PDEA destroys P13B worth of accumulated illegal drug evidence

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Friday, August  21, razed over P13 billion worth of drugs, the accumulation of evidence from various anti-drug operations now ordered destroyed by the court.

The PDEA said a total ₱13,359,157,093.00 worth of different varieties of illegal drugs were torched at the Integrated Waste Management, Inc. (IWMI), Barangay Aguado, Trece Martirez City, Cavite.

This was the first destruction ceremony conducted since the assumption of Wilkins Villanueva as PDEA director general in May.

A PDEA statement said this was the biggest volume of evidence destroyed in the history of the PDEA, with a total net weight of over 2 tons.

These were confiscated from the different PDEA operations, as well as those turned over by the Philippine National Police and other law enforcement units.

It was the court which order these destroyed.

Justice Jose Midas P. Marquez, Court Administrator of the Supreme Court was the guest of honor and speaker, during the ceremony.

“Ang Korte Suprema po ay kaisa sa layunin ng PDEA at PNP (The Supreme Court is one with goal of the PDEA and PNP) for the total eradication of illegal drugs here in our country,” said Marquez.

Incinerated through thermal decomposition were a total of 2,103,904.93 grams or 2.10 tons of assorted pieces of drug evidence. These include methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu, marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy, ephedrine, ketamine, diazepam, methylephedrine, Nalbuphine, MDA (Methylenedioxyamphetamine), GBL (Gamma-Butyrolactone), 2C-B, liquid ecstacy, and expired medicines.

Thermal Decomposition, or thermolysis, is a process of breaking down chemical compounds by heat.  At 1,000 degrees centigrade, all dangerous drugs are totally decomposed or broken down.

Based on the consolidated report of the PDEA Laboratory Service, destroyed were:

• 1,938,395.26 grams of Shabu, with an estimated street value of    ₱13,181,087,768.00;
• 77,921.73 grams of Marijuana worth ₱9,350,607.60;
• 9,213.28 grams of Cocaine worth ₱48,830,384.00;
• 3,240.01 grams of MDMA or Ecstasy worth ₱11,016,034.00;
• 21,606.12 grams of Ephedrine worth ₱108,030,600.00;
• 1.05 grams of Ketamine worth ₱5,250.00;
• 10.05 grams of Methylephedrine worth ₱16,080.00;
• 55.45 grams of Diazepam worth ₱4,297.38;
• 4.48 grams of MDA worth ₱72.58; and
• 400 ml. liquid shabu worth ₱816,000.00.

“I would like extend my gratitude and sincere appreciation to the Philippine National Police, other law enforcement units and different Regional Trial Courts (RTCs) through our RTC Judges and court personnel for the expeditious disposition of these illegal drugs that is no longer needed as evidence in court,” said Villanueva.

The PDEA chief added: “We want to assure the public that PDEA, as the lead agency in the national anti-drug campaign, adheres to transparency, gives credence to accountability that strictly follow the existing laws and rules, to dispel the public notion that these illicit items are being reused, recycled or sold back in the streets. Never po mangyayari at kailanman hindi nangyayari ang ganung scenario.” (That has never happened and will never happen.)

Since July 1, 2016, a total of ₱41.39 billion worth of illegal drugs, controlled precursors and essential chemicals have been destroyed under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte. – with a report by Dennis Abrina/Rappler.com