Marijuana planted in gov’t- owned lot?

CEBU, Philippines - At least 2,600 marijuana plants and seedlings worth P500,000 were uprooted by the Danao City police in an alleged marijuana plantation at the mountain barangay of Langosig, Danao City early morning Wednesday.

The marijuana plants were reportedly planted in a government-owned  lot, said Senior Inspector Cesar Misola, chief intelligence of the Danao City Police Station.

Police were supposed to conduct an Internal Security Operation in the mountain areas when they saw, in plain view, the marijuana plants prompting them to conduct an operation around 5 a.m.

“Alagang-alaga talaga sa tingin ko kasi may naka-cubicle sa paligid baka kasi akala nila wala nang pulis na pupunta doon dahil sa layo,” Misola said in a phone interview.

They, however, failed to arrest any cultivator of the plantation in the area.

All uprooted illegal plants were taken to the police station for proper disposition.

Misola added that they will be conducting another operation in nearby mountain areas for possible discovery of another marijuana plantation.

“Posibleng meron pang marijuana plantation sa ibang lugar lalo na sa malalayong bundok na,” he said.

Just recently, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-7 burned at least P400,000 worth of seized marijuana plants in their headquarters in Lahug, Cebu City.

The seizure of  the plants resulted from the operation of the PDEA-7 and the Philippine Air Force’s 300th Air Intelligence and Security Group (AISG) in Barangay Bayong, Balamban last month.

The burning of the confiscated plants was approved by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

The operation was conducted in at least 30 planting sites and the biggest of which reached up to one hectare.

PDEA-7 called other government  agencies to emulate what the AISG had done in helping PDEA as the lead agency in the campaign against illegal drugs.  (FREEMAN)