TACURONG CITY -Law enforcers destroyed about 13,000 mature marijuana plants in Tampakan, South Cotabato on Thursday.
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) XII initiated in the morning of January 28 the “Ceremonial Burning” of the marijuana plants with an estimated street value of P2.6 million at the municipal grounds of Barangay Poblacion, Tampakan.
The marijuana plants were previously uprooted during the joint operation of the PDEA South Cotabato, South Cotabato Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit Office, Tampakan Municipal Police Station, and other members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) – South Cotabato last January following reports from concerned citizens regarding a marijuana plantation being cultivated by a local farmer in Sitio Bong Sbang, Brgy. Danlag, Tampakan.
The PDEA-XII previously revealed that the marijuana plants were cultivated by a certain Jimben Sinaya, but “(Sinaya) was able to fled in an unknown direction upon sensing the arrival of the operatives.”
PDEA-XII director Naravy Duquiatan said that the operatives burned at the site some of the uprooted marijuana, with an estimated street market value of P200 each, and brought down some of the seized items as evidence.
During the ceremonial burning, Duquiatan said that the destruction of the prohibited plants“is an indicator of the relentless campaign of the operatives to clear our region from the problem on illegal drugs.”
“This ceremonial burning is a symbolic gesture of our collective effort in the fight against illegal drugs,” she said.
In September last year, operatives also discovered a marijuana plantation and uprooted at least 10,000 hills in Sitio Alyong in the same barangay of the municipality, and two months later, the authorities also uprooted 2,500 mature marijuana also in Sitio Alyongand Sitio Atbol, Barangay Kimlawis in the municipality of Kimblawan in Davao del Sur allegedly protected by the New People’s Army (NPA).
