Government anti-illegal operatives have destroyed a total of PHP20.49 million worth of marijuana plants and seedlings in several areas of Benguet and Kalinga provinces in the latter part of September, the Police Regional Office Cordillera (PROCOR) official said on Tuesday.

“The campaign to get rid the marijuana supplies continues as part of the government’s effort to cleanse the country of the drug menace,” said Brig. Gen. Israel Ephraim Dickson, PROCOR regional director, in a phone interview.

As part of the effort on supply reduction, the PROCOR information officer, Maj. Carolina Lacuata reported that a total of PHP20,492,000 worth of marijuana plants and seedlings were destroyed from September 23 to 27 in various operations in Benguet and Kalinga provinces.

Lacuata said the accomplishment is part of the region’s Simultaneous Anti-Criminality and Law Enforcement Operations (SACLEO).

On September 23, simultaneous operations were done in Sitio Bacbacan, Barangay Poblacion, Kibugan, Benguet, destroying 300 marijuana seedlings worth PHP12,000 and 3,000 fully grown marijuana plants worth PHP600,000 in Tanudan town, Kalinga.

On September 24 in Badeo, Kibungan, government troops destroyed 1,000 fully grown marijuana plants worth PHP200,000.

Lacuata said on Sept. 25, a total of 1.28 kilograms of hashish covered with milled coffee worth PHP281,000 was attempted to be sent by Jaime Abbacan through a private courier service company in the capital town Bontoc, Mountain Province to Rubylin Bendijo in the company’s branch in Tagaytay City.

The package was intercepted by the attendant and was reported by the branch manager to the authorities.

From September 25 – 27, government law enforcers implemented “Oplan Green pearl Delta 09-2019” which led to the destruction of 77,000 fully grown marijuana plants and 30 kilos of dried marijuana leaves worth PHP19.3 million.

The three-day operation was done in barangays Bugnay and Tulgao West, Tinglayan town in Kalinga.

On September 26, two separate operations in Sitio Wading and Sitio Tewe in Kayapa, Bakun led to the destruction of 240 and 85 fully grown marijuana plants, respectively, or a total of 325 fully grown worth PHP65,000.

On September 27, in a separate operation also in Barangay Kayapa in Bakun, 170 fully grown marijuana plants worth PHP34,000 were destroyed.

Dickson urged all police personnel to work closely with other units in the region for the destruction of illegal drugs, which is among the priority of the Duterte administration.

“The volume of marijuana being uprooted and destroyed during the recent SACLEO only means that we have to double our effort to win the war against illegal drugs. We should continue the operations relentlessly and aggressively,” he said. (PNA)