By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan | Philippine News Agency
On Tuesday, May 20, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) destroyed P5.32 billion worth of dangerous drugs and controlled precursors and essential chemicals (CPECs) in Cavite province.
In a statement, PDEA said these include 2,227.7584 kilograms of solid illegal drug substances and 3,447.0920 milliliters (ml) of liquid narcotics destroyed through thermal decomposition or thermolysis at the facility of Integrated Waste Management Inc. in Barangay Aguado, Trece Martires City.
These substances are broken down into 738.2005 kg. of shabu; 1,478.4915 kg. of marijuana; 4.8668 kg. of ecstasy; 39.2168 grams of cocaine; 2.2116 grams of toluene; 6.1516 grams of ketamine; 5.5100 grams of phenacetin; 1.0400 gram of LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide); 2,000 ml. of liquid cocaine; 49.0420 ml. of liquid meth; 1,398.05 ml. of liquid marijuana; and assorted surrendered expired medicines.
PDEA Director General Undersecretary Isagani Nerez said, “These are pieces of drug evidence confiscated during anti-drug operations by PDEA and other counterpart law enforcement agencies, including those turned over by authorities that were recently ordered by the court to be destroyed. Stacked inside a chamber, the dangerous drugs were burned beyond recovery.”
This is the first destruction conducted since Nerez assumed PDEA director general over three months ago in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to pursue a relentless campaign against the drug trade.
Among the dangerous drugs destroyed were the 404.9515 kilograms of shabu that were seized by combined operatives of PDEA, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) during an interdiction operation at the Port of Manila on Jan. 23 this year.
Nerez commended the efforts of the different branches of Regional Trial Courts (RTCs) for the expeditious prosecution and disposition of drug cases, which paved the way for the expeditious destruction of these illegal drugs.
Nerez said the destruction process dispels any misgivings that seized drug evidence is being recycled, “PDEA promotes transparency where its actions are open to the Filipino people as advocated under the “Bagong Pilipinas” program led by His Excellency President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. The public deserves nothing less than our utmost diligence and integrity.”.
The ceremony was witnessed by Dangerous Drugs Board chairman, Secretary Oscar Valenzuela, other officials and representatives of the Philippine National Police, Department of Justice, and Department of the Interior and Local Government, other government law enforcement agencies, non-government organizations and media partners. (PNA)
