P23-M illegal drugs seized in Cordillera

BAGUIO CITY -- The Police Regional Office in Cordillera (PROCOR) has seized and destroyed some PHP23.4 million worth of illegal drugs from different operations in the region’s provinces in February alone.

Maj. Carolina Lacuata, PROCOR information officer, said Monday the operations also led to the arrest of 40 persons for selling, transporting, and possessing illegal drugs.

Lacuata said Benguet Provincial Police Office’s 11 operations resulted in the destruction of some P21 million worth of marijuana

in different towns.

In Mountain Province, a total of P2.1 million worth of marijuana was also destroyed.

Lacuata said that for February, a total of 44 police operations resulted in the arrest of 40 drug suspects and the confiscation of 68 sachets of suspected shabu; 2 sachets of marijuana; 30ml of marijuana oil; 3 marijuana tubes; 6 marijuana bricks; 68,924 marijuana plants; 2,100 seedlings; 9,500 marijuana stalks, and 46.51 kilograms of marijuana leaves with a total value of P23.42 million.

Four marijuana cultivators were identified and charged for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

During the visit of Philippine National Police chief, Gen. Archie Francisco Gamboa last week, he said that while marijuana cultivation is part of the culture, its cultivation, transport, and sale continue to be illegal.

PROCOR director, Brig. Gen. R’Win Pagkalinawan, said they will intensify the fight against illegal drugs and raise the level of anti-drug operations in the region.

“We will continue to perform our mandate with equal fervor and intensity to keep our communities safe from the wicked clutches of dangerous drugs and we believe that the continuing war on drugs is winnable when people in the community are sincerely committed to helping us,” Pagkalinawan said.