MANILA, Philippines – Tinatayang nasa 32,585 fully grown marijuana plants ang sinira ng mga tropa ng pamahalaan sa Kalinga at Benguet.
Ayon sa Police Regional Office-Cordillera (PROCor) nitong Huwebes, Setyembre 21, aabot sa P6.5 milyon ang halaga ng mga sinunog na marijuana.
Ani Col. Carolina Lacuata, Public Information Office chief ng PROCor, isinagawa ang dalawang araw na magkakahiwalay na operasyon sa Barangay Ngibat, Tinglayan, Kalinga; Bas-angan at Kayapa, Bakun; Tacadang, Kibungan; lahat ay nasa Benguet.
“This is part of the continuing activity of the law enforcers to rid the region of illegal drugs like marijuana. We have instructions not to relax in the anti-illegal drugs effort,” pahayag ni Lacuata.
Aniya, ang operasyon ay isinagawa mula Setyembre 19 hanggang 20, kasama ang mga operatiba mula sa Philippine National Police at Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in the Cordillera.
Wala namang naaresto sa operasyon.
“Our operatives walk several hours because cultivation is intentionally done in hard-to-reach areas of the mountains and cultivators are adept with the place, allowing them to monitor incoming government troops and scamper before we even reach the place,” pagbabahagi ni Lacuata.
“There are signals used by planters and their cohorts to inform those at the plantation areas if there are government troops who are arriving,” dagdag niya.
Ang Tinglayan, Kalinga; at Bakun at Kibungan sa Benguet ay kasama sa listahan ng mga lugar kung saan isinasagawa ang marijuana eradication operations.
“Because of the good soil quality, there are areas where there are no cultivators but are simply growing being areas where previous eradications are conducted. Our operatives also constantly visit these areas to ensure that they uproot whatever remains of the plants that grew after a destruction operation,” aniya. RNT/JGC
