By Freddie Lazaro
BANGUED, Abra – Authorities from the police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) have uprooted a total of P7.1 million worth of fully- grown marijuana plants in various plantations located in the mountainous areas of three towns of Benguet province during a four-day marijuana eradication operation last week, according to police Brigadier General Israel Ephraim Dickson in an interview over Bombo Radyo.
Dickson, who is the regional director of the Cordillera Administrative Region Police Office, said the operations were parts of their aggressive campaign against illegal drugs.
He said that last Sunday, January 12, lawmen uprooted fully- grown marijuana plants from 11 plantation sites in Sitio Moling, Palina, Kibungan, Benguet province with an estimated worth of P2.9 million based on the standard of the Dangerous Drug Board.
Another group of lawmen uprooted marijuana plants worth more than P3.2 million in the mountainous areas of Barangay Tubongan, Kayapa, Bakun; and in Sitio Gotgoto, Beleng Belis, Kapangan, Benguet.
In a similar eradication operation, lawmen discovered and uprooted the P378,000.00 worth of Marijuana plants in Barangay Namalilian, Kayapa, Bakun, Benguet; while another team uprooted the P624,000.00 worth of fully-grown marijuana plants and dried marijuana stalks in Sitio Dupinas, Palina, Kibungan, Benguet.
Dickson said most of the uprooted marijuana were burned in the plantation sites and only samples were brought to police regional office for documentation.
He said that hot-pursuit operations and follow-up investigation was going on to identify the cultivators of the discovered marijuana plantations.