The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Philippine National Police on Thursday burned P1.77 billion worth of dangerous drugs at the Integrated Waste Management Inc. in Barangay Aguado, Trece Martires City, Cavite.
PDEA Director General Isidro Lapeña and PNP Chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa led the destruction of the seized contraband.
“Majority of the burned shabu, weighing 180,903.10 grams, were dug up in a beach resort in the far-flung area of Claveria, Cagayan last July 3, 2016,” said Lapeña.
”We want the public to witness the destruction of dangerous drugs seized by drug enforcement officers in order to allay public apprehensions that these illicit substances are being reused, recycled or sold back in the streets,” he said, adding that the destruction of illegal drugs was also his first only two weeks after he took over the PDEA’s leadership.
A total of 400,356.25 grams of assorted pieces of drug paraphernalia composed of methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu, cocaine, ketamine, marijuana, ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, and expired medicines; and liquid shabu weighing 66,250 milliliters were burned to prevent reconstruction.
Lapeña lauded the efforts of the regional trial courts in the cities of Antipolo, Quezon, Makati, Pasay, Manila, Pasig, Parañaque, Taguig, Marikina, Valenzuela, Camiling, Tarlac, Sanchez Mira, Cagayan, Guagua in Pampanga and San Fernando in Pampanga, for the swift prosecution and disposition of drug cases that led to the prompt destruction of these illegal drugs and substances no longer needed as evidence in court.
“There is no looking back, we started strong in this war and we will finish stronger,” Dela Rosa said.
Meanwhile, the Chief Directorate for Operations of the Philippine National Police, Chief Supt. Camilo Cascolan, admitted that Project “Tokhang” of the PNP is only being conducted in slum areas because they are still finding a legal basis for entering high-end subdivisions.
Cascolan said that the PNP has tasked a group to conduct “Tokhang” on big subdivisions, but they are hampered by the lack of a legal leg to stand on.
Meanwhile, he said, all police chiefs will be evaluated weekly based on their performance of the “Tokhang” operations.
He said Dela Rosa himself will lead the evaluation.
“If their performance rating will be low, in a matter of six weeks they will be relieved,” Cascolan said.
Police Chief Supt. Elmer Cruz Beltejar, Region 8 acting regional director, lauded the operatives of PNP Region 8 Anti-Illegal Drugs Operation Task Force and the Sogod Municipal Police Station who neutralized an ex-PNP member allegedly involved in the illegal drug trade on Wednesday afternoon in Barangay Zone 1, Sogod, Southern Leyte.
The operatives conducted a buy-bust operation against Ex-PNP Member PO1 Emmanuel Salon, 39 years old, listed on the PNP Drug Watchlist in PRO8 and classified as a high-value target of the Regional Anti-Drug focus team.
Three PNP personnel were wounded and were taken to Sogod District Hospital and the RTR Hospital, while the body of the suspect was brought to the funeral parlor in Sogod. The injured policemen will be awarded the “Medalya ng Sugatang Magiting.”
Over in Bulacan, policemen killed two pushers in a shootout in Barangay San Pablo-Sta. Elena Diversion Road early Thursday morning.
In Bataan, two suspected drug dealers were killed in an encounter with the police on Wednesday night in Barangay Pagalanggang, Dinalupihan.
David Cayanan, who ranked high in the town’s drug watchlist, and Arnel Cayanan opened fire on policemen during a buy-bust operation and were killed in the ensuing gun battle.
Police said the two were members of the Cayanan Brothers Robbery Holdup and Drug Group. With Mel Caspe, Florante S. Solmerin, Butch Gunio and PNA
