BAGUIO CITY- The seek and destroy operation of the Philippine National Police Cordillera and other law enforcement units against marijuana propagation in the province of Kalinga will be sustained until the area will be cleared by the end of 2016.
Police Regional Office-Cordillera regional operations and plans division Chief Police Superintendent Brent Madjaco said that they have prepared a three month eradication operation to possibly free the province from the illegal plant especially the municipality of Tinglayan.
“We are positive that we can accomplish our target with the positive support of the LGU’s in the area, with the help of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.” Madjaco said.
The PUMYA-AN program of Kalinga Governor Jocel Baac which seeks to alleviate status of the poorest of the poor in the poorest barangays in the province topped the support of other government agencies to address the reasons why local folks go into this illegal means to survive.
Barangay officials in these remote villages assures that their constituents are willing to shift to legal means of livelihood if the government will infuse projects in their area like the construction of farm to market roads, irrigation system and other livelihood assistance.
Madjaco revealed that the September 14 massive eradication resulted in the destruction of 5.7billion pesos worth of marijuana products from the estimated 83 hectares plantation.
Vast plantations are located at Mount Chumanchil and Barangay Loccong all in the municipality of Tinglayan and Mount Bitalayungan.
Many marijuana plantations in the mountains in the towns of Pasil and Lubuagan were also discovered through reconnaissance.
“We have to revisit previous areas where eradication was conducted because in our experience several days after the operation newly grown marijuana emerged again.” Madjaco said.
The assistance of the Department of Agriculture, Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Environment and Natural Resources and other government agencies concerned are needed to address the problem. JOSEPH MANZANO
