25,000 marijuana plants uprooted in Kalinga

By Geraldine G. Dumallig

Sunday 17th of June 2012

TABUK CITY, Kalinga, June 17 (PIA) -- Around 25,000 fully grown marijuana plants with an estimated valued of P5 million were recently uprooted from a kaingin located at Mt. Banga-banga, Barangay Agbannawag, of this city.

Kalinga Provincial Police Office (KPPO) Director Police Senior Superintendent Froilan de Guzman Perez reported that based on information from a tipster, joint forces of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Philippine Dangerous Enforcement Authority (PDEA) immediately conducted on-site marijuana destruction in about 5,000 square meters plantation last June 13.

The marijuana plants were scattered in various areas of the kaingin in an area identified as public land. The owner of the plantation has not yet been established, the police reported. The place is about 40 kilometers from the city proper.

The joint forces composed of the KPPO, Kalinga Provincial Public Safety Company, 3rd Coy Regional Public Safety Battalion (RPSB) - Cordillera Regional Police Office (PRO-COR) and the Tabuk City Police station headed by PSupt. Reynaldo delos Pasiwen, PDEA and personnel of Quezon Police Station led by Police Chief Inspector Mina Dominga.

Along with the uprooted marijuana plants, the operatives have also confiscated an improvised wooden mold and wooden press used in molding the marijuana bricks.

Most of the uprooted plants were burned on-site but samples were brought to the KPPO as evidence and for the ceremonial burning led by PNP-Cordillera Regional Director P/Chief Supt. Benjamin Magalong the next day.

Magalong commended the KPPO's accomplishment assuring that PRO-COR under his administration will do its best to provide all field units in the region the needed equipment to improve PNP performances and help the field personnel do their functions better.

Meanwhile, operatives said investigation is on going to identify the cultivator of the marijuana plantation.

Perez appealed to the civilian community to continue cooperating with authorities in the fight against illegal drugs in Kalinga . (JDP/GGD-LL – PIA CAR, Kalinga)