RPSB-7 uproots 1,500 marijuana in Badian

CEBU, Philippines - At least 1,500 fully grown marijuana were uprooted by personnel of the Regional Public Safety Battalion-7 in Barangay Basiao, a mountainous barangay in Badian town, on Friday morning.

RPSB-7 troops led by Superintendent Jonathan Pineda and Senior Inspector Alvino Enguito were reportedly conducting internal security operation in the mountain barangay when they found the marijuana plantation at past 7 a.m. on Friday.

Pineda ordered Enguito to assemble the troops and uproot the fully-grown stalks of marijuana.

Authorities took with them some of the stalks for laboratory inspection and burned down the rest at the site.

Police Officer 1 Edwin Catamco, public information officer of RPSB-7, said the area was so remote that it could only be reached by foot. The troops failed to arrest anyone.

Catamco said the area was adjacent to an area in Dalaguete town where at least 10,000 stalks of marijuana were also uprooted during an operation in August last year.

On Wednesday, at least P1 million worth of marijuana stalks were also uprooted by authorities in the mountain of Balamban town.

Joint forces of Balamban Police Station and the Special Forces of the Philippine Army uprooted 5,000 fully-grown marijuana stalks beside a creek in Sitio Cabatbatan, Barangay Matun-og, located some 20 kilometers away from the town proper. —/NSA (FREEMAN)