DESTROYED. Chemists of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA-7) conduct Simon's test on samples of methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu) which are part of the PHP192.2-million worth of illegal drugs before their destruction burning them in a thermal incineration chamber of the Apo Cemex Plant in Naga City, Cebu on Tuesday (Dec. 10, 2019). Regional Trial Court-Cebu City Executive Judge Macaundas Hadjirasul said the destruction of the dangerous drugs "speaks some kind of an end to speculations that evidence in the government (custody) have been tampered with." (PNA photo by John Rey Saavedra)
NAGA CITY, Cebu -- A total of PHP192.2 million worth of illegal drugs under the custody of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and various Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory Offices (PNP-CLOs) in Central Visayas were destroyed through thermal incineration on Tuesday.
PDEA-7 acting regional director Wardley Getalla said the illegal drugs seized as pieces of evidence from various anti-drug operations were destroyed by burning in a chamber of Apo Cemex, a cement factory in here.
In an interview, Regional Trial Court Cebu City Executive Judge Macaundas Hadjirasul thanked Governor Gwendolyn Garcia for organizing the destruction activity which, he said, aims to erase doubts from the public on the custody of illegal drugs as evidence, following reports on tampering by alleged ‘ninja cops.’
“I hope the message that we in the government should work farther. At least, this speaks some kind of an end to speculations that evidence in the government (custody) have been tampered with. The PDEA has inspected them, inventoried them, and tested them again. So we can pretty rely on the custody, on the integrity of evidence in the custody of the courts,” Hadjirasul said.
Police Regional Office-7 regional director, Brig. Gen. Valeriano de Leon, Garcia, Hadjirasul, Getalla, and around 10 members of the judiciary and prosecutors witnessed the destruction of the illegal drugs at the 4th level of the factory where their incinerators used to process cement are located.
Among the evidence destroyed were PHP69.6-million worth of shabu, nubain (nalbuphine HCI ampoules), marijuana and cocaine turned-over by the various courts to PDEA-7 after marking them as evidence to charges filed against drug personalities arrested during anti-drug operations and shabu worth PHP10,856 which are covered by court orders.
Included in the destroyed evidence are shabu and nubain worth PHP100.8 million which were turned over from the regional crime laboratory office of the PNP but covered by court orders.
The remaining shabu and marijuana worth PHP23.6 million were under the custody of PDEA-7 that have orders for its destruction issued by the courts.
Hadjirasul told the media that the illegal drugs are pieces of evidence in cases for violation of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002).
“The bulk has been included in the evidence destroyed now. What are left are those pending cases where the dangerous drugs involved are less than 10 grams… Hopefully, the PDEA can organize again (and) if it needs the assistance of the province, we hope that the provincial government can help again,” Hadjirasul said.
He said procedures under the anti-drug law and its implementing rules, the PDEA guidelines and drug-related jurisprudence are stringent in terms of establishing the chain of custody of seized illegal drugs.
However, he suspected that tampering might happen in an instance where there is no case filed in court because only the illegal drugs were confiscated but the responsible person eluded arrest.
“It is pretty strict, very strict. I think the dent here of the so-called ninja cops being able to tamper or steal evidence pertains to an instance where there is no case in court or even before the start of the chain of custody,” he added.
He urged anti-drug law enforcement units to be “efficient, effective, and above all, we have to be honest, in the performance of our duties.” (PNA)
