BILANG pagtalima sa direktiba ni Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., na agad sirain ang lahat ng nasamsam na ipinagbabawal na droga, sinilaban ng Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) at Philippine National Police (PNP) ang huli nilang dried marijuana stalks at fruiting tops na naka-pack sa 31 tubular form, at tumitimbang ng 30,234.9 gramo.

Nanguna sa ceremonial burning ang PDEA Regional Office-Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), na pinamumunuan ni Director Derrick Carreon, katuwang ang PNP Police Regional Office-CAR, sa Camp Bado Dangwa, La Trinidad, Benguet.

Sumaksi sa pagsunog ang mga kinatawan mula sa Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), civil society organization, local barangay officials at mga miyembro ng media.

Pinapurihan naman ni PDEA Director General Undersecretary Isagani R. Nerez si Presiding Judge Isagani Calderon ng Regional Trial Court, Branch 8, La Trinidad, Benguet, sa paglabas ng court order para sirain ang nasamsam na mga marijuana.

 “PDEA is thankful to Judge Calderon for the prompt issuance of the court order. While PDEA is the sole authority to have custody of all confiscated drugs, the decision to destroy them has to be ordered by the courts,” paliwanag ni DG Nerez.

“The faster the court orders are issued, the faster the seized drug evidence is destroyed before the public eye. This addresses the lingering concern that those seized by authorities are being recycled or peddled back in the streets,” dagdag pa ni Nerez.

(JESSE RUIZ)