Under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s leadership, confiscated illegal drugs are regularly destroyed to prevent unscrupulous persons from “recycling” and reselling them, law enforcement officials said.

“Ngayon po may sistema na within so many days may destruction kaagad. Wala na pong recycling ng drugs ngayon sa Pilipinas,” Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla said on Wednesday.

Remulla made the pronouncement during discussions following President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA).

Undersecretary Isagani Nerez, Director General of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), said that illegal drugs seized in operations where no suspects were arrested can now be destroyed upon certification by PDEA, in coordination with the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

Previously, law enforcers needed a court order before they could destroy all seized caches of illegal drugs, Nerez said.

In his SONA on Monday, President Marcos reported that more than PhP83 billion worth of narcotics have been confiscated just three years into his term, nearly surpassing the total drug seizure during the previous administration’s full six-year term.

Remulla said the accomplishment was primarily due to President Marcos’ directive to go after major sources of illegal drugs and to quickly destroy all confiscated drugs. | PND