The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) destroyed P108,674,818 worth of dangerous drugs through thermal destruction on Wednesday, May 25, in Bacnotan La Union.
Thermal destruction or thermolysis is the method of decomposition or breaking down of chemicals by heat.
“The decomposition temperature of a substance is at 1,000 degrees centigrade, thus, all the dangerous drugs are totally decomposed or broken down,’’ PDEA explained.
Held at the Geocycle facility of Holcim Philippines Incorporated, the activity was a ‘destruction ceremony’ of the confiscated drug evidence in the agency’s anti-drug operations and those that were turned over by other anti-narcotics authorities.
The illegal drugs that were destroyed include the P29,367,939.90 confiscated by the PDEA Regional Office 1 and P79,306,878.54 dangerous drugs seized by the PDEA Regional Office-Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).
The dangerous drugs that were subjected to thermal decomposition include methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu, marijuana, kush, ecstasy, liquid marijuana, and liquid shabu.
PDEA Region 1 Director Ronald Allan D Ricardo cited the Regional Trial Courts (RTCs) for their “expeditious prosecution and disposition of drug cases that led to the prompt destruction of these illegal drugs no longer needed as evidence in court.’’
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 II of Republic Act 9165, or The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 and Dangerous Drugs Board Regulation No. 1, Series of 2002.
Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong was the guest of honor during the ceremony that was attended by Judge Mervin Jovito S. Samadan of RTC Dagupan City, Pangasinan, Cris Alvin M. Tadeo of Department of Justice (DOJ) Region I, Gilbert R. Hufana of the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) and representatives from Bacnotan, non-government organizations (NGOs), religious sector, media groups and the civil society sector. (Chito A. Chavez)