” and other dangerous drugs amounting to about P9.4 billion that were previously destroyed in Capas, Tarlac yielded no residual traces, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) reported.
According to a Presidential Communications Office (PCO) news release Sunday, PDEA tested the ashes retrieved from the thermal facility to ensure accountability, complete destruction of the seized drugs, and adherence to environmental regulations.
“The four bottles of ashes were collected from separate burn batches, each subjected to chemical analysis to detect any remaining traces of narcotics,” PCO said, citing the PDEA report.
All four ash samples tested negative for shabu, marijuana, cocaine, and ecstasy, it added, “confirming the thoroughness of the incineration process.”
On June 25, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. personally witnessed the destruction of the seized illegal drugs at a waste management facility in Capas, Tarlac, which included the large volume of “floating shabu” found by fisherfolk in various coastal towns in Luzon.
The entire process from the capture of illegal drugs to its destruction, and the ash testing that follows, ensure transparency to counter allegations of drug recycling.
“Dahil [kailangang] tiyakin natin na ‘yong mga nahuhuling drugs ay talagang sinisira at wala nang pag-asa na bumalik pa, na maibenta pa, na makuha, ire-report,” the President said in a speech, reiterating his administration’s commitment to a “balanced, humane, and evidence-based” approach to the drug war.
-jpv
