| CDND photo / Pegeen Maisie Sararaña
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Authorities here burned on Saturday, Feb. 18, at least P191 million worth of illegal drugs that were confiscated in earlier operations by anti-narcotics groups.
Those burned included the P120 million drug haul from a 58-year-old South African identified as Pietro Aliquo, who was arrested at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) last February 1, 2023.
Authorities intercepted two suitcases from the suspect and confiscated 16 kilos of suspected shabu.
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas (PDEA-7) already filed charges against Pietro, who remains detained at their holding facility in Barangay Lahug, Cebu City pending the issuance of a commitment order.
Jigger Montallana, PDEA-7’s regional director, said that the illegal drugs destroyed on Saturday, consisted of 28 kilos of ‘shabu’ and 163 grams of dried marijuana leaves.
A court order was issued earlier to allow the destruction, through burning, of these illegal substances.
The items were made to undergo color test or the ‘Simon’s test’ to determine its legitimacy before these were burned at the crematorium of a funeral parlor in downtown Cebu City.
Montallana said that the illegal drugs were stored at their evidence room while they set the date for its destruction. Entry at their evidence room is prohibited, unless the three individuals – PDEA-7 Regional Director, chief chemist, and evidence custodian – who were tasked to keep its keys, are present.
During its destruction, the illegal drugs were placed in a thermal chamber and exposed to heat until these turned into carbon dioxide.
Since 2017, PDEA-7 already burned at least P1 billion worth of illegal drugs in 11 separate drug destructions activities.
For Montallana, the confiscation of a large volume of illegal drugs is a reflection of the hard work of law enforcement authorities, especially those who are on the ground conducting anti-illegal drug operations.
“We are one of the concerned regions. As far as PDEA-7 is concern, we are bracketed doon sa mga super regions based on number of anti drug operations conducted, drug seized we are one of those concerned regions na kailngan natin i intensify atong anti-drug campaign.” he said.
Police Brigadier General Jerry Bearis, director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7), for his part, assured the public that law enforcement agencies follow a process in disposing illegal drugs.
“Seized drugs by the PDEA and PNP are being properly disposed sa tamang proseso. We can ensure that all confiscated drugs are properly disposed as supervised by the court,” Bearis said.
Bearis attributed the success of the series of illegal drug destructions held here to the partnership that law enforcers have with members of the community and private sectors.
The police in Central Visayas also ensured that all of their operations are done based on intelligence gathering, wherein all information that they receive are properly verified, he added.
Bearis said PRO-7 is also working to strengthen its ties, especially with anti-illegal drug advocates.
To date, PRO-7 has around 800 advocates who will be officially launched early this March. / With reports from Niña Oliverio
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