(Photo courtesy of PDEA)
MANILA – The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) renewed its call for local courts to expedite the issuance of orders allowing it to proceed with the immediate destruction of seized illegal drugs, as it burned about PHP5.3 billion worth of illegal drugs in Trece Martires City, Cavite on Thursday.
“Dapat at this time dapat makakapag-destroy sana tayo ng 1.2 tons of shabu. Kaya lang, yung 500 kilos na nahuli natin sa pinakamalaking nahuli natin sa Zambales ay wala pang court order para ma-destroy (By this time, we should be destroying 1.2 tons of shabu. However, our largest haul of 500 kg. in Zambales has not been given a court order to get destroyed),” PDEA Director General Wilkins Villanueva told reporters on the sidelines of the event.
The seized narcotics, which consist of shabu, marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy, and other dangerous substances, were destroyed through thermal decomposition or thermolysis that involves breaking down chemical compounds with the use of tremendous heat.
Villanueva, meanwhile, expressed hope that they would be able to destroy the remaining 1.5 tons of illegal drugs left in their custody before the end of the Duterte administration.
“We still have about 1.5 tons pa ang nasa inventory natin na kailangan pa natin sunugin for the remaining of our administration. Pero we believe na madagdagan pa ito dahil marami pa tayo nasa pipeline na trabaho na lalaki pa talaga ito. Kaya talagang hangga't maaari ay talagang nagsusumamo kami sa ating mga korte para mabigyan tayo ng order para ma-destroy ang mga natitira pa natin na nasa inventory (We still have about 1.5 tons left in our inventory that we need to burn for the rest of our administration. We believe this would increase because we still have a lot of work in the pipeline. Thus, as much as possible, we are pleading with our courts to give us an order to destroy the rest of those in our inventory),” he said.
Villanueva noted that the physical closure of courts in many areas due to the continued surge in coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) infections has hampered the process of illegal drugs destruction.
“Ngayon sarado ang korte. Paano tayo magkakaroon ng court order sarado ang korte. Paano mag o-order ang korte na magkaroon ng ocular inspection, hindi mo nga maipasok yung request namin (Now, the courts are closed. How can we get a court order when the court is closed? How can the court order an ocular inspection when we could not enter our request?),” he added.
The destruction of the dangerous drugs complies with the guidelines set on the custody and disposition of seized dangerous drugs under Section 21, Article II of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, and Dangerous Drugs Board Regulation 1, series of 2002.
Cleared of illegal drugs
Villanueva, meanwhile, said more than 23,000 barangays across the country have been cleared of illegal drugs since the start of the Duterte administration's crackdown on illegal drugs in 2016.
“There are only about 11,000 left and we want to reduce it even more as our clearing has slowed down a bit. Because of the Covid-19 restrictions, rehabilitations on the ground are prohibited due to social distancing. It's really slow but hopefully, we can overcome this pandemic so that our campaign can be faster, especially in the barangay drug-clearing program,” he said.
Villanueva also said almost all PDEA personnel across the country have been fully vaccinated against the Covid-19.
“At the national office, more than 99 percent of us have been vaccinated. The rest of us have co-morbidities and have medical certificates. In total, more than 90 percent of the whole Philippines has been vaccinated and we will see to it that really everyone needs to be vaccinated,” he said.
Villanueva said they are also working with the Philippine National Police and other law enforcement agencies in going after candidates who are funding their campaign with drug money.
“We are still in the process of monitoring and definitely, hindi natin papayagan na magamit nila ang proceeds from the illegal drugs doon sa kanilang pagtakbo ngayong eleksyon (we will not allow them to use the proceeds from illegal drugs as they run for office in the upcoming election),” he said. (PNA)
