ILOILO City – Around P8.2 million worth of confiscated illegal drugs and expired medicines were destroyed through thermal incineration at the crematorium of a funeral parlor yesterday in Barangay Balabago, Jaro district.
The illegal drugs were methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu worth P7.772 million, marijuana worth P448,995 and the rest were expired medicines, according to Graziella Tanaleon, spokesperson of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Region 6.
Destroying seized illegal drugs through incineration was a protocol instituted by the Dangerous Drugs Board in Regulation No. 1, Series of 2002 and by Section 21 of Republic Act 9165, otherwise known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
The illegal drugs, confiscated between 2010 and 2014 including last year’s seizures, had been presented as evidence by PDEA in drug-related court cases.
According to Tanaleon, most of the illegal drugs confiscated in PDEA antidrug operations were shabu and this explained why shabu made up the bulk of those incinerate.
The burned marijuana included dried leaves and seeds, she said.
On the other hand, the expired medicines were surrendered by pharmaceutical companies and hospitals.
“We need to destroy drug evidences after presenting them to the court to avoid unwanted speculations. This is one way to show that we are following the order,” Tanaleon said.
The destruction was attended by PDEA-6 director Edgar Apalla, representatives from the Philippine National Police and personnel of other law enforcement agencies, city government and the Department of Justice.
PDEA-6’s last destruction of illegal drugs was done on Dec. 12,2019 – confiscated illegal drugs worth P8,849,942.21 were exterminated through thermal destruction./PN
