BAGUIO CITY — Law enforcement authorities destroyed an estimated P9.6 million worth of marijuana plants in Barangay Butbut Proper, Tinglayan, Kalinga.

The discovery and destruction were carried out from 2 to 3 August 2026. The two-day operation was led by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Kalinga Provincial Office.

Operatives discovered a 6,000-square-meter marijuana plantation hidden within a communal forest, where they uprooted and burned 48,000 fully grown marijuana plants (FGMPs) on site.

No suspects were arrested during the operation. PDEA and the local police have urged residents to assist in the investigation by reporting any suspicious individuals or activities in the area.

The agency credited the operation to coordination and intelligence sharing among participating units, including the 2nd Kalinga Provincial Mobile Force Company (PMFC), the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group Special Operations Unit (PNP-DEG SOU) Cordillera, the Tinglayan Municipal Police Station (MPS), and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) Kalinga District Jail.

Authorities said targeted anti-illegal drug operations will continue throughout the region and urged the public to report illicit activities.