CPPO burns 15,000 marijuana plants

CEBU, Philippines – A total of 15,000 marijuana plants were burned yesterday at the Cebu Provincial Police Office.

Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, who chairs the Regional Peace and Order Council in Central Visayas, led the burning of the 5,000 stalks of fully-grown marijuana plants and 10,000 seedlings.

The Governor was joined by CPPO director Erson Digal, 78th Infantry Battalion Commander Nolasco Mempin, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency 7 acting director Adrian Alvariño, and COMELEC provincial election officer Atty. Marco Lionel Cas-tillano. 

Aside from the marijuana plants four "video karera" machines were also destroyed.

The marijuana plants burned yesterday were the ones uprooted earlier in the towns of Balamban, Carmen and Danao City while the video machines were confiscated from Consolacion.

Digal said since January they have uprooted a total of 43,959 marijuana plants and confiscated 51.97 grams of shabu in 201 operations against illegal drugs.

He said 229 people were arrested and 181 of them have already been charged in court.

In their 41 operations against video machines, Digal said they were able to confiscate a total of 13 and arrested 55 persons, 21 of them are already charged in court.

Digal also reported 11 arrests for violation of the Comelec gun ban with 13 firearms confiscated, five were high-powered.

Five police chiefs were given certificate of appreciation after the burning of the marijuana plants and the destruction of four video karera machines.

They were Supt. Januario Sario of Balamban Police Station, Supt. Rodulfo Albutra of the Provincial Investigation and Detective Management Branch (PIDMB), Sr. Insp. Milo Dagasdas of Carmen Police Station, Supt. Elmer Lim of Danao City Police Station, and Chief Insp. Teodolfo Manatad of Consolacion.

Members of the Special Reaction Unit (SRU) of the CPPO yesterday showed Garcia their ability in handling hostage situation.

Garcia described the SRU unit as 'very highly trained and very elite force' while performing a hostage taking drama at the CPPO ground. (FREEMAN)