P1M WORTH OF ILLEGAL DRUGS BURNED

About P1 million worth of illegal drugs were burned in public by the
Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Thursday in the presence of a
cross-section of the community.

The burning of the seized illegal drugs and paraphernalia was
witnessed by provincial government officials headed by Gov. George
Arnaiz.

PDEA regional director Supt. Amado Marquez Jr., and representatives
from the Department of Justice, Public Attorney's Office, police crime
lab, National Bureau of Investigation, police and the media were also
present.

The activity is a requirement of law, under Section 21, of Republic
Act 9165, which mandates the burning of confiscated and seized
prohibited drugs within 24 hours upon filing of a criminal complaint
in court. The confiscated illegal drugs consisted of 358 grams of
shabu and 746 grams of marijuana with a street value of P1 million.

Presiding Judge Crescencio Tan Jr. of Regional Trial Court Branch 30
said the burning is undertaken to prevent possible recycling of evidences.

On the other hand, Arnaiz said he intends to put more teeth in the new
law, if given the opportunity to be in Congress. He said the first
thing he will do then is to file an amendment increasing the penalty
for drug pushers.

Arnaiz pointed out that because of prohibited drugs families are
broken, daughters are raped by their own fathers, brothers kill each
other, and other drug-related crimes are committed.