The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) destroyed Friday some P13,359,157,093 worth of dangerous drugs at the Integrated Waste Management Inc. (IWMI) in Barangay Aguado, Trece Martires City, Cavite.
PDEA spokesperson Derrick Carreon said the destruction ceremony was the first since PDEA Director General Wilkins M. Villanueva assumed his post.
Carreon said it was also “the biggest volume in the history of the PDEA with a total net weight of two tons of confiscated drug evidence during anti-drug operations and those turned over by authorities that were recently ordered by the court to be destroyed.’’
“Majority of the confiscated drug evidence to be destroyed were from the different anti-drug operations of the Philippine National Police and other law enforcement units,’’ the PDEA said.
Supreme Court administrator Justice Jose Midas P. Marquez was the guest of honor in the ceremony.
Carreon said some 2.10 tons (2,103,904.93 grams) of assorted illegal drugs were destroyed through thermal decomposition. These were shabu, marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy, ephedrine, ketamine, diazepam, methylephedrine, nalbuphine, MDA (methylenedioxyamphetamine), GBL (gamma-butyrolactone), liquid ecstasy, and expired medicines.
In the consolidated report of the PDEA Laboratory Service, the destroyed illegal drugs were 1,938,395.26 grams of shabu worth P13,181,087,768; 77,921.73 grams of marijuana worth P9,350,607.60; 9,213.28 grams of cocaine worth P48,830,384; 3,240.01 grams of ecstasy worth P11,016,034; 21,606.12 grams of ephedrine worth P108,030,600; 1.05 grams of ketamine worth P5,250;
10.05 grams of methylephedrine worth P16,080; 55.45 grams of diazepam worth P4,297.38; 4.48 grams of MDA worth P72.58, and 400 milliliters liquid shabu worth P816,000.
Villanueva explained that thermal decomposition or thermolysis is a process of breaking down chemical compounds by heat. He noted that at 1,000 degrees centigrade, all dangerous drugs are totally decomposed or broken down.
“I would like extend my gratitude and sincere appreciation to the Philippine National Police, other law enforcement units, and different Regional Trial Courts (RTCs) through our RTC judges and court personnel for the expeditious disposition of these illegal drugs that is no longer needed as evidence in court,” said Villanueva.
“The destruction of the dangerous drugs is in compliance with the guidelines set on the custody and disposition of seized dangerous drugs required in Section 21, Article 2 of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, and Dangerous Drugs Board Regulation No. 1, Series of 2002,’’ the PDEA said.
“We want to assure the public that PDEA, as the lead agency in the national anti-drug campaign, adheres to transparency, gives credence to accountability that strictly follow the existing laws and rules, to dispel the public notion that these illicit items are being reused, recycled, or sold back in the streets. Never po mangyayari at kailanman hindi nangyayari ang ganung scenario,” Villanueva added.