Cordillera cops seize P3.8M marijuana at checkpoints

BAGUIO CITY –– Police seized P3.8-million worth of marijuana and arrested 12 people during a series of anti-narcotics operations in the Cordillera region.

In a belated report, police said dried marijuana leaves worth more than P2 million were confiscated from 11 tourists on board a bus at a checkpoint in Banaue, Ifugao on July 21.

The suspects were identified as Jerick Villacorte Crisostomo, 36, Reniel Dela Cruz Espinosa, 23, Daniel Urbano Gavino Tejada, 22, Titus Jacob Tallada, 20, Joshua Pagador Dacillo, 19, Reynaldo Tinagan Jerez Jr., 19, and a 17-year-old male student.

They are residents of the National Capital Region and Bulacan.

In a separate operation that day, Charles Kimmayong was also arrested in Amganad village in Banaue, Ifugao for allegedly possessing five plastic sachets containing “shabu” (crystal meth) and assorted drug paraphernalia.

In Abra, Joel Dacayo was arrested in Bangued town on July 19 after he was caught with a sachet containing suspected shabu and a sachet of dried marijuana leaves.

In this city, three plastic sachets of shabu and P3,000 cash were confiscated from Ramil Ong, 50, on the same day.

In Kalinga, dried marijuana leaves worth P1,882,770 were seized from two carriers, also on July 19.

Delfher Jay Navarrete Abancia, 24, and Zamier C. Galo, 22, a Grade 11 student, were arrested at a checkpoint in Agbannawag village in Tabuk City.