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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Part of our job': House leaders on hand as PDEA burns P6-B illegal drugs

'Part of our job': House leaders on hand as PDEA burns P6-B illegal drugs

Published Oct 20, 2023 07:01 pm

At A Glance

  • Ranking congressmen who were behind the House probe on the entry of huge caches of "shabu" in the country personally witnessed on Friday, Oct. 20 the destruction of P6 billion worth of illegal drugs by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA). 

20231002_140524.jpgSurigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers (left), Pampanga 3rd district Rep. Aurelio "Dong" Gonzales Jr. (MANILA BULLETIN, PPAB)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ranking congressmen who were behind the House probe on the entry of huge caches of "shabu" in the country personally witnessed on Friday, Oct. 20 the destruction of P6 billion worth of illegal drugs by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA). 

Burned at the PDEA facility in Trece Martires City, Cavite 274 kilos of shabu seized at the Manila International Container Port last Oct. 6 and the 208 kilos of shabu extender recovered in Mabalacat City last August, among other confiscated illegal substances. 

“Our presence there was part of our job as House members who are looking into recent drug confiscations and the trade in illegal drugs in general upon the instruction of Speaker Martin Romualdez,” House Senior Deputy Speaker Pampanga 3rd district Rep. Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr. 

“Our inquiry is in consonance with the bloodless anti-drug campaign of President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr., which has so far netted a whopping 4.4 tons of shabu worth P30 billion since the Chief Executive started his six-year term on July 1 last year," he added. 

The House probe was launched last week by the Committee on Dangerous Drugs chaired by Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers. Barbers was also at Trece Martires Friday. 

Barbers congratulated the law enforcement officers and personnel of the PDEA, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Philippine National Police (PNP), and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) for their arrests of suspects and confiscations of illegal drugs in the continuing fight against narcotics under the Marcos administration 

He, however, reminded them to make sure that the cases filed against suspects should result in convictions and not dismissals. 

“All our efforts will be in vain if the cases filed in court will result in dismissals and the suspects set free due to some technicality or bungling. We have to make sure that our cases are air-tight so that the culprits are put behind bars for good thus ensuring a safer society and saving our youth and all citizens from this menace,” he explained. 

He assured the law enforcement agencies of the full support of Congress, through funding and legislation, to help them achieve success in the administration’s drug war. 

Barbers also urged the barangay election candidates to make part of their program and commitment the eradication of illegal drugs. 

Also witnessing the destruction of the illegal drugs were Sta. Rosa City lone district Rep. Dan Fernandez and Patrol Party-list Rep. Jorge Bustos. PDEA Director General Moro Virgilio Lazo led the proceedings Friday. 

PDEA said the drugs were destroyed because they were no longer needed as evidence. 

The 530 kilos of shabu found in Barangay San Jose Malino, Pampanga were apparently not part of the burned substances.

 

Related Tags

Robert Ace Barbers Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency aurelio dong gonzales
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