P228M in marijuana destroyed in two-day operations in Kalinga

Authorities destroyed around P228 million in marijuana in three operations in Kalinga earlier this week, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Tuesday.

In a statement, the PNP said the eradication operations were carried out on May 17 and 18 in Barangay Loccong in Tinglayan town.

Police units discovered, uprooted, and burned onsite around 840,000 fully grown marijuana plants cultivated in identified plantation sites in the town. The destruction was done in two batches.

The destroyed marijuana was valued at P168 million.

In another operation, police operatives destroyed 300,000 fully grown marijuana plants worth P60 million covering 25,000 square meters of land in the same barangay.

“Patuloy nating paiigtingin ang mga operasyon laban sa ilegal na droga, lalo na sa mga lugar na ginagamit para sa pagtatanim nito. Ang mahalaga rito ay tuloy-tuloy ang presensya ng pulisya at maayos nating naipatutupad ang batas nang may paggalang sa karapatan at kaligtasan ng lahat,” PNP chief Police General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said.

(We will continue to beef up our operations against illegal drugs, especially in areas where these are planted. The important thing is continuous presence of the police so that we are able to enforce the law with respect for everyone’s rights and safety.) — JMA, GMA News