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Sunday, August 05, 2007
P1M worth of marijuana seized in Cordillera
By Ernie N. Olson Jr.
BAGUIO CITY -- Almost P1 million worth of marijuana was confiscated by the police in three separate anti-illegal drug operations conducted within the region the past week.
Cordillera Police Regional Director Raul Gonzales said the first operation were in two plantation sites at Mangta, Sinacbat, Bakun Benquet were P390,000 worth of the illegal cannabis sativa plants were uprooted and destroyed.
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Bakun Police operatives uprooted 1,950 fully-grown marijuana plants in Mangta, Sinacbat, Bakun, Benguet on July 24.
Gonzales said these were planted in two sites with a total land area of 600 square meters. No suspect or cultivator was arrested during the operations.
The uprooted marijuana plants were burned on site while some samples were brought to Bakun Police Office for proper disposition and evidentiary purposes.
Gonzales emphasized that the accomplishments made by law enforcers may be credited to the initiative and cooperation of the general public.
"They are knowledgeable and aware of what is happening in their community, and with the help of the police, they usually accomplish the goals in crime prevention through cooperation. Our law enforcers cannot do it alone. It is by working hand-in-hand with local residents that we are able to resolve these problems in our society," Gonzales said.
The Benguet operation was followed by the seizure of P375,000 worth of the marijuana at the Rising Sun bus terminal at Bontoc, Mountain Province.
The confiscation was based on a tip from a concerned citizen on the presence of a box of marijuana that will be loaded on a Rising Bus.
Joint elements of the Sagada and Bontoc Municipal Police Station went to the bus terminal in Bontoc and saw a box left abandoned by an unidentified suspect, who was believed to have left immediately towards Loc-ong, Bontoc upon sensing police presence in the area.
The recovered box contained 15 bricks of dried marijuana leaves, stems and buds weighing more or less 15 kilograms with a market value of P375,000.
The latest confiscation on August 1 took place in a checkpoint at the detachment of the 21st Infantry Battalion in Bantay, Tabuk, Kalinga by the joint personnel of the Intelligence Division and Aidsotf of the Kalinga Provincial Police Office with the assigned soldiers.
A passenger jeep plying the Bontoc-Tabuk route was flagged down. During the inspection, a yellow sack loaded with 13 marijuana bricks weighing more or less 8.75 kilograms with market value of P218,750 was discovered.
The vehicle was driven by Arthur Bucad Maiyao, who was with conductor Edwin Baydon Loyod, and some passengers.
An investigation disclosed that a text message was received by personnel of the Kalinga police office that said a vehicle was transporting the contraband.
"Continuous drug operations are being conducted all throughout the year by joint personnel of the Regional Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operation Task Group (Aidsotg), the Intelligence Division of the Philippine Army and other divisions of the PRO-Cordillera in cooperation with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)," Gonzales said.
He said intense monitoring, surveillance and planning are being conducted to ensure that illegal drug activities will break off before these contraband items will reach the public.(Sun.Star Baguio)For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star General Santos. (August 5, 2007 issue)
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