Narco-tourism thriving in Cordillera Region

Narco-tourism’ is a thriving business in the Cordillera, perking up its economy despite its being illegal, according to observers who cite frequent police raids on marijuana plantations and arrest of dealers and users in tourist areas in the region.

The remote town of Kabayan in Benguet, for one, continues to produce marijuana despite earlier efforts to dissuade townfolk to plant cash crops and flowers instead.

Police and anti-narcotics agents torched around P27.7 million worth of marijuana plants in a total land area of over 21,000 square meters in at least 62 plantation sites during a four-day operation in six sitios of two remote barangays in Benguet since Nov. 1.

Benguet police director Senior Supt. Rodolfo Azurin, Jr. said the operatino is part of the authorities’ stepped up campaign, dubbed as 'Oplan Daydreamer,' against the proliferation of illegal drugs, particularly marijuana and shabu, in identified marijuana-producing areas in the province.

With the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency – Cordillera Administrative Region, Benguet policemen destroyed a total of 97,100 fully grown marijuana plants, 15,225 marijuana seedlings, 2 kilos of dried marijuana leaves, 60 kilos of marijuana stalks and 5 kilos of marijuana seeds in five sitios in Barangay Tacadang: Les-eng, Batangan, Bacbacan, Culiang and Pingew – and one in Barangay Badeo, SitioDeckan.  

Azurin however said they did not catch any cultivator.

The team, burned all the marijuana plants except some samples they brought to their headquarters in La Trinidad, Benguet for evidence and burning.

Aside from Kapangan town, where marijuana produce has been considerably reduced because of raids, Kibungan and Bakun have been on the watchlist of authorities for producing hemp in Benguet.

Kibungan town is adjacent to hinterland Santol town in La Union where marijuana meant for the illicit market in the lowlands are shipped out to avoid authorities.

Aside from Benguet, Kalinga has earlier been watched by authorities after locating a huge plantation several months ago atop a mountain in Tinglayan town.

The highland region, according to authorities, is still on top when speaking of marijuana production all over the country.

Before the All Saint’s Day vacation, anti-narcotics agents swooped down on at least three café-bars right in the town center of the famous tourist destination Sagada in Mt. Province for allegedly serving pot and other drugs to their guests, especially foreign tourists.

PDEA-Cordillera and Ilocos region, and the PDEA’s elite Special Enforcement Service in Manila raided at least three cafes and a house on Oct. 24 and found several dried marijuana leaves, stalks, stems, the marijuana derivative hashish, drug paraphernalia and even guns.

Operatives ordered by a court simultaneously raided the Sagada Pine Café and Bamboo Bar; Kimchi Bar and Restaurant; Vincent Café and a house.

Facing charges of maintaining drug dens, keeping drugs, paraphernalia, planting marijuana and keeping guns are:  Rafael Longboan Wangdali, owner and manager of the Sagada Pine Café/Bamboo Bar and his customer during the raid Christopher Lubangas Padang; Shayne Alarilla Gloria, owner of the Kimchi Bar and customers Jayvee Wailan Dalicnog, Hansel WacnangBaglinit and John Pail Eyabang Salabao; and Bugnosen Kimmayong Dogao at his house.

PDEA-Cordillera assistant regional director Gil Cesario Castro, who led the simultaneous raids, said dried marijuana fruiting tops and leaves, dried marijuana stalks, marijuana roots and stems and assorted drug paraphernalia were seized from the Sagada Pine Café and Bamboo bar while dried marijuana leaves, fruiting tops, hashish dried stalks and assorted drug paraphernalia were also seized from the Kimchi Bar and Restaurant.

Hashish, dried marijuana leaves and fruiting tops, two potted fully grown marijuana plants, a caliber 22 revolver and bullets and marijuana stems and numerous drug paraphernalia were found in Dogao’s house.

None was however found at the Vincent Café.

Castro said the hashish was valued at P17,575 while the dried marijuana leaves and fruiting tops at P104500; dried marijuana stalks at P36,846.25; fully grown potted marijuana at P400 or a total of P159,321.25.

PDEA said this is perhaps the first major find of such “Amsterdam-like” drug operation in the country, though the suspicion on such modus-operandi in Sagada had been persisting for so long.

Sagada town Mayor Eduardo Latawan was quoted by authorities to had long wanted anti-narcotics operations in the area.

Sagada is world-renowed for its tourist-luring idyllic mountain resort beauty especially to Europeans.

But the European lure is reportedly because of the long but not acknowledged popularity of marijuana in the area.

Not so long in the past, even a Japanese tourist was caught with marijuana while leaving the town.

Authorities said Sagada has been tagged only as a trans-shipment point of illegal marijuana plants and derivatives, and not on drug use.

On Wednesday morning, policemen uprooted 147 fully grown marijuana plants and 63 half-grown marijuana plants in two plantation sites in sitio Madoto, Barangay Angkileng, in southern Sagada.

Not so long ago, policemen billeted at a hotel for another engagement stumbled into marijuana planted at the establishment’s backyard.

This might be 'narco-tourism' at work, a highly-placed PDEA official suspected, though the tourism department here doesn’t have enough details yet to conclude on such.