CEBU CITY –A farmer was arrested after police caught him cultivating marijuana in a mountain barangay in Sibonga town, southern Cebu on Thursday morning, Dec. 5.
JOEL Ordiñesa Torres (right) is arrested after he was caught planting marijuana in Sibonga town, Cebu province, on Dec. 5. (Contributed photo)
Joel Ordiñesa Torres, 41, admitted planting marijuana. He, however, claimed that the marijuana was for his ailing father.
The Regional Drug Enforcement Group-Special Operations Group discovered the marijuana plantation in Barangay Sayao through a tip from an informant.
Seized during the operation were 500 grams of marijuana seeds and 200 stalks of fully grown marijuana plants worth P52,500.
A caliber .38 revolver with four bullets was also recovered, police said.
Although Torres claimed that the marijuana was intended for medical purposes, he will still be charged as there is no law yet in the country that allows the medical use of cannabis.
Appropriate charges will be filed against the suspect, police said.