Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), wants to immediately destroy the more than P1 billion worth of shabu which were seized during two succeeding buy-busts in Parañaque City and Cavite on June 13.

In a statement, Eleazar said that he had already directed the PNP Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG) to coordinate with their counterpart at the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to seek the approval of the court for the destruction of the more or less 155 kilograms of shabu.

“We will be coordinating with the PDEA in convincing the courts that will handle the cases that we filed in connection with these two operations to destroy these confiscated illegal drugs in the soonest possible time,” said Eleazar.

He said the move is part of the instruction of President Duterte before to destroy confiscated illegal drugs within one week after the seizure amid allegations of drug recycling by erring government anti-narcotics operatives.

Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, states that ‘after the filing of the criminal case, the Court shall, within 72 hours, conduct an ocular inspection” of the confiscated, seized illegal drugs or precursor chemicals and ‘through the PDEA shall within 24 hours thereafter proceed with the destruction or burning of the same’, provided, that a representative sample, duly weighed and recorded is retained.

But since the law was passed, the provision of the law was not properly observed since it usually takes months and even years before illegal drugs are destroyed. This triggered speculations of drug-recycling in the past.

Eleazar said they want to take advantage of the Supreme Court circular issued in July last year that reminds all Regional Trial Courts to “strictly comply” with the requirements of Section 21 (4) of Republic Act 9165 on the immediate destruction of illegal drugs confiscated during police operations.

The same Supreme Court Circular also advised lower Courts to prioritize issuance of destruction orders of seized drugs amounting to five kilograms or more: “In cases where the illegal drugs seized are physically brought to the court, the court shall issue the order of destruction thereof within 24 hours therefrom.”

On Sunday, June 13, joint buy-bust operations by the PNP and the PDEA last Sunday, June 13, resulted in the confiscation of 155 kilograms of shabu worth P1.054 billion and the arrest of two Chinese nationals, Zhuzun Chen and Man Kuok Wong.

Chen was arrested in a buy-bust operation in Baclaran, Parañaque City while Wong was nabbed along the Aguinaldo Highway in Imus, Cavite. Aside from the large volume of illegal drugs which were placed inside tea packages, cellular phones and vehicles were seized from the two suspects.

The seized 155 kilograms of shabu are currently under the custody of the PDEA. On the other hand, in the cases of police operations, confiscated illegal drugs are placed under the custody of the PNP-Crime Laboratory.