TABUK CITY, Kalinga – More than ₱2.48 million worth of marijuana was seized and destroyed in separate anti-drug operations in Kalinga and Benguet, as the Police Regional Office-Cordillera (PRO-CAR) intensified its campaign against the illegal drug trade.
According to a report released on Thursday, the operations conducted on July 14 targeted illegal marijuana cultivation and transport in the two Cordillera provinces, resulting in the destruction and recovery of illegal drugs with a combined Standard Drug Price (SDP) of over ₱2.48 million.
The larger operation was carried out in Barangay Loccong, Tinglayan, Kalinga, where authorities discovered and destroyed 7,000 fully grown marijuana plants with an estimated SDP of ₱1.4 million.
The marijuana eradication operation was conducted by joint personnel from the Tinglayan Municipal Police Station, 2nd Kalinga Provincial Mobile Force Company, Provincial Intelligence Unit, Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit of the Kalinga Police Provincial Office, and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-Kalinga.
After documenting the site, authorities uprooted and burned all marijuana plants to prevent them from being harvested and distributed. Police are continuing their investigation to identify those behind the illegal plantation and determine whether similar marijuana cultivation sites exist in nearby areas.
Meanwhile, in Barangay Central, Kapangan, Benguet, personnel of the Kapangan Municipal Police Station recovered 9,000 grams of dried marijuana leaves and fruiting tops valued at ₱1.08 million during a mobile patrol along the Central Provincial Road.
The illegal drugs, found inside two abandoned sacks, were properly marked, documented, and turned over to the Regional Forensic Unit-Cordillera for qualitative examination.
PRO-CAR said the latest accomplishments underscore their continuing efforts to disrupt the production, cultivation, and transport of illegal drugs across the Cordillera. The operations form part of the government's implementation of Republic Act No. 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, which prohibits the cultivation, possession, transport, manufacture, and sale of dangerous drugs.
PRO-CAR also urged the public to remain vigilant and report suspected drug-related activities, emphasizing that community cooperation is vital in sustaining the campaign against illegal drugs and maintaining peace and order throughout the region.
Police likewise issued a stern warning to individuals engaged in the illegal drug trade, saying authorities will relentlessly pursue cultivators, traffickers, and pushers until they are arrested and brought before the courts. They reminded the public that involvement in illegal drug activities carries severe penalties and that no one involved in the trade will be beyond the reach of law enforcement.
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