Over P12 million worth of cannabis destroyed in remote Benguet town

BAGUIO CITY — Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) agents burned 34,000 fully grown marijuana shrubs and 45,000 grams of dried marijuana leaves, with a total value of P12.2 million, in a remote sitio Dalipey, Tacadang, Kibungan, Benguet, on Wednesday, February 19.

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

According to the PDEA-Cordillera chief, the first plantation contained nearly 9,000 fully grown cannabis shrubs with approximately 5,000 grams of dried marijuana leaves worth P2.4 million. The second site had 1,000 shrubs and 1,500 grams of dried marijuana leaves valued at P2 million. At the third site, 25,000 grams of dried marijuana worth P3 million were found, and the fourth plantation yielded 24,000 plants worth P4.8 million.

No cultivators, however, were caught, admitted Carreon.