DAVAO CITY –Authorities uprooted and burned some 10,000 hills of fully-grown marijuana plants worth PHP2 million in Lombong Sitio Tagbaloyan, Barangay Tubaon in Tarragona, Davao Oriental on Thursday.
In an interview on Friday, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Region 11 Director Antonio Rivera said the marijuana was allegedly planted and cultivated by Melindo Malintad and his son Jurel.
“When the team arrived, the suspects were no longer seen at the area,” Rivera said.
Rivera said the operation was jointly conducted by composite teams from PDEA-11, Philippine National Police (PNP), and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
Rivera said the samples of the uprooted marijuana plants were brought to their office for tagging and inventory.
Charges against the suspects, who remain at-large, were being prepared. -PNA