PDEA destroys more than P5-B worth of illegal drugs

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Thursday destroyed more than P5 billion worth of illegal drugs and other paraphernalia in a show of commitment to the government’s war on drugs.

PDEA Director General Wilkins Villanueva said the agency destroyed some P5.36 billion worth of illegal drugs at a waste management facility in Trece Martires City, Cavite.

The illegal drugs were destroyed using thermal decomposition or thermolysis, a method of decomposition or breaking down of chemicals by heat.

Villanueva said there was a delay in the disposal of the seized illegal drugs in their inventory because of the pandemic. “However, dahil nga dito kay COVID-19 na ito, talagang nahihirapan tayo dahil most of the time last year, sarado ang ating mga korte at napipigilan tayo magkaroon ng ocular inspection.”

(However, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we had a hard time because most of the time last year, our courts were closed and that prevented us from having an ocular inspection.)

It is the court’s responsibility to conduct an ocular inspection of the seized drugs within 72 hours before the PDEA could proceed with the disposal, as stated in the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Despite the situation, Villanueva said the PDEA is focused on its goal of clearing its inventory of seized illegal drugs before President Rodrigo Duterte end his term.

“That’s what I promise before the end of the administration of our President,” he said.

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/MUF