Illegal drugs worth P7.5B destroyed

OVER P7.5 billion worth of illegal drugs were destroyed by the government on Thursday, bringing the total value of drugs seized at more than P56 billion since the start of President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s term in 2016.

Mr. Duterte, in his speech during the ceremonial destruction held in Trese Martires, Cavite, said the seized drugs come from “more than 180,000 anti-illegal drug operations since the beginning of my administration.”

Earlier this year, he ordered the immediate destruction of the confiscated drugs after logging in with the courts to prevent reselling by rogue cops.

The President also called on law enforcers to maintain vigilance in tracking illegal drug activities despite the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak.

“Let me emphasize to our law enforcement agents and operatives that, despite the extraordinary circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, these criminals do not cease in their nefarious activities. We must, therefore, remain steadfast in our campaign not only by intensifying our operations against drug trafficking, but also by reforming our criminal justice system and addressing the root cause of drug abuse and dependency,” he said.

The fight against illegal drugs was one of Mr. Duterte’s main campaign promises, but his drug war has become controversial with allegations of extra-judicial killings during police operations. — Gillian M. Cortez