THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), chaired by Director General Moro Virgilio M. Lazo, on Thursday destroyed P19.9 billion worth of shabu and other seized dangerous drugs and controlled precursors and essential chemicals, the biggest mass destruction of recovered illegal substances in the country’s history to prevent the possibility of pilfering and recycling.

The destroyed drugs comprise evidence seized from various anti-drug operations conducted by the PDEA, the Philippine National Police (PNP), and other law enforcement agencies in the country.

They also include the 990 kilograms of shabu worth P6.7 billion confiscated by agents of the PNP Drug Enforcement Group (PNP-DEG) in an anti-narcotics operation in Sta. Cruz, Manila, on October 8, 2022.

Lazo said that destroyed at the Integrated Waste Management, Inc. (IWMI) special treatment facility in Barangay Aguado in Trece Martires City in Cavite were confiscated prohibited substances weighing 3.7 tons or 3,746,081.07 grams valued at P19,965,441,929.59 billion.

According to the Consolidated Report of the PDEA Laboratory Service, the quantity of the destroyed pieces of drug evidence and their estimated value were the following: 2,715,151.4251 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu worth P18,463,029,690.54; 306,787.0243 grams of marijuana worth P36,814,442.92; 407.7200 grams of cocaine worth P2,160,916.00; 340.8424 grams of MDMA or ecstasy worth P1,353,813.27; 15.6000 grams of diazepam worth P604.50.

1.0823 grams of nitrazepam worth P23.00; 7.2429 grams of meth+caffeine; 12.2024 grams of ketamine worth P47,589.36; 668,918.8680 grams of ephedrine; 704.3800 grams of MDA; 95.6000 grams of meth+MDMA;

13.1555 grams of psiloscin; 33,625.9300 grams of N-Dimethylamphetamine; 716,500.0000 milliliters of meth HCl; 252.0000 milliliters of GBL worth P374,850.00; 40,000.0000 milliliters of Ephedrine+meth HCl; 107.00 milliliters of liquid marijuana; and 20,000.00 milliliters of surrendered expired medicines.

The pieces of drug evidence were destroyed through thermal decomposition or thermolysis, which involves breaking down chemical compounds with the use of tremendous heat.

At 1,000 degrees centigrade, all dangerous drugs are totally decomposed or broken down.

The destruction of dangerous drugs, according to the PDEA, is in compliance with the guidelines set on the custody and disposition of seized dangerous drugs under Section 21, Article II of Republic Act (RA) 9165, or The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, and Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) Regulation No. 1, Series of 2002.

Representatives from the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), PNP, local government officials, and other law enforcement agencies and non-government joined key PDEA officials in the said destruction of dangerous drugs.

PNP Chief Gen. Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr. last year said they had asked the court to expedite the issuance of an order for the immediate destruction of the 990 kilos of shabu seized in Manila after the required laboratory examination and technical inventory in accordance with PDEA and DDB standard procedures.

The nearly one ton of the so-called “poor man’s shabu” were seized by operatives of the PNP-DEG headed by Brigadier Gen. Narciso D. Domingo. Two suspects, including a policeman identified as Master Sergeant Rodolfo Mayo Jr. of the PNP-DEG, were arrested during the operation.

“But more than the amount of drugs confiscated, the important thing is we have taken off the streets millions of dosage units of toxic chemicals in this shabu concoction that could have destroyed so many young and productive Filipino lives,” Azurin said.

That operation prompted DILG Secretary Benjamin “Benhur” C. Abalos Jr. to recommend to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. call for the courtesy resignation of all 3rd-level police officers, more than half of which have already been screened by a 5-Man Committee led by Azurin.