INCINERATED. Phillipine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Assistant Secretary Renato Gumban, Deputy Director for Operation; Undersecretary Earl Saavedra, Executive Director, Dangerous Drug Board; Director Derrick Carreon, PDEA PIO; Police Brig. Gen. Constancio Chinayog Jr., Director, PNP Forensic Group; RP Josef Albert Comilang, OIC, Trece Martires City Prosecutor Office; attorney Jezza Daludado, Associate Public Attorney, PAO, Trece Martires City District Office; and chairman Marielle Po, Confederation of Community Oriented Policing System NGOS, put the 1.474 tons of drug evidences worth almost P777 million in an incinerator chamber at the Integrated Waste Management Inc (IWMI) in Bgy. Aguado, Trece Martires City, Cavite yesterday. Photo by DENNIS ABRINA
PDEA destroys over ₱777-M seized dangerous drugs
THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency headed by Director General Moro Virgilio M. Lazo yesterday destroyed nearly P777.7 million worth of shabu and other prohibited substance and equipment seized by government agents this year.
The destruction of the P777,624,682.82 worth of dangerous drugs was held at the Integrated Waste Management, Inc. (IWMI) located in Bgy. Aguado in Trece Martires City, Cavite.
A total of 1,474,916.7594 grams of solid illegal drugs, and 378.5 milliliters of illegal drugs were destroyed through thermal decomposition or thermolysis.
The incinerated drugs include 66,720.7640 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu; 1,390,743.5422 grams of marijuana; and 14,145.4798 grams of MDMA otherwise known as the designer drug called ecstasy; 428.4432 grams of cocaine; 1,665.3900 grams of ephedrine; 1,073.8415 grams of psilocin; 206.5 milliliters of liquid meth; and 172 milliliters of liquid marijuana.
The pieces of drug evidence were stacked inside an incinerator chamber and exposed to high temperatures of over 1,000 degrees centigrade. All dangerous drugs were reduced to ashes, and completely decomposed or broken down making it very impossible for them to be reconstituted.
Lazo said the destruction process should deter drug recycling and pilferage.
The official said that the burnt dangerous drugs comprised the evidence seized from various anti-drug operations conducted by PDEA, together with other law enforcement agencies, specifically the Philippine National Police, but were no longer needed as evidence in court.
The expeditious prosecution and disposition of drug cases, where said drugs served as evidence, led to its immediate destruction, he also said.
Representatives from the Department of Justice, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, local officials of Bgy. Aguado, the PNP and other law enforcement agencies, non-governmental organizations and key PDEA officials witnessed the destruction activity.
In compliance with the proper disposal of seized drug evidence as required by law, PDEA continues to practice the destruction of all confiscated illegal drugs right after an issuance of a court order, PDEA spokesperson Director Derrick Arnold C. Carreon said. By Alfred Dalizon and Dennis Abrina
