VICE President-elect Sara Duterte-Carpio on Thursday morning led the destruction of an estimated P14.3 billion worth of dangerous drugs seized by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Philippine National Police (PNP).

The destroyed illegal drugs turned out to be the “biggest” volume of shabu and other prohibited substances incinerated in a special facility in Cavite.

“I am confident that this activity symbolizes the fulfillment of duty and transparency, as well as serves as another ‘stepping stone’ that will place this agency to greater heights in the succeeding years,” said the outgoing Davao City Mayor and VP-elect as she lauded the PDEA headed by Director General Wilkins M. Villanueva for the record high destruction of confiscated drugs.

The prohibited drugs, officially valued at P14,292,230,591, were destroyed at the Integrated Waste Management, Inc. (IWMI), located in Barangay Aguado in Trece Martires City in Cavite.

A PDEA Laboratory Service report said that the destroyed drugs include 2,076.523 kilograms of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu, 426.479 kilograms of marijuana, and 18.357 kilograms of MDMA, the designer drug called “ecstasy”.

The destruction of the dangerous drugs complies with the guidelines set in Republic Act 9165 or The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 and Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) Regulation No. 1, Series of 2002 and as ordered by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.

The pieces of drug evidence were destroyed through thermal decomposition or thermolysis, which breaks down chemical compounds using tremendous heat. At 1,000 degrees centigrade, all dangerous drugs are decomposed or broken down.

Villanueva lauded the different Regional Trial Court (RTC) branches for the expeditious prosecution and disposition of RA 9165 cases and ordering the destruction of seized drugs no longer needed as evidence in court.

Top PDEA officers led by Villanueva, the Police Regional Office 4-A (PRO4-A) headed by Brigadier Gen. Antonio C. Yarra, other law enforcement and local government officials, and other concerned RTC judges witnessed the destruction of the confiscated drugs.

“Ang mga kawani ng PDEA ay mananatiling mapagmatyag at masigasig sa pagtupad ng sinumpaang tungkulin, upang hindi masayang ang mga nakamtan nating tagumpay sa loob ng nagdaang anim na taon,” Villanueva emphasized shortly after all the drugs were destroyed.

Director General Villanueva said it was the 6th destruction of dangerous drugs led by the PDEA since he assumed his post in May 2020.

The official said that an estimated P34.635 billion worth of illegal drugs and controlled precursors and essential chemicals being used to manufacture shabu have been destroyed already in the same facility.

The 1st was held on August 21, 2020, wherein an estimated P13.36 billion worth of prohibited drugs were destroyed; followed by the destruction of P6.25 billion worth of illegal substances on October 15, 2020; P7.51 billion worth of dangerous drugs on December 3, 2020; and another P5.36 billion worth of drugs incinerated last January 20.

“This is also in response to our mandate and the marching order of our President Rodrigo Duterte to immediately destroy all confiscated dangerous drugs, controlled precursors, and essential chemicals to prevent ‘recycling,” the PDEA chief said.

Villanueva thanked the President and the Department of Justice (DOJ) for helping them carry out their mission to destroy the seized prohibited substances.

He also said that 20 years after PDEA was established, it was the largest quantity of confiscated drugs destroyed in a single day, making it the 1st in Philippine law enforcement history and showing their capability and excellence to do their job well.

Villanueva also said that their nationwide barangay “drug-clearing” program is already in full blast and has been recognized by different sectors.

“We have already cleared a total of 25,061 barangays as of last April 30 and are still in the process of clearing another 10,410 barangays from drug influence,” he said as he called on the citizenry to continue supporting their anti-drug programs and help keep the streets safe. By Alfred Dalizon and Dennis Abrina