LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – A marijuana plantation was discovered and destroyed in a two-day eradication operation conducted by the Benguet police and Philippine Drug Enforcement Administration-Cordillera Administrative Region in a communal forest area in Sitio Tableo, Barangay Badeo, Kibungan, this province.
Benguet police chief Police Col. Reynaldo Pasiwen said P13.2-million worth of marijuana plants were uprooted in the operation.
Pasiwen said operatives trekked the mountains of Kibungan and uprooted 2,100 fully grown marijuana plants valued at P420,000 cultivated in a land with an area of 300 square meters on April 3. Also found within the site was 10 kilos of dried marijuana stalks valued at P1.2 million.
The following day, operatives uprooted 28,000 fully grown marijuana plants valued at P5.6 million in a 4,000-square meter land. Fifty kilos of dried marijuana stalks amounting to P6 million were also found in the area.
These were burned onsite by the operatives.
Meanwhile, a 59-year-old barangay treasurer was arrested for alleged involvement in illegal drugs in Barangay Malin-awa, Tabuk City, Kalinga on Easter Sunday.
Tabuk police chief Police Col. Radino Belly identified the suspect as Marcelino Bumon-as Gud-ay who is listed as a high-value individual (HVI) drug personality in the city.
Belly said the city drug enforcement unit implemented a search warrant issued by the court following a tip from their asset that the suspect is hiding illegal drugs in his house.
Seized from the suspect were one medium heat-sealed transparent plastic sachet containing suspected shabu, 13 small heat-sealed sachet containing suspected shabu inside a small red pouch, 12 small heat-sealed plastic sachet containing shabu placed inside a small box of Mentos, one small heat-sealed plastic sachet containing suspected shabu placed inside the casing of a Huawei android phone, one lighter, one improvised tooter, four strips of foil, and one roll of unused foil.
Five grams of suspected shabu valued at P34,000 were properly inventoried and this was witnessed by barangay kagawads of Malin-awa, a representative from the Department of Justice, and a media representative.