CAPAS, Tarlac — In a show of the administration’s resolve to ensure the integrity of anti-drug operations, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Wednesday personally oversaw the destruction of an estimated ₱9.4 billion worth of confiscated illegal drugs at a waste management facility in Capas, Tarlac.
The centerpiece of the operation was the disposal of 1,304 kilograms of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu, recovered in recent months from maritime interdiction efforts in Zambales, Pangasinan, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, and Cagayan.
“Kailangan tiyakin natin na ‘yung mga nahuhuling drugs ay talagang sinisira at wala nang pag-asa na bumalik pa,” Marcos said during the destruction event held at Clean Leaf International Corp.
The seized narcotics were incinerated through thermal decomposition, a process involving temperatures reaching 700 degrees Celsius sustained for 10 hours, followed by a 12-hour cooling period to ensure complete breakdown of substances.
“Ngayon ko lang nakita ito. I was very interested to see,” the President added. “I’m glad that the press is here para makita ninyo kung ano ba talaga ang sistema.”
Apart from the floating shabu, authorities also destroyed liquid shabu, marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy, toluene, lidocaine, and various expired medicines — all gathered from multiple anti-drug operations across the country.
For the shabu recovered at sea where no suspects were apprehended, destruction was permitted through sworn certification in line with Dangerous Drugs Board regulations.
The President, who reiterated his stance against violent enforcement, emphasized on Tuesday the government’s continued “bloodless” approach to the anti-drug campaign. He reaffirmed that both large-scale syndicates and street-level pushers remain targets of the crackdown, but with firm safeguards in place to ensure that confiscated drugs never re-enter communities./PN
