MORE than 28 kilos of shabu and 168 grams of marijuana, all amounting to P191 million and with court orders for destruction, were destroyed at a thermal facility in Cebu City on February 18, 2023.
The activity, the first this year, was facilitated by PDEA 7, led by Dir. III Jigger B. Montallana, together with the One Cebu – Inter-Agency Interdiction Task Force (OC-IAITF), the regional trial courts in Cebu, and the management of the Cosmopolitan Funeral Homes at Junquera Street, Cebu City.
“This activity is part of our supply reduction efforts, and we are strictly following protocol to ensure the integrity of the destruction procedure,” Dir. Montallana said.
PDEA 7 chemists tested the dangerous drugs prior to destruction to dispel doubts that the substances were replaced.
Engr. Bong Ebo, general manager for operations of the Dychangco Group of Companies, which owns Cosmopolitan Funeral Homes, explained that their incinerator would operate at full capacity to ensure that there would be no remnants of the dangerous drugs.
Based on DDB Regulation No. 1, Series of 2002, dangerous drugs and controlled chemicals are to be destroyed through thermal destruction in accordance with applicable laws or other lawful and appropriate methods as may be authorized by the Dangerous Drugs Board, in consultation with DENR.
Thermal destruction is the method of decomposing or breaking down of chemical by heat. At 1,000 degrees centigrade, all dangerous drugs are totally decomposed.
Destroyed were 28,094.6270 grams of shabu and 163.4984 grams of marijuana amounting to P191,063,083.41.
Also present to witness the activity were PBGEN Jerry F. Bearis, Regional Director of PRO 7, and his command group, and key witnesses Prosecutor Raul V. Cristoria of the Regional Prosecutor’s Office, Atty. Armand P. Sabido of the Public Attorney’s Office Cebu City District, Dr. Miguel C. Ortiz of Anti-Crime and Community Emergency Response Team (ACCERT), Punong Barangay Ryan P. Aznar of Sambag 2, Cebu City, and Ms. Nestle L. Semilla of the PNP Defense Press Corps.
“Rest assured that this will not be the first and last destruction activity this year, and we are working diligently with our regional trial courts, the PNP, and other law enforcement units to ensure the destruction of all confiscated dangerous drugs in the region,” Dir. Montallana added.
