THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Northern Mindanao destroyed over P44 million worth of dangerous drugs and expired regulated drugs at the Holcim Philippines Incorporated plant in Lugait, Misamis Oriental on Friday, November 22.
Destroyed through thermal decomposition were a total of 44,037.28 grams of assorted pieces of drug evidence composed of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu (4,838.15 grams); shabu liquid (2,162 ml); marijuana fruiting tops (34,499.15 grams); marijuana dried leaves (3,223.39 grams); marijuana plant (1,457.96 grams); marijuana seeds (0.15 grams); ecstasy (9.0446 grams or 17 pills) and ephidrine (9.43 grams). A grand total value of P44,633,174.56 drugs were destroyed.
"As we destroyed these dangerous drugs, we reflect on our drive to remain steadfast in our mission and to aggressively pursue organized drug personalities until drug menace is subdued," PDEA-Northern Mindanao director Wilkins Villanueva said.
Judge Arthur Abundiente of the Regional Trial Court-Branch 25 in Cagayan de Oro City likened the illegal drugs as "cancer attacking the person."
"In the society, we are not fighting an enemy from outside trying to get in, but we are fighting a menace from within the society itself, trying to destroy it from the inside," Abundiente said.
"We are indeed fortunate that we have stumbled upon these illegal drugs and prevented their proliferation into the streets, where they can inflict unimaginable damage to the precious lives of the people in the community," Villanueva said.
The destruction of dangerous drugs is in accordance with Section 21, Article II of the Republic Act 9165; and in both DDB Resolution number 1, series of 2002 and 2007.
This undertaking ensures that there should be no recycling of dangerous drugs back to the streets.