Over P12-M cannabis torched

BAGUIO CITY — Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) agents torched down 34,000 fully grown marijuana shrubs and 45,000 grams of dried marijuana leaves, reaching a total of P12.2 million in value in a remote sitio in Tacadang, Kibungan, Benguet on Wednesday.

The cannabis came from four different plantations that spanned a total of around 4,300 square meters via a four-day eradication operation, said PDEA-Cordillera director Derrick Carreon.

According to the PDEA-Cordillera chief, the first plantation bore nearly 9,000 fully grown cannabis shrubs with approximately 5,000 grams of already dried marijuana leaves worth P2.4 million; followed by 1,000 shrubs and 1,500 grams of dried marijuana leaves worth P2 million at the second site 2; 25,000 grams of dried marijuana worth P3 million discovered in site 3, and 24,000 pieces of plants valued at P4.8 million at the fourth plantation.

No cultivators were caught, admitted Mr. Carreon. —Artemio A. Dumlao