The Police Regional Office-Cordillera Administrative Region (PRO-CAR), the Cordillera regional police, arrested six suspected drug personalities from 25 October to 1 November, including one high-value target in Apayao and five street-level offenders.[1] Officers arrested 28 wanted individuals in the same week, including six top-ranked fugitives.[1] Together the drug and manhunt arrests brought the week’s total reported arrests to 34, including several high-profile fugitives.[1] Among those captured were a provincial-level drug suspect and municipal-level suspects wanted for statutory rape, domestic violence, child abuse, and attempted murder.[1] The Kalinga haul led to the arrest of one suspect.[1] Benguet police led the manhunt with 14 arrests, followed closely by Baguio City police with 13.[1]
The bulk of the seizures came from 14 targeted operations which netted 548,130 fully grown marijuana plants, 9,000 seedlings and 1,060 marijuana leaves and fruiting tops, plus 7.47 grams of suspected methamphetamine locally known as shabu.[1][2] PRO-CAR put the week’s total haul at more than P110 million worth of illegal drugs.[1][2] The Kalinga Police Provincial Office accounted for the largest share at P108.8 million worth of illicit drugs.[1][2] Benguet police eradicated P1.18 million worth of marijuana plants, while units in Baguio City, Ifugao, and Apayao seized the remainder of the contraband.[1]
PRO-CAR regional director Brig. Gen. Noel Vallo said the accomplishment was part of continued collaboration with local governments and communities to maintain public safety across the region.[1] Police attributed the absence of reported crime in 54 municipalities to heightened visibility and community coordination, including 25 in Abra, nine in Mountain Province, eight in Ifugao, seven in Benguet, four in Apayao, and one in Kalinga.[1] Regional police gave crime clearance and solution rates of 85.14% and 74.32% for the period.[1] Shabu is methamphetamine, not cannabis, and its 7.47 grams are excluded from the cannabis figures, which count only the marijuana plants and seedlings.[1]
The 14 operations comprised seven marijuana eradication operations, five buy-bust operations, one search warrant operation and one police response.[2] Police gave the combined standard drug price as P110,164,002.80.[2] Police said the six arrested will face charges under Republic Act 9165, the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, with one classified as a high-value individual and five as street-level individuals.[2] Police broke down the remainder as P172,896 seized in Baguio City with three street-level suspects arrested, P2,244 of suspected shabu in Ifugao, and P2,183 of suspected shabu in Apayao with one high-value individual and one street-level individual arrested.[2]
