Law enforcement authorities led by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Friday burned more than one million grams of shabu and other illegal drugs worth nearly P6 billion.
Senior Deputy Speaker and Pampanga Rep. Aurelio Gonzales Jr., Laguna Rep. Dan Fernandez, Patrol Party-list Rep. Jorge Bustos, and Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, who chairs the House of Representatives committee on dangerous drugs, joined PDEA chief Moro Virgilio Lazo in witnessing the destruction of the illicit substances in Cavite.
“Our presence there was part of our job as House members who are looking into recent drug confiscations and the trade in illegal drugs in general upon the instruction of Speaker Martin Romualdez,” Gonzales said.
“Our inquiry is in consonance with the bloodless anti-drug campaign of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., which has so far netted more than P30 billion worth of illegal substances,” he said.
The committee on dangerous drugs has started its investigation into recent drug seizures by law enforcement agencies, including P3.6 billion worth of shabu confiscated in a warehouse in Barangay San Jose Malino, Mexico, Pampanga, and a large amount of shabu extender found in a vehicle abandoned in the parking lot of a supermarket in Mabalacat City, also in Pampanga.
According to the PDEA, the illegal substances destroyed in Cavite included 274 kilos of shabu seized at the Manila International Container Port last Oct. 6 and the 208 kilos of shabu extender recovered in Mabalacat City.
PDEA said the illicit drugs were destroyed because they were no longer needed as evidence.
The 530 kilos of shabu found in Barangay San Jose Malino were apparently not part of the burned substances.
PDEA and other law enforcement agencies told the Barbers committee two weeks ago that the Malino case was still an “ongoing operation” and that they were still pursuing some “persons of interest.” So far, no arrest has been made.
The Barbers committee has subpoenaed businessman Willy Ong, owner of the warehouse in Barangay San Jose Malino, to its next hearing.
Aside from instruction from Romualdez, the House inquiry was also prompted by resolutions filed by Gonzales and Zambales Rep. Jeffrey Konghun.