BEHIND THE SCENES

Alfred P. Dizon
Marijuana

Despite countless operations launched by police against marijuana, the illegal plants will thrive particularly at the “Marijuana capital” along the tri-boundary of Ilocos Sur, La Union and Benguet.

You burn it, uproot it, it would live. Such is the plant which is a prolific grower and no amount of eradication drives would stop the hallucinogen from reaching Manila or other parts of the world where it is savored for its natural high.

The reason, sources, say, is that there are mafia goups in the lucrative business and this includes not only farmers and dealers but even government officials in law enforcement. The wonder, according to sources, is that over the years during eradication drives, there were only a few tillers of the plant who have been arrested on site.

Could it be that the farmers have more advanced communications equipment which can detect the coming of any intruder like policemen. One question pundits have often asked: Who are the law enforcement authorities in cahoots with tillers and dealers?

You see, it boggles the mind that while anti-illegal drug and police authorities proclaim every now and then that they are gaining in the war againt marijuana, the tillers are laughing their hearts out in their mountain hideouts or at sleazy nightspots like those in Baguio everytime they make a sale reportedly often in the company of agents of the law.

It is also a wonder how some law enforcement agents have been accused of “planting” evidence or “framing” innocent civilians of being involved in the illegal drug trade to extort money.

There have been reported cases regarding this and it is high time top officials particularly in the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency crack the whip on their errant men. Two young males recently arrested by PDEA agents in Sagada, I hear, are now languishing in jail after they allegedly had been “framed.”

How much money the agents demanded, any officer of the Commission on Human Rights could follow up. They could ask these two innocent civilians who these agents are. They could also ask the locals the description of these hoodlums in uniform who thrive on illegal ways to earn money despite the fact that they are getting their salaries from taxpayers’ money.

You see, even in the contgroversial case against the three young men who were recently slapped with anti-illegal drug charges in Manila, there is more than meets the eye. From the looks of things, it was a simple case of some officials not being given enough of the moolah.

There is usually more than meets the eye in what transpires from the tilling, dealing and sale of the illegal plant. It becomes nore complicated when law enforcers come in. Ask any hardened illegal drug dealer and he will tell you the reason the illegal drug trade won’t be stopped is the “cancer” is now terminal.

According to reliable sources, it involves a complex maze of transactions and grease money among the undertakers. There are good and bad guys in any government agency and those with angel’s wings shouldn’t feel offended.
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In a related development, police officials led by Chief Supt. Ramon V. Gatan, deputy regional director for administration in the Ilocos Region recently conducted ceremonial burning of P160,870,000 worth of marijuana plants at Wallace Airbase in Poro Point, San Fernando City, La Union to show the public that police mean business in their campaign against illegal drugs.

The marijuana plants were uprooted by elements of the PDEA, Philippine National Police, Philippine Army and Philippine Air Force during six-day marijuana eradication operations along the mountainous tri-boundary of Ilocos Sur, La Union and Benguet, said General Gatan.

Gatan said the ceremonial burning is not a mere activity but emphasizes effort and determination of law enforcement agencies in fighting the drug menace. “This ceremonial burning provides a clear demonstration of the advantage of synchronizing our actions. I wish to emphasize the importance of working together towards a common goal. We can accomplish much more if we join hands rather than work independently.”

PDEA Assistant Secretary Baltazar S Balangawan and Air Force Major General Eduardo SL Oban Jr. also served as guest speakers in the activity. The joint operatives uprooted 795,000 fully-grown marijuana plants and confiscated 2.5 kilos of marijuana seeds and 44,200 marijuana seedlings in 24 different sites covering 12 hectares in Barangay Licungan, Barangay Culliang, and Mount Bangao, Barangay Caoayan all in Sugpon, Ilocos Sur; Sitio Lebeng, Barangay Badeo and Sitio Tanap, Barangay Tacadang all in Kibungan, Benguet. Some plants had also been uprooted in Santol town, La Union.

According to a report that reached the office of Gatan, one cultivator identified as Santy Del-amen was apprehended while tending his marijuana plantation in Sitio Naba, Barangay, Caoayan.

Non-drug evidence were also seized, which included one Cal.22 rifle, three bottles of Tamaron insecticide, six kilos of urea fertilizer and 15 meters of black plastic water hose used for irrigating the marijuana plantation.