ILLEGAL DRUGS BURNED. Personnel of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Western Visayas place the seized illegal drugs for destruction in the crematorium machine of the Acropolis Gardens in Bacolod City on Friday afternoon (June 24, 2022). Almost PHP96 million worth of drugs used as evidence before the courts in the cities of Bacolod, San Carlos City, and Iloilo were destroyed.(PNA photo by Nanette L. Guadalquiver) BACOLOD CITY - Personnel of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Western Visayas (PDEA-6) destroyed almost PHP96 million worth of seized illegal drugs in the crematorium machine of the Acropolis Gardens in Bacolod City on Friday afternoon. The destruction covered 11.723 kilos of shabu worth PHP93.788 million and 12.431 kilos of marijuana valued at PHP1.76 million. "So far, this is the biggest volume that we have destroyed in one setting," said PDEA-6 Regional Director Alex Tablate. The destroyed dangerous drugs were presented as evidence in various cases filed before the courts in the cities of Bacolod, San Carlos City, and Iloilo. Tablate said under the present rules, it is no longer required that a case be concluded before the illegal drug evidence can be destroyed. "We can now file a motion for an ocular inspection and immediate destruction while the case is ongoing. The court now allows it," he added. Among the items burned were the three kilos of shabu seized during an operation at the Bredco port here last January and the five kilos of the same prohibited substance recovered by the police in Escalante City in March this year. "All recovered items are documented and sealed. These are all real 'shabu'. We submit it to the court, we document everything. Once the motion is granted by the court, the items are returned to us for destruction. We test it again to show to you that these were the same items recovered," Tablate said. He said the PDEA destroys seized illegal drugs usually twice a year, but now once there is a court order, they immediately set the destruction, especially for bulk seizures. The latest destruction activity included drug evidence in decided cases as early as 2009 while the rest are for cases filed from 2016 onwards. In March this year, the PDEA-6 also destroyed 686.27 grams of shabu worth PHP6.18 million and 2.08 kilos of marijuana worth PHP312,159 in the same venue. As part of the protocol, the destruction ceremony is witnessed by representatives of the Philippine National Police Forensics Unit-Region 6, Department of Justice, Public Attorney's Office, non-government organizations, elected officials, and members of the media. (PNA) }