The CIDG seized P1.4 million worth of illegal fertilizers in Barangay Sta. Isabel Norte, Ilagan City, Isabela, on 1 May.

According to the CIDG, the Isabela Provincial Field Unit, together with representatives from the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), and local police units, implemented a search warrant for violation of Presidential Decree No. 1144 (Creating the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority and Abolishing the Fertilizer Industry Authority) in the area.

The operation resulted in the arrest of a male suspect and the confiscation of 19 drums and two containers of fermented seaweed chemicals, a portable mixer, a pump, a weighing scale, guar gum, raw materials, gallons of “cogent bio-stimulant,” acid containers, and other related paraphernalia, with a total estimated value of P1,420,000.

A report submitted to CIDG Director PMGEN Robert Aa Morico II stated that the suspect, identified only as “Roy,” a 33-year-old married farmer and resident of the area, was caught in possession and control of unregistered fertilizers and pesticides and without a license to operate from the FPA.

As background, the application for the search warrant stemmed from complaints by neighbors about a pungent (“masangsang”) odor coming from the suspect’s house.

Investigation disclosed that since 2024, the third floor or roof deck of the suspect’s house had been used as a laboratory for producing fertilizers and pesticides. The finished products were reportedly sold online through courier services.