MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Tuesday accused a sitting local official of ditching at least 80 kilograms of "spoiled" shabu along a highway in Dingalan town, Aurora province.

PDEA chief Dionisio Santiago said agents recovered the P640-million worth of shabu along the highway of Barangay Cabog (formerly Barangay Matawe) based on a tip from a concerned citizen.

Santiago said the shabu, white cyrstallene drugs, could have been thrown a long time ago because its color has already turned black. He said the seized drugs can still be recycled.

The PDEA chief said the recovered shabu could have been owned by incumbent Dingalan town Vice-Mayor Hiram "Edgar" Liu, who has previously been charged by the National Bureau of Investigation for allegedly protecting a shabu laboratory in his town.

The drug charges against the vice-mayor were dismissed.

Santiago, meanwhile, said the PDEA has intensified anti-narcotics operations around the country as they are expecting "narco-politics" to intensify.

He said drug syndicates linked to politicians usually become more active during election period. The Philippines is holding national elections in May 2010. -- Report from Dexter Ganibe, radio dzMM