by Christopher Lloyd Caliwan July 6, 2019 DESTROYED. Officials of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) show assorted pieces of ...
July 6, 2019
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| DESTROYED. Officials of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) show assorted pieces of illegal drug evidence worth PHP6.06-billion which were destroyed through thermal decomposition in Trece Martires City, Cavite on Thursday (July 4, 2019). Thermal decomposition, or thermolysis, is the method of decomposition or breaking down of chemical by heat. (Photo courtesy: PDEA) |
MANILA - The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Thursday destroyed some PHP6.06 billion worth of dangerous drugs in Barangay Aguado, Trece Martires City in Cavite.
Destroyed through thermal decomposition were a total of 1,405,840.45 grams or 1.41 tons of assorted pieces of drug evidence composed of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu, marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy, ephedrine, ketamine, pseudoephedrine, chloroephedrine, diazepam, nitrazepam, zolpidem, temazepam, clonazepam, alprazolam, methylphenidate, dimethylamphetamine, and expired medicines; and 598 milliliters of liquid shabu, 1,126.20 milliliters of gamma-butyrolactone (GBL), and 104.43 milliliters of lidocaine.
Thermal decomposition, or thermolysis, is the method of decomposition or breaking down of chemical by heat. The decomposition temperature of a substance is the temperature at which the substance chemically decomposes. At 1,000 degrees Celsius, all dangerous drugs are totally decomposed or broken down.
PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino led the destruction of the contraband as ordered by the court.
“We want the public to witness the destruction of drug evidence seized by drug enforcement officers in order to dispel the public notion that these illicit items are being reused, recycled or sold back in the streets,” Aquino told reporters.
Majority of illegal drugs destroyed were the 276 blocks or 331.066 kilograms of cocaine, with an estimated street value of PHP2.25 billion, that were discovered floating in the different shorelines of Nueva Ecija, Aurora, Quezon, Camarines Norte, Catanduanes, Albay, Sorsogon, Davao Oriental, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur and Dinagat Islands.
Aquino lauded the efforts of the different branches of Regional Trial Courts (RTCs) in the National Capital Region, Ilocos Region, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon) and Mimaropa (Mindoro Occidental and Oriental, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan), for the expeditious prosecution and disposition of drug cases that led to the prompt destruction of these illegal drugs no longer needed as evidence in court.
This is the seventh destruction since Aquino assumed as PDEA Director General on September 12, 2017, resulting in the destruction of seized illegal drugs, controlled precursors and essential chemicals (CPECs), expired medicines and laboratory equipment worth PHP25.66 billion -- the most in the Agency’s history in terms of monetary value and frequency.
This comprises 48.64 percent of the PHP52.75 billion worth of dangerous drugs destroyed in the last decade.
From July 1, 2016 to present, under President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, a total of 6.62 tons and 5,610.32 liters of dangerous drugs worth PHP28.03 billion have been destroyed.
Since 2008, PDEA destroyed a total of 21.03 tons of solid illegal drugs, and 6,022.15 liters of liquid illegal drugs worth PHP52.75 billion.
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. (PNA)
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