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Friday, June 20, 2003
All-out war declared v. pot trade in Cordi
CAMP DANGWA -- Responding to the renewed all-out war against illegal drugs in the country, as declared by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo earlier this week, top officers of the Police Regional Office in the Cordilleras (PRO-CAR) vowed Thursday to rid the region of marijuana.
PRO-CAR Director Chief Supt. Victor Luga told reporters in a press briefing Thursday that more anti-marijuana raids are scheduled this year, aside from the series of marijuana eradications conducted last January to May.
Luga also reported that he would order the Intelligence and Investigation Division of PNP-CAR to investigate if crime syndicates are involved in the continuous marijuana cultivation and trade in the region.
The Philippine Anti-Drug Enforcement Agency in the region (PDEA-CAR) reported earlier that Cordillera remains to be the number one source of marijuana and supplies almost 70 percent of the total marijuana produce in the country.
Nevertheless, Luga said, the PRO-CAR and other law enforcement agencies are doing their best to rid the region of marijuana.
"The police and other law enforcement agencies are relentless in their anti-marijuana operations," he said.
It was reported that both the PRO-CAR and the PDEA-CAR destroyed over P1-billion worth of marijuana last year.
Benguet Gov. Raul Molintas, during the same press briefing Thursday, claimed that they will also file criminal charges against owners of private lands found out to be planted with marijuana or what is more commonly known as Indian hemp.
Molintas noted that the filing of necessary charges against landowners is one of their best options in line with their determined attempt to discourage villagers from cultivating marijuana as a source of livelihood.
The governor, on the other hand, appealed to Malacaņang to help the Benguet provincial government in providing long-term livelihood opportunities to farmers in areas earlier identified as sites of marijuana plantations.
Molintas acknowledged that the lack of basic government services in the remote areas of the region and the rest of country is luring farmers to get involved in illegal activities.
Recently, the PDEA-CAR reported that the lack of personnel, mobility and operational expenses remain to be the biggest stumbling blocks in their anti-marijuana operations in the mountainous and remote areas of Benguet, Kalinga, Ifugao and Mt. Province.
Late last year, Kapangan Mayor Rogelio Leon revealed that some children in Kapangan were being paid P50 daily to help cultivators transport marijuana to prospective buyers. HFP
(June 20, 2003 issue)
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