LA TRINIDAD, BENGUET — More than P19 million- worth of marijauna destroyed in separate marijuana eradication operations in Benguet and Kalinga recently.
Anti-narcotics agents from the Police Regional Office-Cordillera, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Cordillera, PDEA Region 1, PDEA Region 2, Philippine Army and local police torched marijuana plants worth P 17, 480,000 in simultaneous eradication drives in Tinglayan, Kalinga on March 24.
In Barangay Loccong, law enforcers destroyed six marijuana cultivation sites planted with 40,000 fully-grown marijuana and 9,600 marijuana seedlings with a Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) value of P8, 384,000. They also destroyed Barangay Buscalan, also in Tinglayan some 44,700 fully-grown marijuana and 3,900 marijuana seedlings sourced from nine plantation sites with DDB value of P9, 096,000.
In the province of Benguet, anti-narcotics agents uprooted and burned around P2.04M worth of marijuana at Sitio Bana, Tacadang in Kibungan, Benguet in a two-day eradication operation.
The operation dubbed as “Oplan Bana” was implemented from March 19-20 that resulted to the destruction of 8,700 fully-grown marijuana plants and 2.4 kilos of marijuana stalks sourced from five cultivation sites.
PDEA-CAR Information Officer Joseph Calulut said the anti-illegal drug campaign is part of PDEA’s thrust in clearing the community of illegal hemp that is still considered as prohibited under the law.
PRO-Cor Regional Director PCSupt. Edward Carranza lauded the operatives for a job well done and the concerted efforts of various law enforcement agencies and the local government units.
“The never-ending eradication does not guarantee the total elimination of marijuana plants in the area because some residents use this illegal drugs as one of the source of income. However, rest assured that the PROCOR in partnership with the other government agencies is doing its best to implement the plans and programs to prevent more marijuana cultivation, ” he said.
Carranza called on marijuana planters to divert to other livelihood project that the local government and other non-government organizations offer as an alternate source of their livelihood to help in the maintenance of peace and order in the region.
He also ordered all unit commanders to strengthen partnership with the communities and conduct continuous police operations and intensify intelligence build up against personalities involved in illegal drugs and put them behind bars.(JDP/RMC- PIA CAR with reports from PDEA)
