The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Tuesday, Dec. 20, destroyed 1.4 tons of illegal drugs and other prohibited chemicals worth P7.2 billion in a waste management facility in Trece Martires, Cavite.
This is the first destruction of illegal drugs conducted under the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. as part of the continuation of the campaign against illegal drugs.
The PDEA said it continues to coordinate with courts for the immediate issuance of court orders for the destruction of illegal drugs in their custody. This is also in compliance with the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 and to prevent drug recycling.
“Gusto man natin na madaliin ‘yung pag destroy ng droga, kami rin naman ay dependent doon sa court proceedings, sila kasi ‘yung magbibigay ng desisyon,” PDEA Director General Moro Virgilio Lazo.
“Ang court natin maming cases na hinahawakan kaya hindi nasusunod ‘yung timeline na ‘yan but then we previously coordinated with court administrators to help us, para matulungan tayo na ma-encourage at ma-urge ang judges na i-prioritize ang drug cases at ma-schedule kaagad ang destruction,” Dangerous Drugs Board Secretary Catalino Cuy said.
According to the PDEA, there are still 1.6 tons of illegal drugs in its safekeeping.
Meanwhile, the agency assured that it has regular counter-intelligence or its version of internal cleansing among its ranks.
This is following the arrest of the chief of the PDEA Southern District Office and two of his agents in a buy-bust operation in Taguig City recently.
“Dapat aside from minomonitor ang mga kalaban, dapat minomonitor din natin ‘yung mga tauhan natin. Ito nga ‘yung nangyari sabi ko nga unfortunately ‘yun ang mga nahuli so tuloy-tuloy ‘yung pagmamanman din natin sa kasamahan natin sa PDEA na dapat gumawa sila ng tama,” Lazo said.
The arrested suspects were first fired from their positions and charged. –Report from Patrick de Jesus/KC-ag
