STEPPED-UP efforts by Philippine National Police (PNP) agents to stop the production and distribution of marijuana in the country this month resulted in the uprooting and destruction of an estimated P60 million worth of fully-grown cannabis plans and seedlings in the countryside, PNP chief General Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar said on Saturday.

Last Tuesday, Cordillera policemen uprooted and destroyed an estimated P21.5 million worth of the prohibited crops in Tinglayan, Kalinga.

Cordillera Police Regional Office director Brigadier Gen. Ronald O. Lee said that members of the regional and provincial police force, with the assistance of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), uprooted nearly 108,000 cannabis plants in three plantation sites in Bgy. Loccong, Tinglayan.

The prohibited crops were burned on site during the marijuana eradication operation launched by operatives from the Tinglayan, Lubuagan and Balbalan Municipal Police Stations, the Kalinga Police Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit and Provincial Mobile Force Company, the Regional Intelligence Unit 14 and the local PDEA, following tips from local residents.

Burned at the first site were some 37,500 pieces of marijuana plants worth P7.5 million while another 30,000 crops valued at P6 million were destroyed at the second site. The third site yielded some 40,000 fully-grown cannabis plants and seedlings worth P8 million.

No cultivator was apprehended during the operation.

Another three-day operation in the same uninhabited site which ended last Wednesday led in the uprooting and burning of some 123,500 fully-grown cannabis valued at P24.7 million.

In Davao del Sur, PNP operatives burned an estimated P3 million worth of marijuana plants during an operation in Sitio Siman Da-ag in Bgy. Tacub, Kiblawan municipality.

The operation was conducted by joint agents from the PNP Drug Enforcement Group headed by Brig. Gen. Remus B. Medina, the Police Regional Office 11 under Brig. Gen. Filmore B. Escobal and the Army’ 39th Infantry Battalion.

On the other hand, a joint PDEA-Police Regional Office 7 anti-narcotics operation in Asturias, Cebu on Monday led in the arrest of a marijuana cultivator and the uprooting and destruction of an estimated P10.5-million worth of fully-grown cannabis plants and seedlings.

The top cop said the arrested suspect identified as Edwin Camaongay, a 47-year-old resident of Bgy. Langosig in Danao City, Cebu will be facing non-bailable charges for violation of Section 16 of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

The offense which carries a penalty of life imprisonment and a fine ranging from P500,000 to P10 million will be imposed upon any person who will be found planting, cultivating or culturing marijuana, opium poppy or any other plant regardless of quantity.

According to Eleazar, members of the Cebu Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit, the Asturias Municipal Police Station and the PDEA Region 7 found the prohibited crops in Purok 1, Bgy. Kaluangan early morning Sunday.

Uprooted in the area were more than 10,000 pieces of fully-grown cannabis plants worth more than P4 million.

Another operation in Sitio Buyong in Bgy. Matab-ang in Toledo City, Cebu on the same day resulted in the destruction of nearly P6.4 million worth of marijuana plants. However, the suspected cultivator of the banned crops identified as Florencio Basilis, 40, is still being hunted as of press time.

“Manhunt operations are now being done by the police operatives to capture the said suspect. Bahagi ng ating Intensified Cleanliness Policy program ang mas pinaigting na kampanya sa pagaresto ng mga nagtatanim at nagbebenta ng naturang halaman,” Eleazar said.

“I would like to commend all the police officers and even our counterpart in the AFP involved in these successful operations. Patunay lamang ito na matatag ang ating inilatag na programang Intensified Cleanliness Policy upang matulungan ang komunidad na maging malinis sa iligal na droga at kriminalidad,” he added.