4 active drug groups operating in Cordillera

By Dexter A. See

BAGUIO CITY -- Four drug groups have been monitored by the Cordillera office of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency to be actively operating in the region.

The regional PDEA office said they groups are involved in the sale and distribution of prohibited drugs to victims the past several months despite upped anti-drug campaign of the government.

PDEA-CAR regional director Edgar Apalla said there were three active drug groups operating in Baguio City and Abra.

There are no identified drug groups operating in Apayao, Benguet, ifugao, Kalinga and Mountain Province.

The PDEA-CAR official said there had been 159 drug personalities that have been listed and monitored to be operating in the region with listed personalities and 61 target listed personalities.

Apalla revealed that shabu and marijuana are the most abused drugs in the region with the former as the top choice followed by marijuana.

He explained said data sourced from arrested personalities last month showed majority of arrested drug personalities were shabu-related cases.

Marijuana plantation sites, he added are located in the hinterlands of the municipality of Tingalayan, Kalinga based on previous marijuana eradication operations conducted jointly by PDEA-CAR, PDEA-RO, NBI Region, 50th Infantry Brigade, 503rd brigade and PRO-COR.

According to him, the PDEA-CAR in close coordination with other law enforcement agencies is closely monitoring re-emergence of marijuana plantation sites in the tri-boundaries of La Union-Benguet-Ilocos Sur.

              The PDEA-CAR official reported during the joint meeting of the Regional Development Council and Regional Peace and Order Council that marijuana hashish and marijuana oil or hash oil are being processed in remote villages of Tinglayan.

Marijuana plants are reportedly harvested, dried, compacted into bricks and discreetly transported outside he region.

Apalla said based on interviews conducted on arrested drug personalities, shabu entering Cordillera towns come from the National Capital Region, and the Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon passing through the major entry points of the region using public utility vehicles and private vehicles either rented or owned by some drug personalities in the region.

He noted that marijuana in different forms is believed to be from Tinglayan and Kibungan, Benguet and brought to parts of Luzon using public utility vehicles, private and rented vehicles.