Ilocos Sur & Benguet– Carrying out the directive of President Macapagal Arroyo a composite contingent of law enforcers led by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Regional Office 1(PDEA RO1) launched OPLAN “BUNTOTPUSA” a major negation operation that yielded to the destruction of 160 million worth of Marijuana plants (Cannabis sativa) at the disputed boundaries of Ilocos Sur and Benguet. The biggest and record breaking marijuana eradication in the Philippine history.
The six days operation that started on the dawn of January 14, 2009 at the vicinities of Barangay Licungan, Culliang, Sur, Mt. Bangao, Barangay Caoyan, Sugpon, Ilocos Sur; Sitio Lebeng, Barangay Badeo, Sitio Tanap and Barangay Tacadang of Kibungan Benguet mobilized the eight sections from two battalions of the Philippine Army as reports that communist terrorists of leftists under the Ilocos Cordillera Regional Committee of the Communist party of the Philippines are frequently sighted at said areas providing protection to both the cultivator & their marijuana plantations.
An advanced party by the 503rd Brigade Philippine Army and PDEA RO1 secured the areas by land to avoid detection while the main body was airlifted by the TOG-1 Philippine Air Force. Airlifted are elements from PDEA 1 & CAR, Regional Mobile Group 1, Provincial Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operating Team-Ilocos Sur (PAIDSOT-IS), Regional Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operating Team (RAIDSOT), Military Intelligence-1-ISAFP, 302nd Air Intelligence Task Group-PAF & the Sugpon Police Station.
A suspected cultivator Santy Del-amen of Sitio Naba, Cawayan Sugpon Ilocos Sur, was arrested and is charged with Section II of Article 16 Cultivation or Culture of Plants Classified as Dangerous Drugs of RA 9165 otherwise known as the Dangerous Act of 2002. The penalty of which will be life imprisonment to death and a fine ranging from Five hundred thousand pesos to Ten million pesos upon conviction.
“Our directive and objective is to win the drug war, and we are tapping all our partners to wipe out the enemy. We are not afraid of who they are or their cohorts and financiers.” Quoted from PDEA RO1 Regional Director Roberto S. Opeňa who personally supervised the operation.
An interlude to OPLAN “APOLGREENSCORPION” which crushed 28M worth of illegal hemp at the Sitios Tebteb, Balbalnag, Brgy Badeo, Kibungan, Benguet, Brgy. Sapdaan, and Brgy Sasaba, Santol, La Union on November 07 to 09, 2008, OPLAN “BUNTOTPUSA” has been created as intelligence reports established that CPP/NPA’s operating in the area are engaged in Narco-terrorism to support their cause. Aside from the fact that it is being used as substitute for “Shabu” (Methamphetamine hydrochloride) where its prices has dramatically risen during the past months due to continued anti-narcotics operation.
