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MANILA, Philippines – At least two senators warned the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Tuesday that the pending destruction of tons of illegal drugs in their inventory could trigger a “temptation to recycle” among law enforcement officials.
Senator Panfilo Lacson and Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon raised concerns about PDEA’s “huge inventory of seized drugs” during the Senate hearing on the agency’s proposed 2021 budget.
Following Drilon’s questioning, PDEA director general Wilkins Villanueva said the agency has 2.82 tons of illegal drugs in its current inventory, 1,867 tons of which are methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu).
“We always ask this question because we are concerned about the huge inventory of seized drugs,” Drilon said.
Lacson, for his part, said: “That is a very valid concern expressed by the Senate minority leader, kasi dito nagsisimula yung (because this triggers the) temptation to recycle because this involves large amounts of money.”
According to Villanueva, PDEA destroyed 2.1 tons of shabu worth an estimated P13.36 billion in August.
PDEA is scheduled to destroy another 300 kilograms of shabu in November, he added.
Villanueva said they are still waiting for a court order allowing them to destroy said volume of shabu.
“We are still waiting for the court order. This is still pending, yung (the) case in court, ”said the head of the PDEA.
But Drilon, a former secretary of justice, said that “the processing of the case is not a justification for not implementing the law.”
Under the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, the court must conduct a visual inspection of confiscated illegal drugs and paraphernalia within 72 hours. Consequently, the PDEA must proceed with the destruction of the seized evidence within 24 hours.
In addition, Drilon said that the Supreme Court had previously initiated a memorandum of understanding (MOA) with PDEA “to facilitate the burning of this inventory of illegal drugs.”
“It is not correct that I am waiting for the court order to implement this because there is already an order from the court administrator to facilitate this,” said the minority leader.
Drilon then recalled an incident involving the “recycling” of narcotics, which eventually led to former Philippine National Police chief General Oscar Albayalde, who was then the Pampanga police chief, to resign his post.
“We do remember the famous episode of Pampanga, which somehow carried the name of General Albayalde,” said the senator.
“A good amount of kilos of illegal drugs disappeared after it was confiscated by the assault team … That is why we are particular in implementing this provision of the law, which requires the destruction of contraband,” he added.
Lacson, who chaired the hearing, advised Villanueva to brief PDEA agents on the ground about the MOA between the Supreme Court and the agency to expedite the destruction of the seized drugs.
In response, Villanueva promised to immediately destroy the illegal drugs stored in his inventory.
“We will be writing to all the lower courts that have jurisdiction over dangerous drugs and we will ask for the destruction for sumabay sa (so that we can include this in) November. That is what we will do, ”the PDEA chief also said.
‘Recycling rumors’
Drilon also asked Villanueva if “recycling” activities among law enforcement officers continue to be a problem within the agency.
“We bring this up every time the budget is made, but to be fair, I haven’t heard on the news about the recycling business from law enforcement officers like we’ve seen before and is that a correct assumption? That we don’t have so much, that recycling is not a big problem today? Drilon asked.
Responding to this, Villanueva said that the PDEA has been strict on this issue, saying that even rumors of “recycling” are being investigated within the agents.
“We are really strict. PDEA is very strict at this time when it comes to recycling. Even recycling rumors really haunt the information, ”he said.
(We are really strict. PDEA is really strict when it comes to recycling. Even rumors of such activities, we will look up the information and investigate it).
“At this time, we have not heard anything about the recycling of dangerous drugs,” Villanueva added.
(At this time, we haven’t heard anything about recycling dangerous drugs.)
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