MANILA – The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) destroyed P1.77 B worth of illegal drugs on Thursday at the Integrated Waste Management Inc. (IWMI) in Barangay Aguado, Trece Martirez City in Cavite.
A total of 400 kilos of various illegal drugs such as methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu, cocaine, ketamine, marijuana, ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, and expired medicine; and 66,250 ml of liquid shabu were destroyed through thermal decomposition—a process by which various compounds are broken down into single units by application of heat wherein reconstruction of the substance is impossible.
This is the first time drug evidence has been disposed of 10 days after confiscation.
Among these are the 180 kilos of shabu dug up in a beach in Claverria, Cagayan last July 3, 2016.
According to PDEA Director General Isidro Lapeña, speedy disposal of the dangerous drugs will prevent them from being reused, recycled or sold back in the streets.
I think the reason why there is a clamor for the destruction of these dangerous drugs, merong kumakalat na this is a source ng pilferage, nire-recycle. I’m not saying it’s true. It becomes a source of those kind of suspicion. So para mawala yon we’ll do it faster, the fastest we can do,” Lapeña said.
Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Ronald Dela Rosa who was guest of honor and speaker at the ceremony said, “This is just a start of our renewed war against illegal drug menace, and we thank PDEA for hitting the ground running and wasting no time when President Duterte declared his war against scourge that has been destroying the lives of countless members of our community.”
“Wala nang atrasan ito. We started strong, and we will finish stronger,” he added.
Meanwhile, Lapeña said he has dismissed fromthe service one regional director from Western Visayas and one agent from Calabarzon.
“While we have an intensified operation against the high value targets [in] dangerous drugs, we have given equal importance also in the cleansing of our rank,” the PDEA Director said.
The PDEA is set to form a group like the Davao civilian network Alsa Masa.
Lapeña said, “That's the other part of the overall efforts. But we have intensified our campaign against these high value targets. We are also giving importance to the organization, mobilization, and involvement of the citizenry. Just like the Alsa Masa in Davao, but this time it will be an Alsa Masa against drugs. I know that there are a lot of people who want to help. And we just have to organize them, mobilize and get them involved, empowering them against drugs because you know, drugs destroys our children. I know that well-meaning citizens will be involved.”
He was quick to say that this move is not meant to encourage vigilantism.
“This will be an improved version. We will improve this, ‘yung interior and local government will be [our] mobilization arm.”
The destruction of dangerous drugs is in compliance with Section 21 Article II Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 and Dangerous Drugs Board Regulation No. 1 Series of 2002.
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