PDEG leads PNP’s drive vs green gold
THE Philippine National Police (PNP) through its Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG) is continuing its all-out ‘search-and-destroy’ campaign against all marijuana plantation sites, specifically in the Cordilleras, the Journal Group learned.
Now headed by Brigadier General Eleazar Matta, the PDEG, joined by operatives from the Cordillera Police Regional Office, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, the Philippine Army, Philippine Air Force and the Philippine Coast Guard recently launched a 9-day massive marijuana eradication drive in the mountains of Tinglayan, Kalinga.
The drive resulted in the destruction of an estimated P862 million worth of fully-grown cannabis plants and seedlings and marijuana bricks.
Government agents walked for miles in order to reach the marijuana fields in Mt. Chumanchill in Brgy. Loccong and Buscalan, Tinglayan.
The ‘high-impact’ marijuana eradication operation started April 29 and ended May 7.
It saw government agents uprooting over 3.3 million pieces of fully-grown cannabis plants and seedlings and recovering some 1.6 tons of dried marijuana bricks.
The prohibited crops valued at P861.9 million were burned on site after some samples were taken for evidentiary purposes.
Matta said the banned crops were found growing in nearly 200,000 square-meter uninhabited parts of Mt. Chumanchill.
“The destruction of these plants not only disrupted the supply chain but also served as a deterrent to potential cultivators, signaling the risks associated with such illicit endeavors,” said the PDEG director.
The prohibited crops could have been smuggled to Metro Manila and other urban parts of the country had they not destroyed, the official added.
Matta also said that the operation’s success underscores the unwavering commitment of the PDEG and other law enforcement agencies in combating illegal drug activities.
“By disrupting the illicit drug network in Tinglayan, Kalinga, the operation not only dealt a significant blow to the drug trade but also sent a clear message that such activities will not be tolerated,” he added.
The operation concluded with a ceremonial burning of some of the uprooted crops by officials led by Cordillera Police Regional Office director, Brig. Gen. David K. Peredo.
The prohibited crops were found growing in the area which is known for its cool weather suitable for marijuana cultivation.
However, no one was arrested during the string of operations as the sites were found to be uninhabited, said Matta.
Presence of troops walking on foot to reach the site also easily attracts the attention of local villagers and alarm the marijuana growers.
From July 1, 2022 to last March 31, the PDEA chaired by Director General Moro Virgilio M. Lazo said that nearly P34.10 billion worth of illegal drugs, controlled precursors and essential chemicals and laboratory equipment have been seized.
They include nearly 3.9 tons of marijuana, he said.
In 2022, the PDEA said that marijuana is already the most abused illegal drug by users in the Philippines.
The Agency on the same year said that the locally grown cannabis or marijuana dislodged the erstwhile drug of choice–methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu, both on the demand and the supply side and as shown by the massive volume seizures in 2021 and the survey result of the Dangerous Drugs Board in 2019.
The illegal hemp gets the lion’s share by registering 83 percent of the reported total bulk weight of drug seizures in 2021. Shabu is a distant second at 17 percent.
The DDB survey also shows that marijuana is the most commonly abused dangerous drug (57 percent) followed by shabu (35 percent).
In 2021, more than 11 tons of marijuana were confiscated–one of the highest consolidated volumes of marijuana seizure ever recorded.
The PDEA said then that this may indicate two things: interception and enforcement efforts are efficient; and cannabis cultivators and distributors are ramping up their drug trafficking activities to meet surging demand.
