The Philippine National Police (PNP), in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), successfully dismantled two marijuana plantation sites worth an estimated PHP60 million in street value during a joint anti-illegal drug operation conducted on May 18, 2026, in the municipality of Tinglayan, Kalinga, in the Cordillera Administrative Region.
Operating teams uprooted and destroyed approximately 300,000 fully grown marijuana plants covering an estimated 25,000 square meters of land situated within a remote communal forest area at Mt. Chumanchil, Barangay Loccong. The operation is among the largest marijuana eradication efforts recorded in the Cordillera region in recent months.
Two Plantation Sites Uncovered at Mt. Chumanchil
Authorities discovered two distinct marijuana plantation sites during the operation, both located in geographically isolated terrain within the communal forest area of Mt. Chumanchil in Barangay Loccong, Tinglayan, Kalinga. The remote location of the sites is consistent with a pattern of illegal cultivators exploiting rugged and difficult-to-access terrain to evade law enforcement detection.
The combined plantation area spanned 25,000 square meters, with all 300,000 marijuana plants described by authorities as fully grown at the time of discovery. The scale of the cultivation suggests a sustained and organized illegal drug production operation had been active at the site prior to the raid.
Representative samples of the uprooted plants were preserved and set aside for laboratory examination in accordance with standard anti-drug protocols. The remaining plants were thoroughly documented and destroyed on-site, consistent with existing legal procedures governing the disposal of seized illegal drugs and controlled substances.
Joint Anti-Drug Operatives and Local Police Units Conduct the Raid
The operation was carried out through the combined efforts of anti-illegal drug operatives from the PNP's regional units and local police forces assigned in the Cordillera Administrative Region, with the operation conducted in close coordination with the PDEA.
The participation of multiple agencies underscores the inter-agency approach now standard in the government's anti-illegal drug campaign, particularly in remote and mountainous areas where a single unit's capacity may be limited by logistical and geographic challenges.
According to the PNP Public Information Office, which released a report on the operation, the destruction of the two plantation sites was carried out in full compliance with established rules of engagement and documentation requirements under Philippine anti-drug laws.
PNP Chief Commends Operating Units for Sustained Coordination
PNP Chief Police General Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr. publicly commended the units involved in the Tinglayan operation, citing their continued commitment and sustained coordination in addressing illegal drug activities, particularly in geographically isolated and hard-to-reach communities across the Philippines.
"Patuloy nating pinapalakas ang ating operasyon laban sa ilegal na droga sa iba't ibang bahagi ng bansa. Ang matagumpay na eradication operation na ito ay malinaw na patunay na hindi tayo titigil sa pagprotekta sa ating mga komunidad laban sa mga epekto ng ilegal na droga," PGen Nartatez said.
In translation, the PNP Chief stated that the police continue to strengthen anti-drug operations across different parts of the country, and that the successful eradication operation is clear proof that the force will not stop protecting communities from the effects of illegal drugs.
PGen Nartatez also emphasized the critical importance of community support and inter-agency cooperation in sustaining long-term anti-illegal drug efforts, calling both pillars essential to the success of operations in isolated areas where local intelligence and ground-level cooperation are indispensable.
Operation Aligned With PNP Focus Agenda and Marcos Administration Drug Policy
The Tinglayan eradication operation forms part of the PNP's intensified anti-criminality and anti-illegal drug campaign under its Focus Agenda on Enhanced Managing Police Operations. This agenda operates within the broader peace and order platform advanced by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. since his administration took office in 2022.
The operation reflects the continued implementation of intelligence-driven enforcement strategies that the PNP has adopted in targeting large-scale drug supply networks, including illegal cultivation operations that have historically been difficult to detect and dismantle due to their remote locations in mountainous provinces such as Kalinga.
Kalinga province, located in the Cordillera Administrative Region in northern Luzon, has been identified in past law enforcement reports as one of several highland areas where marijuana cultivation has persisted due to the terrain's natural concealment advantages and limited road accessibility, which historically complicated enforcement response times.
PHP60-Million Street Value Reflects Scale of Illegal Drug Supply Disruption
The estimated PHP60 million street value of the destroyed marijuana plants represents a significant disruption to the illegal drug supply chain in the Cordillera region. Anti-drug enforcement authorities typically calculate street value based on the prevailing market price of the substance per gram or kilogram in local and downstream distribution markets.
The destruction of 300,000 fully grown marijuana plants across 25,000 square meters of cultivated land signals that the plantation had reached a stage of maturity ready for harvest, meaning the interdiction effectively prevented a large batch from entering the illegal drug distribution network.
Marijuana cultivation at this scale requires sustained investment in labor, water access, and organizational coordination, indicating to law enforcement that the operation was not the work of isolated individuals but likely involved a structured network of cultivators and financiers.
PNP Reaffirms Commitment to Intelligence-Driven Operations Nationwide
Following the successful operation, the PNP reaffirmed its institutional commitment to continue conducting lawful and intelligence-driven operations across the country in support of safer communities. This commitment is framed within the PNP's overarching vision articulated as "Bagong PNP para sa Bagong Pilipinas: Serbisyong Mabilis, Tapat at Nararamdaman," which translates to a reformed, responsive, and community-centered national police service.
The agency indicated that similar operations targeting marijuana plantations and other illegal drug activities in geographically isolated communities will continue as part of sustained law enforcement efforts. The PNP has not disclosed whether follow-up operations are planned for additional suspected sites in the Tinglayan or surrounding Kalinga areas, though the successful dismantling of the Mt. Chumanchil plantations is expected to inform ongoing intelligence assessments of the region.
As of May 19, 2026, no arrests have been reported in connection with the Tinglayan marijuana plantation operation. The PNP Public Information Office has not released information on whether persons of interest have been identified as part of any ongoing investigation linked to the destroyed cultivation sites.
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of PNP Public Information Office