KAPANGAN, Benguet - The delisting of this town as a marijuana-free area proved to be fitting as two marijuana plantations were discovered in two far-flung barangays, here, police reported Tuesday. Combined police operatives and anti-narcotics operatives successfully destroyed over P1.58 million worth of marijuana plants and seedlings during a two-day marijuana eradication operation in two identified plantation sites here over the weekend.
The illegal hemp was discovered in a total area of 580 square meters in Sitio Aleng, Barangay Sagubo and Sitio Wacwaca, Barangay Pudong, both in this province. Chief Superintendent Samuel B. Diciano, deputy regional director for administration of the Police Regional Office (PRO) in Cordillera, revealed the illegal contraband is composed of over 7,000 fully grown marijuana plants and at least 6,500 marijuana seedlings which were planted in between vegetable plants.
A huge portion of the uprooted marijuana plants and seedlings were burned on site while samples were taken by the operating troops for evidentiary purposes. Despite the continuous marijuana eradication operations being conducted by the concerned authorities, marijuana still continues the thrive in the far-flung communities of the region because its seeds freely fall on the ground while they are being uprooted from the ground thereby giving the seeds a chance to grow and become fully grown plants even without putting the necessary inputs. (Dexter A. See)
