MARIJUANA BUSTERS. Government enforcers uproot marijuana plants at plantation sites discovered in Buscalan, Tinglayan in Kalinga province. A total of P146-million worth of marijuana was destroyed in a three-day operation from August 13 to 15. (Photo courtesy of PROCOR PIO)
BAGUIO CITY-– Another PHP146-million worth of marijuana plants were uprooted and burned by government law enforcers in a three-day operation in Barangay Buscalan, Tinglayan, Kalinga, an officer of the Police Regional Office in the Cordillera (PROCOR) said on Friday.
“The operatives discovered nine plantation sites and uprooted 717,900 fully grown marijuana plants on an area totaling 39,800 square meters. Also discovered were 25 grams of marijuana stalks at the plantation sites,” PROCOR information officer Maj. Carolina Lacuata said.
“Adu-adu nga talaga (It’s quite voluminous),” Lacuata told Philippine News Agency (PNA) in an interview, referring to the marijuana plants destroyed during the operation from August 13 to 15.
She said law enforcers from the Philippine National Police (PNP), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and other law enforcers continue to monitor the town of Tinglayan, particularly Barangay Buscalan.
Lacuata said in the past weeks, government enforcers have had successful operations against marijuana plantations and arresting “tourists” for illegal possession and transport of marijuana, known to have come from Buscalan, Kalinga.
“Doon nanggagaling ang mga dala ng mga nahuhuli natin (Those [marijuana] we seized came from there),” Lacuata said.
She said authorities have been continuously scouring the mountains of Buscalan and Tinglayan town to destroy marijuana plantations.
The eradication operation was jointly launched by the Tinglayan Police, Kalinga Police Provincial Office (PPO), Drug Enforcement Unit of Kaling PPO, Kalinga Provincial Maneuver Force Company (KPMFC), PDEA-Cordillera and Region 2 under Oplan “Green pearl sher-fan”.
Police Brig. Gen. Israel Ephraim Dickson commended the operatives for a job well done and for their untiring effort in eradicating marijuana plants in the region.
“We will not relax, we will not relent, and we will fulfill our President’s vision of a drug-free Philippines, our police operations against illegal drugs continue to be conducted within the bounds of the law with the utmost respect for human rights,” Dickson said. (PNA)
