ERADICATION. Government anti-illegal drugs operatives uproot marijuana plants discovered in Bakun, Benguet during an eradication operation on Wednesday (July 20, 2022). Capt. Marnie Abellanida, Police Regional Office Cordillera information officer, urged the public to continue helping the government by providing relevant information about drug sellers, users, and transporters. (PNA photo courtesy of PROCor PIO)
BAGUIO CITY – Government anti-illegal drug operatives have destroyed a total of PHP3.62 million worth of marijuana plants in a two-day simultaneous eradication operation in Benguet and Kalinga provinces.
Capt. Marnie Abellanida, information officer of the Police Regional Office-Cordillera (PROCor), said on Friday afternoon that operatives from the PROCor discovered the marijuana plants during anti-illegal drugs operations conducted in the mountainous area of Kibungan and Bakun in Benguet, and in Tinglayan, Kalinga.
He said the personnel of the 1st Benguet Provincial Mobile Force Company was conducting a patrol in Barangay Tacadang, Kibungan, Benguet when they discovered a total of 10 kilograms of dried marijuana stalks with a Standard Drug Price (SDP) of PHP1.2 million in Sitio Dalipey.
Meanwhile, in Barangay Kayapa, Bakun, Benguet, joint operatives of the Bakun Municipal police station, Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (PDEU), and Provincial Intelligence Unit of Benguet PPO discovered 2,100 pieces of fully-grown marijuana plants worth PHP420,000 while conducting anti-illegal drug operations in Sitio Lengyatan.
Another group of government operatives also discovered 10,000 pieces of fully grown marijuana plants worth PHP2 million in Barangay Buscalan, Tinglayan, Kalinga.
He said the marijuana plants were burned on-site by the operatives.
Abellanida said marijuana eradication is a continuing effort of the government to prevent it from being harvested and brought to urban areas.
“Getting rid of the drugs problem is not the sole responsibility of the government because the community has a big role to perform by providing relevant information,” he said.
When former President Rodrigo Duterte announced the campaign against illegal drugs, Abellanida said several informants started approaching or secretly providing information to the police that had led to the seizure of illegal drugs and arrests of drug sellers and users. (PNA)
