Half million worth of marijuana destroyed in Benguet

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Almost half a million worth of marijuana plants were torched by policemen in remote Bakun town in Benguet on Monday.

Bakun town policemen led by Senior Inspector Ceasar Mallong
raided a 583-square-meter marijuana plantation in Mt Dacap, barangay Kayapa and found 1,950 fully grown marijuana plants and 2,220 marijuana seedlings with an estimated valued of P478,000.00.

No cultivator was however cornered during the raid, Cordillera police spokesman Supt. Davvy Limmong said.

Only Thursday last week,  policemen and PDEA agents again raided two plantation sites in sitio Balete, Barangay Loccong, Tinglayan town in Kalinga.

At least 7,200 pieces of full-grown marijuana plants in a total land area of 1, 200 square meters were torched on site.

“Disturbingly, no suspect (again) was arrested during the operation,” Supt. Limmong said.

Again on October 1,  Rizal town, Kalinga policemen cornered along a checkpoint along the national highway in Liwan West, Rizal town two men keeping dried marijuana leaves.

The suspects were flagged down for violation of traffic rules when one voluntarily surrendered a package containing supposed dried marijuana leaves weighing 183.546 grams during the inspection.

Kalinga police director Senior Superintendent John Colinio identified the duo as Bonifacio Gonio Gacuan, 20, of Barangay Centro, Enrile town in Cagayan and Frits Gandran Arao, 23, baker and a resident of Maddarulug Sur, also in Enrile, Cagayan.

A case for violation of RA 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 was filed before the Kalinga Provincial Prosecutor’s Office against the two suspects.