MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency on Tuesday destroyed controlled precursors and essential chemicals valued at P17.9 million, together with assorted laboratory equipment used for the production of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu.
PDEA destroyed CPECs and laboratory equipment that were confiscated by its agents from the mega-clandestine laboratory in Km.19, East Service Road, Barangay San Martin de Porres, Parañaque City in June 6, 2012.
"The Parañaque mega-clandestine laboratory is about three times larger than the one-hectare clandestine laboratory in Ayala, Alabang. The basement was used as a laboratory for manufacturing shabu, while the ground floor was utilized as storage for chemicals, and the second floor was used for cooling or drying finished drugs," PDEA chief Arturo Cacdac Jr. said.
Cacdac led the destruction of the illegal drugs and equipment at Green Planet Management, Incorporated in Barangay Punturin, Valenzuela City, a Department of Environment and Natural Resources-accredited treatment facility. This is the first destruction of CPECs conducted by PDEA in 2013.
Cacdac said that a total of 61,545 liters of liquid chemicals composed of toluene, acetone, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, ethanol, benzyl cyanide, acetic acid, methyl ethyl ketone; and 8,444 kilograms of solid chemicals composed of iodine, sulfamic acid, sodium hydroxide, red phosphorus, activated carbon, hydrochloric acid, and other negative solid chemicals were destroyed through chemical treatment method.
During the destruction, toluene and hydrochloric acid and other acidic chemicals will be treated with water then neutralized with sodium hydroxide. The end-products will be water and sodium chloride.
Other chemicals that emerge as end products of the treated acidic chemicals will be treated with sludge or oil waste. The mixture will be placed in a mixer to be combined with compounds used in making hollow-blocks. There is no possibility that the original composition of chemicals can be recovered from the destruction using chemical treatment method.
Cacdac assured the public that PDEA will destroy all seized dangerous drugs and chemicals recovered through anti-drug operations in accordance with the anti-drug law to eliminate doubts that confiscated dangerous drugs are being recycled and sold back in the streets.
"This CPECs destruction was made possible with the continuous support of the judiciary,"Cacdac said, citing Judge Danilo Suarez of Parañaque City RTC Branch 259 for issuing court order for the destruction of chemicals and laboratory equipment.