In a significant blow to the narcotics trade in Central Visayas, law enforcement agencies publicly destroyed illegal drugs with an estimated street value of P468.1 million in Cebu City.
Public Destruction of Narcotics Evidence
The burning ceremony took place on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, at the Cosmopolitan Funeral Homes along Junquera Street. The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Region 7 (PDEA 7), together with the Central Visayas police, carried out the destruction using a thermal chamber starting at 10 a.m.
High-ranking officials witnessed the event, which was conducted with court approval. In attendance were Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) Secretary Oscar Valenzuela and PDEA Director General Undersecretary Isagani Nerez. Also present were Police Brigadier General Redrico Maranan, chief of the Police Regional Office 7, and representatives from the provincial governments of Bohol and Cebu, as well as from the judiciary handling the related drug cases.
A Sustained Campaign Against Supply
This event marks the third major drug destruction for the year in the region. The cumulative value of narcotics incinerated by PDEA and the Philippine National Police in 2025 now exceeds P1.3 billion.
The series of destructions began on February 13, 2025, with drugs worth P284.9 million, followed by a second batch valued at P560 million on June 5, 2025. The latest haul, worth P468 million, primarily consisted of shabu, marijuana, and expired regulated drugs that can no longer be sold.
Secretary Valenzuela praised PDEA 7's transparency, stating that public destruction helps eliminate doubts that seized drugs are recycled back onto the streets. He emphasized that the proliferation of illegal drugs remains a major threat and that the government, through inter-agency and local government cooperation, is committed to eradicating the problem.
Rewards and Community Support
Parallel to the destruction, the DDB awarded cash rewards to four confidential informants, referred to as "Private Eye," who provided crucial information leading to large drug seizures. The total reward money distributed reached P775,000.
One informant, codenamed "Loloy 6," received nearly P300,000 for information that led to an arrest and the confiscation of several kilos of suspected shabu. Officials credited these assets for their role in disrupting the shabu supply chain in Central Visayas.
The DDB aims to eliminate the drug scourge nationwide with public assistance. Valenzuela stressed that every gram destroyed saves lives and families by preventing the drugs from reaching communities.
In a show of local government solidarity, Cebu City Councilor Paul Labra II affirmed the city's strong support under Mayor Nestor Archival's leadership for the police and PDEA 7's anti-drug campaign. Their goal is to declare the entire Cebu City drug-free by targeting the sources of supply.
The judiciary from Bohol, Metro Cebu, and Negros Oriental authorized the destruction of the drug evidence as the related court cases had already been concluded.
