Record 2.1 tons of seized illegal drugs destroyed in Cavite

August 21, 2020

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) destroyed a record 2.1 tons of illegal drugs estimated P13,359,157,093 worth of dangerous drugs in Trece Martirez City, Cavite on Friday.

This was was held at the Integrated Waste Management, Inc. (IWMI) in Barangay Aguado, Trece Martirez City.

The agency said this is biggest volume in the history of the PDEA with a total net weight of two tons of confiscated evidence during anti-drug operations. Those pieces of evidence turned over by authorities that were recently ordered by the court to be destroyed.

PDEA Director General Wilkins Villanueva thanked Philippine National Police chief General Archie Gamboa for his support in destroying illegal drugs and coordinating with the Supreme Court to make it possible.

“This is the result of Sir (Gamboa) going to the court and coordinating with  (SC Court Administrator)Justice Midas Marquez to really give court order because if you can see the warehouse of the crime laboratory is really full,” Villanueva said.

“I would like to extend my gratitude and sincere appreciation to the Philippine National Police, other law enforcement units and different Regional Trial Courts (RTCs) through our RTC judges and court personnel for the expeditious disposition of these illegal drugs that is no longer needed as evidence in court”, he said.

Majority of the confiscated drug evidence destroyed were from the different anti-drug operations of the Philippine National Police and other law enforcement units.

Destroyed through thermal decomposition were a total of 2,103,904.93 grams or 2.10 tons of assorted pieces of drug evidence composed of methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu, marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy, ephedrine, ketamine, diazepam, methylephedrine, Nalbuphine, MDA (Methylenedioxyamphetamine), GBL (Gamma-Butyrolactone), 2C-B, liquid ecstasy, and expired medicines.

Thermal Decomposition, or thermolysis, is a process of breaking down chemical compounds by heat, where at 1,000 degrees centigrade, all dangerous drugs are totally decomposed or broken down.

Villaueva said they have not monitored any big drug laboratory in the country.

“All the drugs we found here came (from) outside and this is the effort of the police and Customs to stop this. While we are doing it, we are giving corresponding actions on the demand type because as I always said, if there is no demand, definitely they will not go here because it’s not profitable,” he said.

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

From July 1, 2016 to present, a total of P41.39 billion worth of illegal drugs, controlled precursors and essential chemicals have been destroyed under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte. Ella Dionisio/DMS