Over P6-M marijuana plants discovered, torched in Benguet
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) raids two sites in Kibungan, Benguet, where over P6 million worth of marijuana plants were discovered and destroyed. (Screengrab from video courtesy of PDEA)
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) discovered and destroyed 30,800 fully-grown marijuana plants worth an estimated P6.16 million in Barangay Tacadang in Kibungan, Benguet.
The operation was carried out from Monday, Jan. 27 to Tuesday, Jan. 28, PDEA Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) Public Information Officer Rosel Sarmiento told INQUIRER.net in a phone interview on Wednesday morning.
Details released by the PDEA also on Wednesday morning said the operation occurred in two lots with a total estimated land area of 3,850 square meters.
The first plantation housed 6,800 pieces of marijuana plants valued at P1.36 million, while the second site contained 24,000 pieces valued at P4.80 million.
Article continues after this advertisement“Itong na-raid sa Kibungan, Benguet, nakakubli ito sa kabundukan ng barangay. Hindi ito madaling puntahan ng tropa. Kaya’t akalain lang natin na vegetable plantations lang ito pero, kapag napuntahan ito, malawakang plantasyon ito ng marijuana,” Sarmiento told INQUIRER.net.
Article continues after this advertisement(The sites raided in Kibungan, Benguet, are tucked away in the mountains of the barangay. This wasn’t easy to reach. It would initially look like a vegetable farm, but upon closer inspection, it revealed marijuana plantations.)
Sarmiento said PDEA CAR’s marijuana eradication operations usually stem from informants or information sharing with monitoring partner agencies like the Philippine National Police.
According to the PDEA, the marijuana plants were destroyed by torching on site and no cultivator was found during the operation.
“Itong mga lupain na ito ay hindi rehistrado sa kanino man,” Sarmiento explained.
(These lands are not registered to anyone.)
“Sunod-sunod na nagsawa ang aming operatiba, kasama ang kapulisan, sa pagsagawa ng eradication (referring to marijuana)… hindi lang dito sa kabundukan ng Benguet, kasama rin yung kabundukan ng Kalinga,” she stressed.
(Our operatives and the police are sustaining the eradication drive… not only in the mountains of Benguet but also in the mountains of Kalinga.)