28/05/2026
₱162M MA*****NA PLANTS DESTROYED IN ONE-DAY CORDILLERA ANTI-ILLEGAL DRUG OPERATION
The Philippine National Police (PNP) continues to intensify its campaign against illegal drugs as operatives of the Police Regional Office Cordillera Administrative Region dismantled multiple ma*****na plantation sites in Tinglayan, Kalinga, resulting in the destruction of ma*****na plants with an estimated Standard Drug Price (SDP) of ₱162,020,000.
In a one-day operation conducted at Mt. Whatong, Barangay Loccong, combined operatives discovered eight plantation sites spanning around 52,000 square meters. The eradicated plants included approximately 456,000 fully grown ma*****na plants, 338,000 seedlings, and about 477,500 grams of dried ma*****na stalks with leaves and fruiting tops.
The operation was conducted with the coordinated efforts of PDEA Kalinga and various police operational units in the region, with support from drone surveillance that helped locate the hidden plantations in the mountainous terrain.
All discovered ma*****na plants were properly documented and subsequently uprooted and destroyed on site. Authorities are now pursuing leads to identify the individuals or groups behind the illegal cultivation.
PNP Chief, Police General Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr., commended the operating units, stressing that the accomplishment reflects the organization’s sustained drive to address illegal drugs at the source.
“Diretso ang ating utos—hanapin at putulin ang supply ng ilegal na droga kahit sa pinakamalalayong lugar. Saludo ako sa ating mga operatives. Tuloy-tuloy lang tayo sa trabaho para sa mas ligtas na komunidad,” he said.
The operation aligns with the PNP Focused Agenda under Enhanced Managing Police Operations, reinforcing field-driven, intelligence-supported interventions, in support of the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to strengthen anti-illegal drug efforts nationwide.
The PNP reaffirmed its commitment to sustained operations and closer inter-agency coordination to prevent the resurgence of illegal plantations in remote areas. It likewise emphasized that these efforts are part of its continuing mission to safeguard communities, with the principle of Bagong PNP para sa Bagong Pilipinas: Serbisyong Mabilis, Tapat at Nararamdaman reflected in every operation on the ground.
(PNP-PIO)
