Cavite: The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Tuesday destroyed PHP5.32 billion worth of dangerous drugs and controlled precursors and essential chemicals (CPECs) in Cavite province. The destruction took place at the Integrated Waste Management Inc. in Barangay Aguado in Trece Martires City through the process of thermal decomposition or thermolysis.
According to Philippines News Agency, PDEA reported that the destroyed substances included 2,227.7584 kilograms of solid illegal drug substances and 3,447.0920 milliliters of liquid narcotics. These were meticulously broken down into specific quantities: 738.2005 kg of shabu, 1,478.4915 kg of marijuana, 4.8668 kg of ecstasy, 39.2168 grams of cocaine, 2.2116 grams of toluene, 6.1516 grams of ketamine, 5.5100 grams of phenacetin, 1.0400 gram of LSD, 2,000 ml of liquid cocaine, 49.0420 ml of liquid meth, 1,398.05 ml of liquid marijuana, and assorted surrendered expired medicines.
PDEA Director General Undersecretary Isagani Nerez stated that these are pieces of drug evidence confiscated during anti-drug operations by PDEA and other law enforcement agencies. He emphasized that the substances were burned beyond recovery, ensuring they cannot be misused. This marked the first destruction ceremony under Nerez's leadership, aligning with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s directive to intensify the fight against the drug trade.
Significantly, the destroyed drugs included 404.9515 kilograms of shabu seized during an operation at the Port of Manila on January 23 by PDEA, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and the Bureau of Customs (BOC). Nerez praised the rapid prosecution and disposition of drug cases by Regional Trial Courts, which facilitated the timely destruction of the illegal drugs.
Nerez assured the public that the destruction process eliminates any concerns about seized drug evidence being recycled. He reiterated PDEA's commitment to transparency and diligence, as advocated under President Marcos Jr.'s 'Bagong Pilipinas' program.
The ceremony was attended by Secretary Oscar Valenzuela, chairman of the Dangerous Drugs Board, along with officials and representatives from the Philippine National Police, Department of Justice, Department of the Interior and Local Government, other government law enforcement agencies, non-government organizations, and media partners.
