Soldiers raid marijuana farm, seize 300 stalks

CEBU, Philippines - Mantalongon, Dalaguete, known for its “Utanon Festival,” is supposed to be Cebu’s “vegetable basket” as it supplies vegetables not only for the province but most of Central Visayas as well.

But the military was not harvesting vegetables when they trooped last Wednesday afternoon to Mantalongon, a mountain barangay which is more than 13 kilometers from the town proper.

Elements from the 78th Infantry Battalion (78th IB), along with barangay tanods, uprooted a total of 300 stalks of fully grown marijuana plants and confiscated around 250 seedlings.

In a statement released to the media, the military revealed that a concerned citizen informed them about the marijuana plantation.

The 78th IB, in response to the information they received, organized a team to locate the marijuana plantation.

Accompanied by barangay tanods, the troops arrived at the area at around 2:30 p.m. and they immediately started uprooting the marijuana plants. No one was arrested in the operation.

The fully grown marijuana plants will be turned-over to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 7 for proper disposal.

“The uprooting of the marijuana plants serves as a warning to those who have marijuana plantation and serves as a reminder that the unit is sincere in intensifying its campaign against illegal drugs in their area of responsibility,” the 78th IB warned in a press statement.

Col. Raymundo Bañares Jr. thanked the civilians for information that led to their discovery of the plantation.

The unit, in close coordination with PDEA 7, will continue to support the campaign of “All Out War Against Illegal Drugs” by Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia.

In June last year, Gov. Garcia declared an all-out war against illegal drugs after she was told that 283 barangays in the province were considered as drug-affected areas.

The governor moved for PDEA to deputize the 5,000 policemen in the province in their fight against illegal drugs. Barangay officials and tanods were also included in the deputization.  (FREEMAN NEWS)