CABANGLASAN, Bukidnon — Police and military authorities uprooted approximately 2,000 fully grown marijuana plants with an estimated street value of ₱400,000 during an eradication operation in the remote hinterlands of Cabanglasan, Bukidnon, on August 14, 2026.
The operation was carried out at about 9:50 a.m. in Sitio Catablaran, Barangay Canangaan, where authorities discovered an illegal marijuana plantation occupying an estimated 500-square-meter area.
The operation was led by the Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit 10 (RPDEU 10) of the Police Regional Office 10 (PRO10), in coordination with other PNP units, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), the 8th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army, and the Provincial Intelligence Unit (PIU) of the Agusan del Sur Police Provincial Office.
According to authorities, the operating team found around 2,000 fully grown marijuana plants, with each plant measuring approximately five feet in height.
The plants were uprooted and seized as evidence following the discovery of the plantation.
Authorities placed the estimated market value of the confiscated marijuana plants at ₱400,000.
The alleged owner of the plantation, however, remains unidentified and at large as of the latest police report.
Following the required inventory, the uprooted marijuana plants were destroyed and burned at the site in the presence of witnesses. Authorities said substantial samples were retained for examination and will be submitted to the PNP Provincial Forensic Unit 10 in Malaybalay City for laboratory analysis.
A case for alleged violation of Section 16 of Republic Act No. 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, is being prepared for regular filing against the unidentified individual believed to be responsible for the plantation.
Intelligence-driven operations
The discovery highlights the continuing challenge faced by law enforcement agencies in locating marijuana plantations hidden in remote and difficult-to-access areas of Mindanao.
Police Regional Director PBGen Christopher N. Abrahano emphasized that sustained and intelligence-driven operations remain critical in identifying and dismantling illegal drug cultivation sites before marijuana enters local communities.
“We will continue to intensify our intelligence-driven operations against illegal drug cultivation and dismantle marijuana plantations wherever they may be found,” Abrahano said.
He also stressed the importance of coordination among law enforcement and security agencies, as well as cooperation from communities in remote areas.
“Our sustained efforts, together with the cooperation of our partner agencies and local communities, are crucial in preventing these illegal drugs from reaching our communities,” he added.
The latest operation forms part of PRO10’s continuing campaign against the cultivation and proliferation of illegal drugs in Northern Mindanao.
Authorities are expected to pursue further intelligence gathering to identify the individuals behind the plantation and determine whether other marijuana-growing sites may be operating in the area.