CEBU, Philippines — Illegal drugs worth P152 million seized in different buy-bust operations were destroyed yesterday by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-7.
The drugs, which had been used as evidence in drug cases filed in courts, were destroyed through thermal destruction at a crematorium of a funeral home in Cebu City.
PDEA-7 Director Levi Ortiz said bulk or 21 kilos of the destroyed drugs were from a buy-bust operation in Lapu-Lapu City. The drugs were valued at P150 million.
Also destroyed were dangerous drugs, mostly regulated anti-depressants and pain relievers, worth P2.3 million. These were prescription drugs and cannot be procured over the counter.
The drugs concealed in undeliverable parcels were discovered at the Mandaue Central Post Office on January 25, 2021. Undeliverable parcels are returned parcels whose consignees and senders cannot be located.
This was the third time under the stint of Ortiz that the agency destroyed seized drugs.
“So far sa atong sunod-sunod nga destruction under my term, karon ang pinaka daghan,”said Ortiz.
The first one was in October last year wherein P77 million worth of seized shabu, marijuana and expired medicines were destroyed.
On November 13 of the same year, at least P12 million worth of confiscated illegal drugs were also destroyed.
To allay public doubts and claims, Ortiz clarified that drugs being kept as evidence were not recycled nor resold.
“Atong ipakita sa katawhan na seryoso atong campaign sa droga ug wala tay gitagoan ug wala ta anang mga recycling or mga illegal nga activities. Ang ebidensya nga naa nay court order ato ng sunogon,” he said.
Moreover, Ortiz claimed that the supply of illegal drugs in Central Visayas is decreasing based on the volume of drugs seized in different operations.
“Kung kabantay mo, wala na kaayo tay dakop nga dinagko. Wala pud information nga naay mga drugas nga nangabot sa ato,” he said.
For his part, Police Colonel Josefino Ligan, chief of the Cebu City Police Office, said CCPO’s focus now is on reducing the supply of illegal drugs.
“The focus of our campaign against illegal drugs is on the supply reduction. As for the demand reduction, our community affairs division is handling that,” he said. —KQD (FREEMAN)