A total of P489,415,611.42 million worth of confiscated illegal and dangerous drugs were destroyed by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Thursday, November 14, in Cebu City as efforts to rid the country of such substances were further intensified.
In a statement, the PDEA explained that over 71 kilos of shabu, three kilos of marijuana, 55 tablets of ecstasy and other dangerous drugs (DDs) were subjected to thermal decomposition, a method of breaking down chemicals by heat on the orders of the courts for its destruction.
Also included during the destruction were expired regulated drugs turned over by hospitals and pharmacies to the regional office of PDEA in Central Visayas (PDEA-7).
At 1,000 degrees centigrade, all dangerous drugs were "totally decomposed or broken down," the agency noted.
The PDEA disclosed that it is the biggest destruction of surrendered or confiscated illegal drugs so far in the region in terms of the value of dangerous drugs and the volume of shabu destroyed since 2017.
The ceremonial destruction was spearheaded by PDEA-7 led by Acting Regional Director Alex M. Tablate, in partnership with the regional trial courts, Police Regional Office 7, and the management of Cosmopolitan Funeral Homes Inc., which allowed the free use of its facility.
To prove the legality of the activity, the PDEA said that the lawful destruction of the illegal drugs was witnessed by an elected public official and representatives from the Department of Justice (DOJ), Public Attorney’s Office (PAO), civil society and media as mandated under Republic Act (RA) 9165 and dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) Regulation No. 1, Series of 2002 on the proper custody and disposition of seized dangerous drugs.
Prior to destruction through thermal decomposition, the PDEA Regional Office 7 chemists tested the substances in front of witnesses to dispel doubts that they were replaced.
Tablate thanked all the stakeholders of the anti-illegal drug campaign in the region for contributing to the continued success of the program in Central Visayas.
The substances destroyed were seized during various PDEA and Philippine National Police (PNP) operations from 2003 to 2024 in Cebu and Bohol provinces and the three highly urbanized cities of Cebu, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu.