PDEA spokesperson Derrick Carreon. (File photo)
MANILA – The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) is set to destroy at least one ton of illegal drugs in Trece Martires City, Cavite this Thursday.
In a Laging Handa briefing on Monday, PDEA spokesperson Derrick Carreon said this is in compliance with the order of President Rodrigo Duterte to immediately destroy seized contraband to avoid recycling by unscrupulous individuals.
"Kasalukuyan ang ating paghahanda dahil sa Oct. 15 po, sa darating na Huwebes ay nakatakda po tayong magsunog ng at least one ton of dangerous drugs sa atin pong destruction site sa Trece Martires, Cavite (We are preparing for the destruction of at least one ton of dangerous drugs in our destruction site in Trece Martires City, Cavite on Oct. 15)," Carreon said.
He added that around 540.06 kilograms of shabu involved in pending and archived cases are being rushed to be included in the destruction.
At present, Carreon said that some 2.82 tons of illegal drugs worth PHP15.189 billion are still under the inventory of the PDEA Laboratory Service.
Carreon admitted that the agency is still faced with challenges in complying with the President’s directive to destroy all confiscated illegal drugs due to legal impediments.
He added that PDEA chief Wilkins Villanueva has already brought up the matter to Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra in order to speed up the issuance of court orders that will authorize PDEA’s destruction of seized illegal drugs.
Carreon noted that through Guevarra’s intercession, the “handling prosecutors’’ of the pending drug cases will have the “concurrence’’ to assist PDEA to file the appropriate motions in various courts.
While some motions were filed, Carreon said that PDEA still needs the “concurrence to the motion to conduct ocular inspections, taking of representative samples’’ and eventual issuance of court orders for the destruction of the illegal drug cases that are pending in the courts.
The said cases include pending cases or those archived and under automatic review.
Earlier, Guevarra said the President's directive to immediately destroy seized illegal drugs was under the context of Sec. 21(4) of RA 9165, which requires the trial courts to conduct an ocular inspection of the illegal drugs and paraphernalia, within 72 hours from the filing of the criminal information.
Afterward, seized items have to be destroyed, through the PDEA, within 24 hours after the inspection.
Under the law, a representative sample of the seized drugs will be retained for use during the trial of the case.
"Thus, law enforcement agents must file the criminal complaints immediately so that the destruction of the seized drugs could proceed as early as possible," Guevarra said.
Carreon said that law enforcement agencies are faced with huge challenges related to the destruction of illegal drugs under their custody as the “Wheels of Justice’’ allow the defense counsels to file motions that temporarily delay the issuance of court orders.
Even with these problems, Carreon said that PDEA has relentlessly coordinated with the Prosecutors’ Offices and various courts to resolve the issue.
In July, the Supreme Court reminded all regional trial courts to “strictly comply” with the requirements of Section 21 (4) of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 on the immediate destruction of confiscated illegal drugs weighing five kilograms or more.
The law provides that “after the filing of the criminal case, the court shall, within 72 hours, conduct an ocular inspection” of the confiscated, seized illegal drugs or precursor chemicals, and “through the PDEA shall within 24 hours thereafter proceed with the destruction or burning of the same”, provided, that a representative sample, duly weighed and recorded is retained.
Carreon, meanwhile, stressed that PDEA’s relentless campaign against illegal drugs led to more arrests, confiscation of huge volumes of illegal drugs, and destruction of numerous drug dens.
Due to the intense illegal drug campaign of PDEA and the other anti-narcotics agencies from July 31 to Aug. 31, 2020, Carreon said over 600 drug dens known as “one-stop-shops’’ or places where drug personalities can buy illegal drugs and use it have been dismantled.
Meanwhile, a total of 20,165 out of 42,045 villages were cleared of drugs nationwide, based on the Real Numbers PH data presented since July 2016 up to August 2020.
These barangays have reached drug-cleared status after the issuance of a certification by members of the Oversight Committee on Barangay Drug-Clearing Program.
The agency assured that the health and safety of its agents are prioritized in anti-drug operations.
However, 14,171 villages have yet to be cleared. (PNA)
