PDEA destroys P560 million worth of illegal drugs

CEBU, Philippines — The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Central Visayas (PDEA-7), in coordination with the Police Regional Office-7 (PRO-7) led the destruction of illegal drugs worth ?560,402,548.28 at a thermal facility of Cosmopolitan Funeral Homes on Jonquera St., Cebu City.

Among the destroyed contraband were 82.34 kilograms of shabu, 3.4 kilograms of marijuana, 15.7 milliliters of nalbuphine hydrochloride, and 16 milliliters of ephedrine.

These dangerous drugs were reportedly confiscated in various operations conducted across Cebu and Bohol provinces from June 26, 2017 to June 5, 2025.

The activity underscored the continuing commitment of law enforcement agencies to remove illegal drugs from evidence storage and to prevent any possibility of their re-circulation.

Police Brigadier General Redrico A. Maranan, PRO-7 regional director, joined PDEA-7 and other law enforcement partners in the destruction ceremony of the seized illegal drugs.

For PDEA-7, this marked the largest volume of illegal drugs destroyed in Central Visayas since 2017.

Yesterday's ceremony, which was the 15th destruction of illegal drugs since 2017, was conducted in compliance with court-issued orders authorizing the disposal of drug evidence from resolved cases as well as those seized illegal drugs but no cases were filed in court.

PDEA-7 Director Alex Tablate clarified that the significant volume of drugs seized should not be interpreted as a rise in drug supply in the region.

Instead, he said, it shows the consistent efforts of law enforcement agencies in pursuing anti-drug operations and ensuring proper handling of seized contraband.

Tablate added that several courts across Central Visayas had promptly issued decisions enabling the destruction.

Maranan also commended the initiative, emphasizing its significance in the ongoing campaign against illegal drugs.

Maranan stressed the government’s firm commitment in preventing the recycling or misuse of seized drugs and vowed that operations against street-level drug personalities will intensify in the coming days.  JG CEBU NEWS