Press Release
December 9, 2015

Sen. Marcos Wants Transparency In Disposing Seized Illegal Drugs

Where have the illegal drugs confiscated by the Philippine National Police (PNP) gone?

This question was raised by Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos Jr. as he noticed that narcotics seized by policemen in successful operations against drug traffickers consequently disappeared from the public eye after they were presented to the media as accomplishments.

"Where are the illegal drugs confiscated by the police? How are these stored and destroyed? The public should know," Marcos said in a statement.

Procedurally, recovered illegal drugs are being kept and used as evidence in court against those caught possessing the substances.

But Marcos said the drugs should be disposed within full public view after they were already presented and the courts deemed no more use of them in the cases.

"Whether they incinerate or use other methods in destroying the drugs, the process should be done in public view or, at least, covered by the media," he said.

Marcos said this process would remove suspicions and assure the public that the drugs, or part of it, are not "recycled" or end up being re-sold in the streets by pushers under the protection of rogue policemen.

Marcos has proposed transparency in destroying recovered illegal drugs as he called on the PNP to step up their drive against drug trafficking and net big time drug traders and not just small retailers or street pushers.

Marcos made the call as he expressed alarm over the rising drug-related crimes citing a report from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) that over 20 percent of the 42,029 total barangays nationwide had drug-related cases last year, with the National Capital Region having the highest rate of drug-affected barangays at 92 percent.

News Latest News Feed