The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Tuesday said it would destroy around a ton of shabu next week following the orders of President Rodrigo Duterte to dispose of the seized illegal drugs in one week.
The agency said it is already following the court orders to eradicate pieces of drug evidence according to the Office of the Court Administrator (OCA) Circular 118-2020 the Supreme Court administrator has issued.
PDEA chief Director General Wilkins Villanueva told Super Radyo dzBB that a total of 2.82 tons of dangerous drugs are set to be destroyed.
“Dahil may order ang Presidente, pagsusumikapan nating tapusin ito within the week,” Villanueva said.
“Dapat next week, magsusunog kami. Patay tayo kay Presidente kung di tayo magsusunog…” he added.
President Duterte in a public address Monday night that he wants all seized shabu to be destroyed in a week to prevent the recycling of the illegal drug.
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PDEA to destroy about a ton of shabu next week
“I want all the shabu, residual or otherwise, however minimal, destroyed, all of it, by next week. One week. Do it one week. Destroy and get specimen. Tutal, pag mag-ocular inspection, may prosecutor ‘yan,” Duterte had said.
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Camilo Pancratius Cascolan earlier said they would comply with Duterte’s order.
The PDEA said it is also working with the Department of Justice “to issue guidance relative to the propriety of the refusal of some prosecutors to move for or at least conform to the motion of PDEA for the conduct of ocular inspection, taking of representative samples, and subsequent issuance of court order for destruction on archived cases or cases under automatic review, involving more or less 540.6 kilograms of shabu.”
“May mga kaso na at large ang accused. Pag at large ang accused, wala ‘yung witness, wala ring representative of the accused. Napepending ang destruction of the case. We are trying to ano, makipagcoordinate sa Department of Justice to come up with a guidance or deadline kung ano ang gagawin. Kasi ‘yung prosecutor ayaw magconform dahil hindi nga kumpleto ang witnesses,” Villanueva said.