LORETO, Agusan del Sur — Authorities uprooted and destroyed an estimated 23,431 fully grown marijuana plants with a street value of ₱6 million during a major anti-illegal drug operation in a remote area of Barangay Kasapa 1, Loreto, Agusan del Sur on Saturday, July 4.
The marijuana plantation, covering approximately 16,000 square meters, was discovered in Sitio Bonlak at around 2:46 p.m. through a joint operation conducted under COPLAN EVEREST-FOXTROT.
Participating in the operation were personnel from the Loreto Municipal Police Station (MPS), Agusan del Sur Provincial Intelligence Unit (PIU), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-Agusan del Sur Provincial Office, the 2nd Agusan del Sur Provincial Mobile Force Company (PMFC), and the Alpha Company of the 60th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army.
According to police, the plantation was located in a geographically isolated area approximately 207 kilometers from the Loreto Municipal Police Station, highlighting the logistical challenges faced by operating teams in reaching the site.
Authorities identified the alleged cultivator only by the alias “Dodong,” a farmer and resident of Sitio Bonlak, Barangay Kasapa 1, who reportedly maintained the plantation with his live-in partner. However, the suspect was not found during the operation and remains at large.
Police said representative samples of the marijuana plants were collected, properly marked, and submitted for laboratory examination, while the remaining plants were documented, uprooted, and burned at the site in accordance with established operational procedures.
To ensure transparency and compliance with anti-drug protocols, the destruction of the marijuana plants was witnessed by a barangay kagawad and a media representative.
Police Regional Office 13 (PRO13) Director PBGen. Marcial Mariano P. Magistrado IV described the operation as a significant setback for illegal drug operations in the Caraga Region.
“This successful operation delivers a significant blow to illegal drug operations in the region. The eradication of these marijuana plants prevented millions of pesos worth of illegal drugs from reaching our communities and harming our people. PRO13 remains steadfast in pursuing those responsible and in sustaining aggressive, intelligence-driven operations to keep Caraga safe, peaceful, and drug-free,” Magistrado said.
The latest operation marks the second major marijuana eradication campaign conducted in Barangay Kasapa 1 this year.
On April 16, 2026, authorities also raided another marijuana plantation in Sitio Bagtok, a different sitio within the same barangay, where they destroyed more than 11,000 fully grown marijuana plants and 300 seedlings with an estimated value of ₱2.2 million.
The repeated discoveries have raised concerns among law enforcement agencies over the continued use of the mountainous portions of Barangay Kasapa 1 as cultivation sites for illegal marijuana plantations.
Authorities said the sustained operations demonstrate the strengthened coordination among the Philippine National Police, PDEA, the Philippine Army, local government units, and community stakeholders in intensifying anti-drug efforts across the region.
PRO13 urged the public to remain vigilant and continue reporting suspicious drug-related activities, emphasizing that community cooperation remains vital in preventing the resurgence of illegal drug cultivation and achieving the government’s goal of maintaining safer, more secure, and drug-free communities throughout Caraga.